I have been in EMS now 32 years and a paramedic for 25. I have all the experience, ground, air, CC, tac med, austere. I have I think almost every cert including CCEMTP, CCP-C and FPC. A degree and some experience teaching and leading outside of EMS. I am considered fit for my 50s. Just had a full work up and cardiac testing, all good. But my knees, hips, low back, shoulders, elbows and wrists are beat up. I hurt every day and sound like a box of loose bolts when I get up in the morning. I need to get off a truck and either do admin, field leadership or like solo QRV / Fly Car, education or ER. Anyone have first hand knowledge of hospitals that have and allow paramedics to work full scope in the ED? I have heard they exist in Colorado, Kansas, OK, Texas, Florida and Tennessee. I don’t mind wiping asses, I just don’t want to be bossed around by a 23 yo nurse. If anyone knows of decent education, admin, or solo medic type work feel free to share. I’m looking at everything. Thank you very much!!!

Cause I could see how this could get complicated. Does EMTALA or legal laws apply to things that look human but aren’t?
Is there a moral and legal ramification here?

Like here, let me throw you the scenario:
👩‍⚕️ : hi do you need an ambul- OH MY GOD
👽 🩸 : Help me Asshole

Hi everyone! I'm in PCP school right now and doing a debate in class. The topic is: Should Paramedic and Fire services be combined. I'm really curious what you all think. I've been doing research but honestly, as someone with limited experiencing actually being on the road, I feel like I may not be considering a lot of aspects. Any thoughts? Thanks!

When a paramedic calls the ER from the ambulance and describes a wound location over the phone, which word would they actually use?

1. umbilicus / periumbilical
2. navel
3. belly button

Some background: this isn’t a clinical question, so apologies if it doesn’t belong here. I’m subtitling a short film about paramedics and need a reality check from people who actually hear these reports.

The film is going to international festivals, so many subtitle readers will be non-native English speakers. If that changes your answer, I’d love to hear why. Thank you!

Any paramedics here in Texas more so in the Austin area that can answer some questions? Have my emt and trying to decide on a paramedic school. Is ACC a good program, anyone ever done EMTS Academy paramedic program? I’m new to the area so I don’t know really any information or people to ask. Any other random tips or information would be much appreciated.

Howdy folks, I'm a newly licensed paramedic who recently received a job offer for an IFT company to work on their ALS trucks. I wanted to just ask for some opinions on this for anyone who's worked in one of these positions.

The company also does in-house training for CCT and also runs CCT trucks which I am fairly interested in.

Any opinions on this is appreciated, thanks folks.

Reading a paper ECG usually means juggling tools: callipers for the rate, a ruler and a calculator for the QTc, scrap paper for a ladder diagram, and a checklist in your head. I am currently building one place to do it all.

Open a photo or scan of an ECG, black out the patient's details, and calibrate it against the grid. Then measure on screen:

- callipers, including marching callipers;

- the PR, QRS and QT, with the QTc by your choice of formula;

- ST deviation, voltages and the axis from leads I and aVF.

Coming soon to ECG Sweep!

Hello all,

Prior to obtaining my medic I was an EMT for about 3 years working private EMS and working at a BLS FD with no ambulance. Now 3 months with my medic, I work at an FD with an ambulance. I enjoy the job but I know my biggest weakness currently is confidence and patient assessment. How can I improve my confidence as a medic calling the shots now other than “time on the job”? How can I improve my patient assessment? My main thing with patient assessment feels like as soon as we get a call I don’t necessarily forget everything I was taught but I don’t do anything that feels like it just flows naturally. I want it to feel natural, I wanna be great at patient assessment. Every YouTube video I look up or every time I search patient assessment it’s the same thing, either the NREMT assessment sheets or someone on YouTube going over the NREMT patient assessment sheets or it’s a NREMT psychomotor assessment being recorded. And none of that is helpful, hard to find helpful information on how to be great at that. What has helped you guys? Any book recommendations over confidence or patient assessment you guys recommend?

Thanks guys and TYFYS

Bariatric patient. We’re going down the stairs, fireman was on the higher end holding big boy, I was on the lower end. Well, the fireman fumbled, and today became Christmas, because I decked the halls with BALLS. Worst episode of the Nutcracker movie.

