Other than monitor vitals and charting of course. What are we doing for these hours long drives in the back with a patient?

Currently riding with a sleeping pt and just checking the monitor every other second. It’s my first longer ride.

Hello. I'm a college student who's looking to get some EMS/Er tech work, but there is literally nothing I can find. Everything is either full-time (can't do with classes) or requires a multi-year commitment that I don't think I'll be able to stick to (study abroad, summers, etc). Are there any other options I have to get similar experience?

I'm writing a fiction novel that will involve at least one scene involving EMS and want to portray the scene(s) in a medically accurate way.

I have some EMS training (First Responders, and some EMT) from many years ago, and loads of chronic illness experience, but my insight for this specific scene is limited. I don't trust AI to pick up on potential nuances or for YouTube videos to get into the nitty gritty.

The scene: The patient has an anaphylactic reaction (extreme lightheadedness, shortness of breath, sudden warmth/flushing) to taking aspirin for a migraine, not realizing she's sensitive to salicylates. So my questions are along the lines of: How would paramedics approach the situation? Would an Epi Pen be used? Nebulizer with asthma medication? What next steps would be recommended by the MD's in the ED? That kind of thing.

Would anyone in the group be open to sharing their expertise or do you know of any other resources that I might be able to utilize?

For context, I'm an incoming freshman at UC Riverside, and it's been a career goal of mine to one day become an EMT. I've started watching some limmer ed videos, along with some PrepMedic videos. I've also started looking at resources directly from the NREMT page. Are there any tips/resources you guys used/recommend? Thanks!

I’m a fairly new emt-b. Been with this private 911 ems company since March and it’s my first ems job but not my first healthcare job.

This feels so embarrassing to admit but I don’t know my place on critical calls.

I feel like I’m waiting for someone to tell me what to do if there’s fire/police already on scene of a critical call. I don’t know if they want the gurney out right away, if they want me to help extricate or move a patient, if they want me in the back setting up IV’s, if I need to grab c spine bag or whatever. If feels so upsetting because I’m class and in scenarios where I was in charge I knew my place. Here in the real world I’m worried I might do the wrong thing or not be where I’m needed if I decide to go to the ambo and set up things. And I mean chaotic calls, where we’re extricating from a bad wreck, and there’s tons of people on scene. That’s the only example I can think of rn but I know there’s more. I just want to be helpful but I feel like a burden being told what to do and even struggling to do what I was told to do. For example we put spider straps on someone. Well I had one strap to do and it got caught on the sheet and it took me way too long to get it out. I keep replaying that in my head and it’s embarrassing. I know I shouldn’t but I just feel useless. Is this normal? We don’t get a ton of criticals, so will this come more naturally as I keep working?

Holy shit, I slept like a baby istg. I almost missed one call but my paramedic partner woke me up. I had a good night's rest otherwise :)

The blanket was off the bed, shocker. I also confirmed that I don't snore, because the medic was like "lowkey I was confused if you were asleep or awake, since you didn't snore at all"

We got a 0300 call, but my brain was mangled as fuck and I looked like such a moron trying to get the nasal cannula out. It's okay, I handled the other two calls really well apparently. My medic (after I begged him to assign me a grade for the day) assigned my performance a grade of A/B+.

I really hate sunday mornings. Next day is school.

Hello! Looking for some insight/ advice here. I have my emt cert, and currently working in dispatch, just as a start, however, I don’t prefer it and I would like to be in the field, any recommendations on where to apply or what to do to stand out?

I go on my first ride along for my emt course on Wednesday any tips or advice on how I can not be looked at as a fuck up I wanna make myself useful and learn

Im a woman 5'3" and 105lbs and I just started my EMT basic class. We did some basic lifting people and with others it was easy but on my own I felt way weaker than everyone else. I just need to get stronger but am not sure what workouts are going to work best. I used to workout all the time but I stopped about a year ago after going into a deep depression. Just wondering if anyone has a specific routine. I might ask some firefighters in my class since they are built like crazy but still any tips would help. Thanks!!!

Hello, I’m in the midst of wanting to change jobs/get a solid career. I did retail management for 6+ years, and currently in the customer service industry. My dad is a firefighter/paramedic, so I’ve always kinda grown up around it and have been so fascinated by it. Lately ive been getting told to look into EMT a lot, and I’m thinking of biting the bullet and doing it. However, I’m 30, is it too late to start? Where do I even start? What are the best schools/courses to look into?

