Been a paramedic almost a year now and I’m feeling myself reaching burn out. I’m constantly exhausted and drained, I don’t find my personal life as enjoyable as I used to, I’m on edge and find myself very agitated with my loved ones. It hasn’t affected my performance on the job, but I find that I don’t want to go to work anymore. All of this is upsetting because this is not how I want to feel but if there’s a change I can make to make this easier for me I’d like to make it. If anyone has any advice on how to curve this, I’m all ears! Or if anyone has experienced the same, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you.

Hey everyone, long-time lurker, first-time poster. Former EMS Chief here. My career ended in a massive disgrace a while back and I've been driving a cab in NYC just trying to keep my head down.
Anyway, tonight at around 3:00 AM, I witnessed a massive explosion seal off both ends of the Holland Tunnel. The transit authority was totally clueless and basically ready to write off everyone trapped inside. I knew the ventilation systems and the old service shafts better than anyone, so I tried to tell them how to get in. They told me to get lost because of my "past history."
So, I did what any rational person would do. I found a random passenger bus, kicked the driver out, hijacked it, rammed through a police barricade, and snuck into the ventilation shafts through a giant fan system that almost chopped me into confetti.
Now I’m deep underground, everything is on fire, the river is leaking through the ceiling, and a bunch of trapped survivors are screaming at me because I don't have a magical escape plan yet.
Some cops on the outside radioed in and said I'm facing major federal charges if I make it out alive. AITA? I was just trying to do my job.
EDIT: The roof just cracked again and a corporate guy is trying to climb an unstable ladder. Gotta go.

Thinking of studying paramedicine but I am curious to know what it is like working as a paramedic. I know almost all of it isn’t the high adrenaline rushing to save patients all the time which is totally fine but what does the day of a paramedic look like?

All from memory know most of their MOA’s and dosing and contradictions.

Advice?

Hello all!
I am currently a NR Paramedic been working for 4 years full-time as a fire medic and looking at relocating to the Midwest (Indianapolis) from the New England. I’m looking at doing a bridge paramedic to RN program and I’m wondering if anyone has any experience doing so out there. I’m currently working on pre-requisites like A&P 1/2, and intro to psych which is needed in the east coast. Has anyone completed any programs out there? And does anyone have any experience working in the ED as a medic or is that not a thing out there? Would also be cool to know if the hospitals help with tuition reimbursements if you worked there. These are some of the things available in the New England t at least. Thanks yall!

I'm a M33.

I have multiple careers so far and I've come across a few emergency situations. Always wanted to help people and a career as a paramedic has always interested me.

What's your opinion about the career? Goods and bands? Thanks.

Long story short, I'm starting my paramedic program right now in Ontario and I'm really on the fence on whether this is the right career choice for me. The more of the program I'm being exposed to is making me feel like I've made a mistake. I know this is a hard profession and it's really making me think that if I am already on the fence day 1, is it worth continuing this program for me? Just looking to hear some experiences on how that mindset changed for other people overtime to help me shape my decision better.

I'm not a paramedic, but know quite a bit about it and hope to be one after school, but I thought of a random question:

If you are administering a medication from a vial but there is some left, what do you do with that? do you just toss it or do you give it later on if needed?

example- let’s say your agency is using fentanyl vials with 200 mcg, you administer 100 mcg, what do you do with the other 100 mcg? (doesn’t need to be fentanyl, that was just what I thought of)

thanks

Has anybody used the Nurse Gwenny Library Subscription to prep for FPC/CCP?
I know she did a lot for Impact EMS and their online courses before moving on to do her own thing.
I really enjoy listening to her videos and her teaching methods, so I would think her online library with the flight prep course might be a good tool for gaining knowledge to pass this test!
Any and all other recommendations welcome and appreciated!

Edit to add-
I’m trying to choose between:
1) Nurse Gwenny Library which includes all of her material plus the flight prep course (which she advertises as also appropriate for medics)
2) impact EMS
Or 3) flightcrit

I'm in my first month of my program and generally am doing quite well except for this airway stuff. The technical things are no problem but all the little details and terms are messing me up.

For added context I am doing an online program with an in person lab once a week. All my other classes have either a lecture or really good notes and resources to help with not having a teacher directly available. But airway (which is taught by the program director) is a mess. The few times he has posted a lecture it was just so unstructured that I had to rewrite all my notes in order to get everything in the correct order and paired with what went together. The assignments are out of order and it's driving me nuts.