All I could do is pick the patient back up, along with my pride, and move on

I’ve been hearing from some medics that some kind of life altering event happens in medic school. I’m about to go through and am now a little worried. Any of you not have anything like that and made it through?

And by hemodynamically stable, I mean not dead. Cocaine abuse with history of SVT, found alert and normotensive, converted after vagal maneuvers, NSS bolus, and of course 6 + 12 mg IV adenosine (no history of accessory conduction).

Oh, and - I forgot to mention this when I posted it to a different subreddit - the patient reported that adenosine administration was (in this case and historically) immensely pleasurable. Unique. I gave her a copy of the conversion strip as a souvenir.

Hello I live in Calgary Alberta looking for advice. I'm currently taking the AFA course with red cross and I was wondering if anyone had any suggests to help with the upcoming final. I don't do well on exams and I need all the help I can get

Anyone in here work for Polk County Fire Rescue in Florida? My family has been looking to move to Florida after I complete my paramedic program at the end of the year and they are in the area we want to move to. I’m coming from PA, we have my NREMT-P once I finish class and plan on applying for my Florida paramedic immediately.

Kia Ora, NZ Paramedicine student here. Just curious about how long it can take to get a paramedic intership and job within st john after working as an EMT.
Currently working a different job doing part time distance study and just curious about it.
Also, any NZ Paramedics get jobs outside St John? What’s that like?

I have a very weird situation and need some advice.

In 2022 I got my paramedic license while in the army and got out and did an IFT job for 6 months until I got hired by a fire department that is BLS only.

I’m looking to move cross country to another department that has ALS and would like to know the best way to get up on skills and knowledge.

Currently I’m looking at doing a refresher course as well as PALS and ACLS I’m also looking at working at a private ambulance company in a major city and just being honest with my FTO and telling them I’ll need a lot of work. I’ve kept up as well as I can with the academic side I just kind of need the experience.

I still have my NREMT P as well.

Any advice on how to get back into it is welcome thanks!

Hi all!

I am a nursing student (sorry) at MSU. My peers and I are gathering data regarding the health of those who work in EMS for a nursing school project. If this applies to you, please scan the QR code attached to this post or click the link below! We would love to hear from as many people as possible, so please share this post around! Thank you for your participation! (Answers are anonymous ☺️)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSem8_AOueCGuz-noLd6F9XgVjUbXYe-eOU0TVTU4NDQJ1xPcw/viewform?usp=header

EMS/Fire Shift Schedule Survey — 24/48 vs. 48/96 vs. Portland (1-3-2-3)

I'm a paramedic with a municipal EMS agency in Texas, and I'm currently researching alternative shift schedules for our department. I would love input from any provider whether in the states or not.

We operate four 24-hour ambulances and respond to approximately 8,000 calls annually. We're considering transitioning from 24/48 to either 48/96 or the Portland (1-3-2-3) rotation.

I'm looking for input from EMS and fire personnel who currently work or have previously worked any of these schedules.

The survey is anonymous, takes approximately 3–5 minutes, and focuses on fatigue, work-life balance, staffing, overtime, and overall schedule satisfaction.

I would especially appreciate responses from departments with similar call volumes or ambulance-based operations.

Survey link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfM88eDUCcvLBacaqINPiN3RGWwaCaZyYlpnI2SUflPPDsK7A/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Thank you to anyone willing to participate!

Looking to learn some life saving skills and maybe make it a second career.

Hi all!

Just wanted to share a research study our lab is conducting if it is of interest to anyone!

Researchers from the McMaster University Trauma and Recovery Research Unit are conducting a study to understand the experiences of racial and/or ethnic minority medical students, healthcare workers, and public safety personnel in Canada. Our goal is to explore how their racial and/or ethnic identity shapes their professional identity, influences mental health, functioning, moral injury and resilience. 

This study has been reviewed by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board under Project #18569.  

If you would like to participate in this research study, please follow the following link: https://redcap.link/minorityhealthscreener 

or scan the QR code on the recruitment flyer. If you have any questions or would like further information regarding this study, feel free to email us at [msmhteam@mcmaster.ca](mailto:msmhteam@mcmaster.ca).  