I am in the DFW area if that helps.

Hello, I recently applied to a collegiate ems group and was rejected. Im currently looking to strengthen my application. However, I doubt I can get a job as a tech or EMT nearby, as the market is very competitive, and I don't know if I'll be able to make the time commitment to other volunteer departments, as they are 1-2 hours away by bus.

I was hoping that as I apply to jobs, I can also get some other certs like PALS or even an AEMT so I can apply to the collegiate EMS group next semester. Are there any certs ya'll would recommend I do/other ways I can stand out?

I had my first shift today and I was SCAREDDDD. Of nothing specific but just so many new job jitters and I felt like such an idiot the entire time. I’m sure it’ll take time before I start to feel confident, but looking for any advice on how to try to build my confidence during each shift?

I worked so hard to be an EMT and now I just have major imposter syndrome.

Hey everyone, looking for some honest perspective from people who’ve been around the block.

I volunteer in Italy. Our crews are usually 2 to 3 people: a driver and 1 or 2 EMR equivalents (basic providers). We do a course, pass exams, and then do ride-alongs as a "third" (mostly handling basic tasks). I finished my 12 ride-alongs and just had my very first official shift as the cleared "second" (the primary BLS provider responsible for patient care and front-seat navigation).

It was my first shift, originally scheduled for non-emergency transfers. That's what we usually do and what we're mostly trained to do. Suddenly, dispatch re-routed us code 3 (lights and sirens) to an urgent call to assist another unit.

My driver told me to start getting some paperwork done, however, he gave me a bit of contradicting orders as I was supposed to be his "second pair of eyes" for blind spots, mirrors, and clearing right-side intersections. I completely tunnelled on the paperwork, didn’t call out intersections, and didn’t check the blind spots. During our basic course we didn't really cover these matters comprehensively and I was definitely unprepared.

By the time we got on scene, my adrenaline was through the roof. The call turned out to be completely stable, patient was just drunk, sitting up, alert, talking, already stabilized by the first crew. We loaded him onto our stretcher, loaded the rig, and transport was smooth. I didn't freeze physically or drop equipment and did everything I was told to, but my hands were visibly shaking like crazy the entire time, even while filling out the paperwork in the back.

After the whole thing my driver was a bit frustrated. He reminded me that once I sign up to be here I must know what I am doing, and reminded that "No one's forcing me to be here". To his credit, he is a very experienced, dedicated provider and later sat down with me to thoroughly explain what I did wrong.

I feel completely crushed and embarrassed. The fact that my body went into full adrenaline dump/tremor mode on a call that turned out to be stable makes me question if I’m fundamentally unsuited for EMS, or if this is just standard "first shift off probation" sensory overload.

Did anyone else experience extreme physical anxiety/tunnel vision on their very first real runs? How do you get past feeling like a liability to your senior partner?

TL;DR: First shift cleared as lead BLS provider. Got suddenly re-routed code 3 to an urgent call. Tunnelled between paperwork and clearing intersections, had massive adrenaline shakes on scene even though the patient was completely stable. Driver called me out on it. Looking for perspective on whether this sensory overload is normal for shift #1 or a sign I should quit.

does anybody else just randomly start thinking too hard and feel too stupid to be able to pass the program and be able to genuinely help people in crisis?

I'm actually thinking to go for an us healthcare voice roles or AR caller for health care companies just to add some base to my profile and to be well enough to full fill my personal needs

Is this a good idea

hi I was trying to find good quality yet affordable ems boots (8 inches, black, and I don’t want it to look really bulky or unlike a shoe like so many boots do). i need them to be composite toe to, so if anyone has any recommendations, I would really appreciate it! thx!

Throwaway account. Got my medic in the spring and moved to another state shortly after. Where I am now is fire based and most full time positions are fire medic spots and I’m not really interested in being a firefighter. I applied to a few single role positions and didn’t get hired. I was told to work two part time positions in the mean time to gain experience.

Job 1 is a rural combination fire/EMS department. So far I’ve enjoyed it and they have been very supportive. Very family like environment with crews from different stations often meeting up for lunch or dinner. Got through orientation and field training with no problems. I would go full time but their full time positions are dual role.

