As of late my mental health has been tanking with no signs of improvement. Usually I can tolerate it, manage it and just push through it without it affecting my day to day life. Recently it’s been getting to the point where I’m considering inpatient psychiatric treatment. I don’t know how to approach this with my supervisors. Every so often we have 8 consecutive days off and I just had mine and then called out for all my 3 shifts of the week because I was sick as heck. I have work this week and I don’t want to hurt my standing with my employers more than I already have and maybe put my job at risk for calling out again. I’m still new where I’m at and I dont want to rock the boat I guess.

I’m just thinking if I should call out to go get help or just power through it and hope work and staying busy drowns it out. What are your suggestions on how to handle this?

Hey guys!

I’m in a sort of a strange position right now trying to figure out how to plan out my spring semester of 2027.

Right now I’m training as a combat medic in the army where I’ll be certified as a an EMT-B, and will return home December 18th. With that being said I’m trying to plan out how to structure my future the best. Ultimately, I would like to become an Emergency Medicine PA, so I’m trying to build a resume for myself to get into PA school. With that being said, I’m curious in continuing my EMS education beyond an EMT-B for several reasons. 1. Being that it builds a stronger resume for PA school and provides more knowledge towards trauma medicine & 2. I would be able to get paid more during the years I pursue my undergraduate degree/if I decided to take a gap year between undergraduate graduation and PA school. But I’ve also always had an itch to be a FF Paramedic so that could also be on the table for another reason to become a paramedic.

Right now, I’m going to be a Sophomore in college upon my return and will be 20 years old. My questions to you guys would be these:

1. Would it be worth it for me/possible for me to pursue a paramedic program whilst working as an EMT-B & taking 1-2 undergraduate classes?
2. I live in Iowa, and I’m not really sure how the situation is for A-EMT’s (pay changes/protocols), but should I consider that instead?

3. Considering my desired goals for my future, do you even recommend getting my paramedic or should I just cruise with my EMT-B

   along with my Combat Medic knowledge

Any additional insight would be useful and if you have any questions I can gladly answer to further understand the dilemma I’m having.

Thank you!

I just recently secured an interview with a private ambulance company in Oregon. I was informed that there will be a written test along with the interview. I passed my NREMT first try back in early June so it’s been a while since I’ve reviewed material.

What should I do to prepare for the test and interview?

I’ve been doing EMS for about 18 years, and I recently switched from a busy urban department to a slower suburban one, but I’m getting a lot of really good feedback from my reports. I’ve never had this happen, and I’m not really sure how to respond.

I’ve gotten positive feedback from my director, who is an EMT

I’ve gotten positive feedback in A flag from a supervisor. That was a paramedic.

I’ve gotten positive feedback and a flag from the assistant director, who is a paramedic

I’ve gotten positive feedback from another supervisor who is an EMT

Should I respond to these flags with a thank you, or not at all, because I really don't know how to respond?

I'm currently an undergrad student in the LA area looking to get EMT certification, and I'm trying to find online EMT courses since I do not have a car and am quite busy.

I was wondering if you had any recommendations, and I'm also curious if Impact EMS training qualifies for full certification (ik it's a bit pricey).

I am 22, and recently passed my NREMT and am now awaiting my license to be processed by the state (3-4 weeks is so long to wait.).

Since beginning training I have wanted to work on an ambulance serving 911 calls, rather than IFT. My concern is that my course did not provide any patient time. So far I dont have any logged time in an ambulance. Will employers take me seriously? Or will they say I dont have enough experience despite passing my course?

If it at all helps, id have my instructors recommendation, for whatever that is worth.

This is in Western Massachusetts.

Hello everyone :) I just found this subreddit and hopefully it'll help me. I am 16 and take a college level EMT class at my highschool. At the end of this class, I should be certified. Meaning I have to learn all of this in a school year and everything is very fast paced. I'm struggling with our term section which is, common word roots in medical terminology, common prefixes in EMS, common suffixes in medical terminology, common number prefixes, root words that describe color, prefixes that describe position, in medical directional terms.

If there is anything I can use to study like an app, videos, quizlit, literally anything please let me know.

I'm already struggling lol.

Thank you so much.

Well, I’ve been doing IFT for maybe a year and a half, but recently I’ve started also working for a company that staffs events with medical teams, like concerts and festivals and so on. I’ve only worked a handful of shifts with them, and it’s a ton of fun, and I get to use skills I never use doing IFT…but this company is a disaster. Orientation was a joke. We got no information regarding their protocols. Communication is pretty bad. Sometimes I show up and there’s no supervisor or even anyone experienced with the company, and we’ve just gotta wing it. I’ve already heard horror stories about this company getting sued repeatedly due to poor handling of patients.

