paramedics in the ER

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Do any of you have paramedics in your ER? If so what do they do?

come on now people. we are all here for the same thing, patient care. just because the pm is trained for the pre-hospital setting doesn't mean that they shouldn't be allowed to work in the er. when i went to pm school in ak, most of my training (outside of school) came from the er of local hospitals. i worked hand-in-hand with the rn's with no problems. when a pm turns over care to the er lots of times their care doesn't stop there. i have assisted with many codes, iv starts, and other procedures in the er before returning to my ambulance. and to address the issue of non-mandated training programs for pm's, you're wrong. the pm is mandated by the dot and this is a nation wide standard. pm's have both a national cert as well as a state cert. correct, state certs vary from state-to-state but most of us don't just get a state cert we get both. meaning that yes they differ, but we all have the same general knowledge and skills. i just think that it is issues like this that causes so much animosity between the pm's and rn's, can't we just be friends :mad: ? bottom line we are here for the patients, if help is needed in the er and no, or a limited number of, rn's are available, i would trust a pm anytime.

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Specializes in ER, telemetry.

We have a lot of paramedics working in my ER either part time or labor pool. They are a hugh asset to the ER in my opinion. They usually work with assisting the nurses with IVs, EKGs, triaging, splinting, transporting monitored pts and helping with codes and multiple other tasks. Some insert foleys. Like I said, this is usually supplement income for them, their primary jobs are with the fire depts.

When I first started in the ER, the PMs were a life saver for me.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, ER.

We have a few medics working in our ER, and they are a wonderful assest to any ER. They are allowed to start IVs, draw labs, EKGS, foleys, hang fluids, HHNs, VS, basically, anything a nurse can do, the medics can do as well.....the only thing they don't do is administer meds.

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Specializes in CCRN, CNRN, Flight Nurse.
Quote:

I was a paramedic for 6 years before becoming an RN. The only state that requires an associates degree for paramedics is Oregon. All the rest only require a diploma or certificate of completion. Some states don't even list minimum training requirements for paramedics.

Actually, most states do require an associates degree before a paramedic can be awarded their license/certification. If there is any question, contact your state's Board of EMS.

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...I think it's a matter of principle; as both a paramedic and RN, I don't think a medic belongs in an ED any more than an RN belongs on the ambulance.

Many drugs can't (limitations on their cert and medical direction) be monitored by a medic...So an ideal ambo is like a chopper on the ground: a medic AND an RN...

not every pt needs to fly

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

Paramedics are working in the hospital now too, in a stepdown/monitored unit in PA. We have a paramedic who transports patients to testing which need heart monitoring and can be on a many IV drips. We also have a critical care trained nurse to transport the patients with titrated drips and blood running.

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Specializes in Emergency room, Flight, Pre-hospital.

I work in 2 different ER's and there are paramedics in both, but their roles are different. In the small town er there is an RN and paramedic in the er and perform pretty much all the same tasks. And then triage is supposed to be a nurse, but the paramedics can fill in. Then the Big Level 1 Trauma center I work in our Techs are either EMT's or Paramedics and they do Blood draws, foleys, Ekgs, Transport pts, run urines, place pts in rooms and on monitors, sometimes with help with an IV if the nurse is having difficulty. But they don't give meds, or call report, or really do any charting other than if they perform a procedure such as a foley. So it kind of depends on the hospital you are working in as to what they do. I think in both places they are very helpful, and each hospital role is appropriate for that facility.

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Specializes in ER.

I am a paramedic and now RN, having been on both sides I believe that a paramedic background has assisted my nursing skills with certian skills that nurses dont have. I also worked as a medic in an ER, I agree that it is a quick fix to a big shortage issue but reall world, we need the help and sometimes this is all we get, and with the skills/training as a medic there is a lot of things they can do. No I dont agree with taking orders from a medic.

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Specializes in ER.

I love our medics, but I certainly don't want to be the RN in charge. If they are practising in the ER I want them to have their ownauthority and their own patients. Nurses and paramedics are so close and the level of training is similar, but the approach is very different. Give me my own patients.

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Specializes in Critical Care/Teaching.

:rollThe ANA is pushing to get medics out of the ER. I know this because I am doing my thesis on medics in the ER: Good or BAd.

In my personal opinion, medics do have a place in the ER, however, it is under the RN, for example, medics know TRAUMA, on average how many patients in the ER are trauma, most are medicals. Is a medic taught to do wound care? NO Is a medic taught to give Blood? Call Report? Check orders? Administer drugs, other than MONA? NO!!!

And plus, I don't know why a medic would want to "work as a nurse" with half the pay? They are cheap replacements for nurses....hospitals are going to hire the cheapest labor they can!!!

Again, I like medics, engaged to one actually. And I think some of them can run circles in TRAUMA around other RN's, however, I still believe the RN runs the ER!!!

Sorry if I offended anybody, just my personal opinion, and opinions are like BUTTS, everybody has one!!

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Specializes in Rotor EMS, Ped's ICU, CT-ICU,.
Actually, most states do require an associates degree before a paramedic can be awarded their license/certification. If there is any question, contact your state's Board of EMS.

Actually, no they don't. "Most" suggests that at least more than half, i.e at least 26 states. As it stands, only Oregon requires an associates degree for their paramedics.

If you have a link to support your comment, I'd be interested in seeing it.

As far as the comments about the cabilities of paramedics, some people talk on the internet as if they are insulated from being discovered; I've met paramedics like our EMT-GS (General Surgeon), who take their 800-1000 hour paramedic card to tech in an ED and make it sound like they spend their shift sweating over sterile fields. Most ED physicians won't put in a chest-tube unless they are in a Level 1/2/3 trauma facility...and I've never met a paramedic who even knew how to set up chest-tube drainage.

Don't forget, I've been a paramedic for 14 years, and have worked in three states and the district...the paramedic skill argument snow job won't work here.

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Specializes in Critical Care/Teaching.

If medics want to be a nurse......GO TO NURSING SCHOOL!!!!!!

If medics want to be medics...........RIDE ON THE RIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If RN's keep letting other specialties take over our job, where is the quality of care going to be???

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