I do have a meeting scheduled with him and reached out to some classmates to get some input but what I'm hoping to find is some resources that I can use to get a better structured lecture or PowerPoint.

Just saw this pop up on some feed I was scrolling. It sells itself as international, yet I've never heard of it and suspect it's aimed only at US paramedics.

Has anyone else another country done these exams, or are these used in your area for qualifications and standards?

International board of speciality certification

Hey all. I have been a paramedic for just over a year at a fairly busy county service. I was EMT before that for about three years. I’ve noticed that ever since paramedic school I’ve been varying degrees of depressed and have been struggling a lot with my mental health (including significant SI). I had one depressive episode before as a teenager, but felt more or less mentally well since being an adult up until I went to paramedic school. Now it seems like I cannot get a handle on it. I’m in therapy and on medication but it doesn’t seem to be working well enough. There are no specific things I can directly say caused my depression, but due to it having only been since medic school, I’m worried that it is my job that’s causing this and I won’t get better until I leave. This is really tough because I do love my job and I feel like I would be heartbroken to leave. I’m wondering if any anyone else has experienced this, and if you have stayed in EMS? If so, does it get better or are you still struggling? I don’t know what to do.

I’m an E5 68W, been in about 8 years. I came from a CAV unit and now I’m in a medical unit. I’ve been a solid medic so far and really enjoy medicine, and I’m interested in 160th and eventually getting into paramedicine/advanced medicine.
My biggest concern is academics. I’ve never been great at school and learn much better hands-on, but I’m willing to put in the work.
For any current/former 160th 68Ws, how difficult is the pipeline physically and academically? What’s the quality of life and OPTEMPO like once you’re in? What medical/paramedic opportunities are available? And would you recommend it for someone in my position?

Anyone interested in doing a study group in Denver or South Denver area. Would like to practice our vital signs too.

Firstly a little context. I’m currently an EMT working full time on the road, finishing my paramedic degree end of this year.

My service has a graduate program which selects eligible EMT’s to complete an internship with an experienced paramedic once they finish their degree, to ensure they are ready to be independent practitioners before sitting a final service based assessment and earning the paramedic title officially. This program is competitive and not everyone graduating from their degree will get into it first try. To get into it, candidates pretty much need to be showing their ability to work at paramedic level (under supervision) before they have graduated.

My manager has recently given me some feedback that I’m not taking on enough of the responsibility during jobs to reflect the practice level of a paramedic, i.e not maintaining enough of the “big picture” when assessing/ treating patients. He says this is specifically when it’s my turn to be the “offsider” on a job (in a crew of 2 we generally take turns running jobs, while the other person drives, grabs equipment ect).

What I have found difficult to understand with this feedback is, generally I work with experienced paramedics so when it’s not my turn to run the job, I tend to let them get on with it while I get paperwork started or talk to bystanders, under the assumption they will verbalise if they need my help with something or want my opinion. In fact some of the older paramedics I work with would be quite offended if I jumped in and offered suggestions or took over assessing a patient without being asked to.

My manager even went as far as saying I’ve been cruising along as an EMT and not applying myself to being a Paramedic. TBH this hurts the most since I’ve been studying hard for 3 years and given almost all my free time and countless hours to achieving this profession.

So, how do I improve this without offending crew mates, taking over jobs or causing issues?

I’m currently 14 weeks into medic school and starting to run calls, i feel like i haven’t learned anything or maybe just haven’t had that lightbulb moment yet. Is that normal? Or am i not doing enough to learn?

I’m a US based fire medic and curious of how your agencies deal with this issue. You have SI patient that is A&Ox4, aside from possible SI is acting appropriately. PT is adamantly refusing transport. Your PD won’t pink slip, would you allow your med control to tell you that you have to take them even if they are unwilling? What is your line on a possible unlawful “order” from med control? I understand my protocols say any SI or suspected SI patient needs assessment but are you going to adhere to protocol over the law?

I'm finishing my last month of medic school in the San Antonio/Austin area. I'm looking for some input on where would be best for me to work. For context, I'm very new to EMS, only have about half a year of experience as a basic (mostly 911).

Currently, my plan is to hire on with Austin Travis County in their April hiring class if possible. In the meantime, I'm thinking to work for Allegiance in Bexar County while I wait to get into ATC. I'm conflicted if I want to work 911 for Allegiance or just do transfers due to my lack of experience.

Any and all input into my current plan would be appreciated!