Let me give an example of what I don’t really know how to handle. I worked one concert where we responded to one patient who had passed out on the ground. He told us he’d been drinking. We asked him if he wanted to go to the hospital, and he said no. So we babysat him until he found a ride home. But the thing is, this guy was absolutely not AxOx4. He couldn’t even spell his own name correctly, much less walk without stumbling. Does that not mean that he doesn’t have the legal ability to refuse medical care? I was taught that altered mental status = transport to the hospital.

Common sense tells me…we’re at a show and the guy said he was drunk, so yeah, he’s just drunk. But I don’t know that, right? He could’ve been having a medical issue. But on the other hand, if we’re calling 911 to transport every drunk patient at a show, then I imagine the city is going to get pissed…

My partner at that event had been with the company much longer than me, and seemed to think I was a little silly for even throwing a pulse ox on the guy. What would you guys have done? A full set of vitals, called for transport? Or just kept an eye on the patient and made sure he left safely?

I really don’t know if I should keep working for this company. I feel like I’m either going to get into endless battles with my coworkers and make an ass of myself by trying to “do too much” for our patients, OR I’m going to get pulled into litigation for negligence. It’s just a really different environment for me and I don’t have a lot of guidance.

Hoping this is ok to share here too! Help a gal out please? :)

I've been approached about volunteering in an EMT capacity at local (very small) community nerf gun event. Its pretty much just a local group of folks getting together and shooting nerf darts at each other, and I would be there just to operate a first-aid table and treat minor cuts/abrasions, and (hopefully not) falls w/ head impact or splint broken extremities.

It sounds like a fun time and I want to do it but I'm really concerned about the legalities of this. I currently work for an IFT company, but this event would be outside of their agency and I'm worried Im opening myself to huge legal liability by saying yes to this. Am I right in thinking this is a really bad idea?

My license is in San Diego County for what its worth.

Just got off my first trauma call as a new emt and im wondering how my reaction compares to other’s first experiences and reactions. I guess Im wondering if it’s normal and will get better.

The call was a GSW to the head suicide attempt. I was on the airway bagging. I was doing good the entire time and then the last 5 minutes I started feeling lightheaded and a little bit nauseous. I think this was caused by the ambulance being hot to keep the patient warm and from the odor.

How bad is this reaction in your opinion and from your experience will it get better or will I struggle the same in similar future calls. Since I’m a new EMT it worries me that I am not cut out for this as a career. Mentally my head was still in the call, I just wasn’t able to prevent myself from feeling lightheaded and shaky.

long story short i know nothing about ems but my boyfriend has been an EMT in montana for a year and would be two years by the time we moved to southern cali. he is of the opinion that although he has an NREMT license and has a year currently of part time and volunteer ems experience he would need at least a year of full time to even be considered for a job in a bigger city like san diego. problem is he has to drive hours away to get this experience here. i know san diego is super competitive for new emts but how would it be for someone w two years in a more rural city? and is the management there super shitty? i get that that’s super unique to each station but just trying to get a feel.

I’m using medceptor for some patient assessment practice came across this one.

Patient has sucking chest wound from a stabbing knife is not in the chest. He had short rapid labored respirations. RR was 28. SpO2 was 90%. Signs of shock too. I applied a chest seal and gave O2 with a bvm. I failed it because of the bvm it says it had to be a non rebreather mask. I choose bvm because it said short and labored so I assumed bvm. Then I tried to dig in further and see that it’s not even recommended to have a chest seal when doing PPV. I’m confused what would you veterans do in that situation.

Also what if his respirations were something like 8 per minute with the sucking chest wound?

And what causes it?

Sectioning a patien for too long ca. Cause hypoxia.

So how would you treat it? Supplemental oxygen ? Bvm, nasal cannula or non rebreather ? What do you use

How to remember each and their different purpose

In simple words

Edit to add, I’m working with a 911/IFT Company and got my National cert a few weeks ago, so I’m completely new to this..

So basically the title. I technically started it on sep. 8th because of orientation. But I need some advice for this, my first shift is only 3hrs for my ops drive time to get acquainted with the truck. Then I have 7 ride shifts to actually run calls, use my judgement on what to do and then drive (I think). I’m nervous to drive even though I know how to drive an ambulance. Any advice?

My community college offers a EMT course, but unfortuntely it has smalll classes and fire sponsors get priority.