Hello, everyone!
To all my medics who have transitioned from 911 EMS to working in an ER or hospital, how has the experience been?
Do you feel satisfied with your new role, or do you sometimes feel like just another body filling a position? Do you feel like you’re utilizing your skills and experience on a daily basis, or does the job sometimes feel more like being a “do boy” than a medic?
The hospital schedule is definitely appealing. Working three 13-hour shifts a week seems like it could offer a much better work-life balance than the traditional 24/48 schedule. However, I’ve heard mixed reviews about making the transition.
I’m looking for honest, unfiltered feedback from those who have actually made the switch. What do you love about it? What do you miss about 911? Do you feel professionally fulfilled, or do you ever regret leaving the field?
I’m not looking for someone to convince me one way or the other. I just want to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly before making a decision.
Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

I just started at a fire department and about to go through the apprenticeship process to be cleared as a medic. I have IFT & some 911 experience as an EMT but none as a medic and I’m looking for some tips, methods, or advice on how you all became “comfortable” as a medic and what you did in your starting years to become more competent. Thank you

Hello, hospital based RN here. I work ER and PACU. Both worlds I see RSI frequently. In both roles, I have to pass competency on MH (related to all anesthesia for PACU training, but specially related to succs for RSI in ED). So you guys get the basics/knowledge training of MH? I'm sure you aren't running around with 10+ vials of Dantrolene. But at least early vs late signs and being able to give hospital a pre-warning. Just wondering.

Thanks for all you do- even when you bring us the wacky patients ;)

I've been an EMT for 8 years (by choice, believe it or not), but I will hopefully be starting school in March to get my AEMT. I know most people may suggest just getting my paramedic, but I'm only doing this because I need more money...I have no real interest in advancing. lol!

The thing I'm most concerned about is the pre-entrance exam. From what I understand, its the CASAS GOALS 2 for Math & English. As someone who has always struggled with math, I'm panicking. My training director told us it's "tailored to the type of course you're taking", meaning that for EMS, there wouldn't be any trigonometry or anything crazy...it should just be high school-level math/algebra 1. However, it's hard for me to study and make sure I'm well-prepared when I don't know exactly *what* I'm preparing for. I was never required to take any test like this to get my EMT.

In addition to being awful at math, I was homeschooled from preschool to 12th grade...which resulted in pretty severe gaps in my education. At this point, I don't know what I don't know.

How difficult is this test? I'm just trying to give as good of an effort as I can.

I had a first in my 22 year career last night.

I had to give paralytics to a cardiac arrest.

Elderly male with EMS witnessed bradycardic cardiac arrest during patient move secondary to suspected coronary event and pulmonary edema. Complained of discomfort in chest and nausea all day before EMS contact. Unable to get a good history due to language barrier and family poor historians.

Get him into the truck in idioventricular PEA. Goes into coarse VF - we defibrillate. Go to transition from BVM to a ET tube… and…

Jaw is rigid, both masseters are rock hard. Can’t even get a finger between his teeth

Confirm with the family he has no problems with his TMJ, is not wired shut from a jaw fracture or surgery, has never had any problems opening his mouth.

Can’t even scissor his gums open with a two finger technique. He is locked.

I ended up pushing Rocuronium and was able to intubate a minute and a half after when the muscles went flaccid.

Only other option would’ve been a Crich at that point - mouth was full of frothy bloody sputum and tube had a hundred mils of frothy blood out.

Got ROSC after a second defibrillation after and patient remained transcutaneous pacemaker, dependent for the next two hours until cardiology determined he was not a candidate for inter intervention due to massive metabolic and electrolyte derangement until corrected. Patient had a final arrest before they could.

Just wondering if anyone else has ever encountered this during cardiac arrest? Did I do the right thing here?

Hello all, I'm here looking for advice. I'm currently serving overseas in the Air Force (4N0) and wanted some school recommendations. Looking for an online school that would be a good pick for a bachelors in paramedicine.

Even if you can recommend a school but aren't sure if my TA will cover it I'd still love to hear it. So far I've seen methodist, lindenwood and creighton come up alot but am unaware of any tools to measure how good the schools are; and my counselor here is not very helpful.

I understand this subreddit may only have a small overlap of the people/experience I am looking for, but please assist if you can.