Your impression of a nurse working on an ambulance

Nurses General Nursing

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I took a part time job as a CCRN with an ambulance company. Sometimes when I go to the ER/ICU, I get strange looks and occasionally talked down to from other RNs until they realize I too am an RN. I manage very critical patients i.e. up to 12 drips, vent, intubation, art-line, chest tube ect so I feel like I am competent in what I do.

What are your thoughts?

Ambulance crews don't get a lot of respect no matter who they are. They are safe targets for people that are targets of someone else. If you derive satisfaction from deference from other medical professionals, find something else to derive satisfaction from because it won't be that working on a ground ambulance doing IFT's

I've noticed that "snobbery" or whatever it is, and never understood it myself. I'm an ICU nurse of many years, but would never be able to handle the chaos of what EMS deals with and has to handle, and with limited resources. Hats off to them, IMO.

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Specializes in Med Surg Tele.

haters gonna hate

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Where are you and how do I sign up for that!

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I'm an EMT and one of the worst things is getting rude comments from some of the other medical professionals higher up than us... (I.e paramedics, nurses...) We all have to start somewhere!

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This might be silly a question but, how many drips can a pt. have? Ive been a LPN for way to long and am back in school now. Ive done drips but I have never seen more than three at a time.

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As many as they need. :) I transported a patient on 6 the other day. It's not uncommon to transport with 5 for a sick ICU patient.

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Ah, the joys of the "nurses vs EMS." Welcome to the world of EMS, as a PP put it. I start my nursing program in August and I have been told by countless people "DON'T TELL ANYONE YOU'RE AN EMT!!" It is simply based on this stupid idea that nurses and EMS don't get along basically (this is my opinion mind you) that they are both the dumping ground of their medical areas. EMS often gets sh*t on when we were arrive at definitive care by docs and nurses because we are seen as "uneducated/undereducated," we are just ambulance drivers after all. Nurses are sh*t on because they are "just nurses," right? So really we should join forces but we don't.

What you are experiencing is life on the other side of the fence, the disrespect and disregard that EMS professionals receive on the daily. Honestly, the reason they are often to tired and depressed looking is because of what they do and see: you are more on the transport side and not on scene from what it sounds like, but showing up on scene, whether it be an MVA or a little old lady's house can be hard on the soul day in day out. We too are working long hours, on little sleep and understaffed. Top it off with crap pay and little respect from "co-workers" in the hospitals and corporate bullsh*t, yea.

I'm sorry you are feeling like you are being treated badly, try introducing yourself when you arrive at the ED, and I hope that the situation gets better for you.

PSA: This is not a "them vs us" post, hopefully just a little insight from an EMT as to maybe why you would be getting treated this way. Obviously everyone's experience is different, each department/hospital/work environment is different. I'm not trying to start a riot here. Not all nurses/EMTs/Doctors pull this kind of stuff.

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Specializes in PICU.
This might be silly a question but, how many drips can a pt. have? Ive been a LPN for way to long and am back in school now. Ive done drips but I have never seen more than three at a time.

You could have a patient on dopamine, epi, norepi, versed, morphine, sodium bicarb, vecuronium, insulin, calcium chloride, terbutaline, magnesium, many others.

The above were was an actual patient once.

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i didn't know prehospital/EMS and flight nursing were a thing back in school but i do now!

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Specializes in Only the O.R. and proud of it!.

RN's routinely staff the air ambulances. Why not one on wheels??? I'd prefer a CCRN working in tandem with a paramedic versus the paramedic alone. Both bring valuable experience and knowledge to the table and I'll bet increase the odds of a meaningful recovery for a trauma victim. Shame on ED staff for looking down upon ambulance staff regardless of credentials.

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Lol...you beat me to it! I'm lousy at impressions.

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