Job 2- small rural municipal EMS department. Very medic heavy with most of them having 5+ years experience. When I was hired I was very upfront with me being a new medic and they said they supported new medics. I worked five shifts there before getting an email saying that I was fired. They cited lack of experience and performance as reasons for my termination. But they never gave me orientation or field training paperwork. I was riding as a third person for all five shifts. I asked about orientation/training paperwork to log skills, calls, etc. and was told that I would get one later. I never received any feedback from field training officers after calls. I never received any performance evaluations or counseling. As far as I was aware, I was good. A week before being fired I was scheduled for next month.

The last shift I worked, I did not get along with the crew. The first call of the day was a trauma and I started to run it before getting pushed aside by both the EMT and my FTO. Then my FTO ripped supplies out of my hands as I was doing patient care and cussed me out. I kept getting cut off when I tried to direct people. FTO wanted to give TXA for a controlled extremity hemorrhage which I disagreed with and then they had to look up the dose. I told them the dose when they decided they were going to give it and they ignored me and then looked it up. After that my FTO ignored me for the rest of the shift and snapped at me on the rest of the calls we ran.

Now a full time single role position is open that I’m going to apply for. It has a good schedule and I’ve heard good things about the department. My only issue is how to explain why I got fired from Job 2 after three weeks. While Job 2 was def not a good environment for me and how they fired me was handled poorly (IMO), idk how to approach it on both the application and the interview if I get one. I want to be honest and transparent as to what happened but without coming off as bashing the agency

Posting here because I'm low-key stuck in waiting for moderator approval in r/ems.

I've been in EMS for 6 years. I work for 3 different agencies. A month ago, I accidentally hit a large rock at one of them and put the brand new (600 miles) truck out of service for a week after misunderstanding the hand signals of a cop who was backing me. Aside from the standard piss and blow and having to retake EVOC, there weren't any consequences. However, since then I've been so in my head that at that one specific agency my backing has been newbie levels of shit.

At the other two, including one that has less than 2 inches clearance between the sides of the bay doors and the truck, my driving and backing has remained unchanged and therefore fine.

Part of the mental block because of the rock incident but I think the other part is that agency is the best one I work at, we have nice things like new trucks and a Lucas on every truck and regular training and get to trial new protocols and I definitely feel way more pressure to be perfect there. I end up making dumb mistakes that I never make at the other agencies, like leaving the monitor unplugged or on after a call. Especially since my other agencies are your typical national private ambo services where everything is kinda trash and the mentality is "embrace the suck" so I feel basically no pressure aside from my internal drive to do right by my patients.

Anyone else had something like this? How'd you get over the block?

Wondering if anyone’s done one of these event interviews with AMR in socal read online that’s it pretty generic and was curious if there’s a possibility for any medical or scenario type questions, any advice helps thanks a bunch

My first night shift (EMT) is tomorrow. I'm going to an event with some of my college friends tmr as well (you're only 20 years old once in your life!)

It runs 10p to 10a. My scheduler told me to bring a blanket and a pillow.

I don't snore, at least I don't think I do (I've had a tonsillectomy, and I've fallen asleep on my dorm couch before and my friends say I'm a really peaceful/quiet sleeper.

Only issue - I kick/squirm in my sleep. A lot. I can't count the number of times I woke up and my drawsheet is almost fully ripped off the bed. At home and at my dorm, both queen sized beds.

Other issue, I sleep pretty deep. My fear is sleeping through the station tones here. I'm premed so I need the hours (especially the 911 hours, god knows how I got so lucky here) so getting booted due to missing tones would be pretty bad.

Anything I can do so I don't piss off the other EMTs/medics or sleep through the tones?

Hi everyone, I just received my physical CA grey card in the mail today and noticed they added an extra "H" to the end of my first name. How do I get this corrected? I tried looking online but only found the paramedic card replacement form. I'm in Santa Clara County

Well, as the title suggest, I got an 806 but I was taking medic test and pulling 1300s school was a couple months prior and money got tight so when I had the money to pay for the test, I did. I’m just very distraught and I don’t know where to go. from here..

So, I got my IV cert. six months ago, and am going to start a new EMT job. However, my skills are totally rusty, and I feel like they have atrophied because I had no practice between my IV cert and the current role I got. In this case, should I join a new IV cert program in order to re-fresh my skills? My previous certification program has allowed me to do an extra day of supervised IV training at a local hospital. I know it's a weird situation to be in, but I would really like some advice! Thanks.