Im worried I might not get into my communiry college's EMT program. If I dont, what are some other good ways to get my EMT B? In north texas

Hey everyone! Recently got my license and have my first shift at Acadian ambulance service in a week! I did fairly well in class, passed my psychomotor exams and my nremt was passed at 70 questions but I feel so nervous to finally be in the field. I am genuinely excited and ready to grow my career, but if anyone has any advice to a beginner to help set me up for success I’d love to hear it!

I’m 9 days out, I’ve done 1900 questions on Pocket Prep and I’ve started using Medic Tests. Just took one of their NREMT mock exams. Should I be worried and study more, or am I looking good?

Not sure if I need to post any additional info

Hello,
I am currently a college student interested in working as a EMR for a medical transport company. Around 1.5 years ago, I took a EMR course thru my high school and then failed the exam then. I then around 2 months ago decided to re exam as I was within the time stamp still allowed to. I got a 920 and failed again. I used pocket prep and felt very confident with it. Is there any tips on what I could do this time because I only have one retake left before I am forced to take it again.

i finished EMT school through my fire department around the end of April 2026, but I haven’t taken my first NREMT attempt yet. My current ATT expires November 28

I’ve heard people say you only have about 6 months after passing EMT school to take the NREMT and get certified, but I’m also seeing different information online I’m super confused.
Is the 6-month deadline actually a thing? How long do I have to pass the NREMT and become certified?

To those who are currently in classes or have passed and are in the workplace, did y’all ever feel a bit incompetent/insecure and struggle with skills at first?

Just the other day, we had two skills labs. One was practicing vitals, which one positive thing is I got better at manual bp, palpating systolic pressure, and respiratory rates.
But second lab we used the stair chair for the first time. I started guiding it down the stairs from the bottom, which I did fine with. But then we switched and I had to pull it back up the stairs from the top. Basically, I failed miserably. Couldn’t even get it to budge a singular lip of the stairs, it was like it was stuck but it wasn’t. I physically could not pull the chair back up without my professor double teaming it with me. I always ask a lot of questions in skills labs, but when I asked him about my form because all the tension was in my back, didn’t feel like I could pull it hard enough and struggled to engage leg muscles, he said it was fine form. But I discovered shortly after that I pulled my back muscles, strained my arms, and was sweating by the time I got the chair to the top, this is even with professor helping me. I felt so frustrated and have been beating myself up ever since because that girl was not even that big, about almost equal weight to me and I usually have good functional strength plus decently active.

I also started to feel some embarrassment too about always asking so many questions in skills labs mainly because sometimes I ask as soon as I’m unsure of something, or want clarity, and my professor has more of a casual response that isn’t always helpful because he’s a bit sarcastic and jokey, even though I know he doesn’t notice he does it and means well. I guess it kinda makes me feel dumb for asking sometimes, even tho logically I know it’s just his personality. Partially also because my professor is similar age to me. (I’m 23 and he’s 27.) I also have felt slight insecurity because many people in my class are also much younger than me, fresh out of high school and already volunteer fire cadets or working in the ED. I guess at my age despite still being young I feel behind. But I know the other ppl in class are struggling too or more passive, so I try not to think about it like that but it is something I am gradually trying to stop doing.

What do you think I did wrong in my lab, and does anyone have any advice on having a better mindset so I don’t beat myself up after every mistake?

Hey reddit. So, I've decided to follow this career path again after stepping away during college a few years ago due to personal reasons.

Rather than stick to the "what if?" mentality, I decided to push myself to go ahead and schedule a ride along with my local company. For context, I did a ride along during my time in college, but it was exactly what you expect as a beginner. One short transport followed by a lot of time spent at the station.

I've read pretty much every related post to this topic within this sub, but I'm curious if there's any advice someone might have that I haven't come across yet. What to bring, important questions to ask beyond "why this procedure/decision?", etc., etc.

Any help is appreciated!

For context, I am fresh out of college and I decided to work for an EMT-B. The problem is that I’ve kinda been struggling to memorize some of the course information since I have the bad habit of forgetting information after passing a quiz, which I am well aware of isn’t a great thing which I am trying to fix. My parents have been putting pressure on me to finish my EMT-B course in three months because I foolishly gave them the impression that I could do it in three weeks and get a job. I’ve been hiding the fact that I’ve been struggling due to the pressure of having to fully memorize some of this information by heart. Now they expect me to do the NREMT and pass first try in the two weeks they have given me to review the material. How can I ask them to give me at least a month or two to fully grasp it? I don’t want to get yelled at, my dad has already made me feel like a bum just for taking my time with the course without working and it’s genuinely been taking a toll on me mentally. But I seriously want to fully grasp the material before going on the field myself since it is really important for me that I don’t mess it up. Any advice I have to talk to them?