When is an EMT or Paramedic considered a veteran?

[Glorified]

3 years? 5 years? 10 years? Or is it an experience acquired mindset thing?

[hydrotech]

same as when a solider is considered a veteran. i would say depends on their experience to knowledge ratio. (i.e are they still trying to remember things on calls or is it second nature) i personally don't believe there is a time rather a knowledge of their field. IMHO

[RyanEMVFD]

Around here it's when another hiring is done. Turn over can suck.

[cprguru]

Im a EMT-B and have had my card for over 2 yrs now......Im the second in command of my college rescue squad and am considered to be a seasoned vet so it all depends on how much you know and how good you are in the field.

[einsteinareya]

humm

Where I work;

0 - 5 years - Your called the New Guy or Gal other names used as well as in O Sh#& I have the new Guy as my partner today. Old timers call them the Kids

6 -10 years - Experienced, or more deeply meaning "they have been around awhile" Medics

10 + years - Burnt out usually applies or management :)

Knowledge and skills of course can slip you either up or down the brackets

[ElectricHoser]

There are no written rules, but here are a few benchmarks worth considering:

(1) A medic who is respected and looked up to by their peers, where the peers have at least five years of service, and where the peers frequently turn to the medic for advice, might be a veteran.

(2) A medic, whose simple arrival upon a scene automatically ratchets down the tension and excitability of all who surround them (except the cops) by a factor of ten before they have even seen the patient, might be a veteran.

(3) A medic who volunteers the fact that they are a veteran without being asked, is probably not a veteran.

[BigFella427]

As others have said, it comes down to attitude. When you no longer have to tell others you are good, but others treat you as being good, you are a veteran.

[mitllesmertz1]

[QUOTE=ElectricHoser;820408
(2) A medic, whose simple arrival upon a scene automatically ratchets down the tension and excitability of all who surround them (except the cops) by a factor of ten before they have even seen the patient, might be a veteran.
[/QUOTE]

We have a winner.

[Mzanghetti]

There are no written rules, but here are a few benchmarks worth considering:

(1) A medic who is respected and looked up to by their peers, where the peers have at least five years of service, and where the peers frequently turn to the medic for advice, might be a veteran.

(2) A medic, whose simple arrival upon a scene automatically ratchets down the tension and excitability of all who surround them (except the cops) by a factor of ten before they have even seen the patient, might be a veteran.

This definition works for me! It also depends on the person, I know some EMT's that have twenty years experience and their skills are s***, I know a couple of EMT's with just a couple years and they are veterans in my book!

[aromania]

This definition works for me! It also depends on the person, I know some EMT's that have twenty years experience and their skills are s***, I know a couple of EMT's with just a couple years and they are veterans in my book!

Ah, the provider who has repeated their first year of experience OVER and OVER again... Never learns anything new, never advances but always knows best "'cus this ain't my first rodeo ya know"

Experience is learning from yours and other mistakes to make yourself the most complete provider you can. Time is irrelevant except that time on the job provides experience that, as long as you are paying attention, allows you to grow.

[medic563]

Im a EMT-B and have had my card for over 2 yrs now......Im the second in command of my college rescue squad and am considered to be a seasoned vet so it all depends on how much you know and how good you are in the field.

Or how big of fish in relation to the size of the pond can make you a veteran by default.

[CamMedic]

When you realize you can't save everyone and stop acting like you can. It's not just a "time in the field" thing or a "knowledge" things - it's a combination of many of these different factors. It's one of those things that's hard to put an actual measuring stick to.

[ArkansasFan24]

I think whenever you handle your first call by yourself (without preceptors).

[fdmhbozz]

Hahaha, the first call without a preceptor? So you're saying that when I was in tech school, and handled patients without my preceptor, just my nurse pushing meds, my doc signing off, makes me a veteran? I think not! Granted, that was in a semi-controlled situation in the ER, but it is the same deal.

I don't know when someone transitions to being a veteran. I just know who they are in my hospital.

Part of becoming a veteran medic in the Air Force includes what they have experience with. For instance, a TSgt that hasn't deployed isn't any farther up the ladder to the veteran level than an A1C that has deployed to an EMEDS or AFTH.

[einsteinareya]

I think whenever you handle your first call by yourself (without preceptors).

Joke Right?


ElectricHoser Nailed it

[ArkansasFan24]

[QUOTE=fdmhbozz;829506]Hahaha, the first call without a preceptor? So you're saying that when I was in tech school, and handled patients without my preceptor, just my nurse pushing meds, my doc signing off, makes me a veteran? I think not! Granted, that was in a semi-controlled situation in the ER, but it is the same deal.



Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. When you're doing your job on your own you become a veteran. Like it or not. Don't be such an *** about it.

[ArkansasFan24]

Joke Right?


ElectricHoser Nailed it


Nope, no joke. I'm sorry for your arrogance.

[einsteinareya]

[QUOTE=ArkansasFan24;829790]Nope, no joke. I'm sorry for your arrogance.[/QUOTE

So let me guess you are the one who just got released on your own. Nah you must be a real vet I can tell you say so on the internet


After reading some of your post my hope for you and any poor pt. that you come in contact is that you grow up

[Kobersteen]

Joke Right?

After reading the 'advice' this joker gives in other threads, his answer doesn't surprise me.

A regular 2/20.

[croaker260]

[QUOTE=fdmhbozz;829506]Hahaha, the first call without a preceptor? So you're saying that when I was in tech school, and handled patients without my preceptor, just my nurse pushing meds, my doc signing off, makes me a veteran? I think not! Granted, that was in a semi-controlled situation in the ER, but it is the same deal.



Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. When you're doing your job on your own you become a veteran. Like it or not. Don't be such an *** about it.

I really am dumbfounded by this. Since you mentioned your a cop in another forum, let me draw an example you can relate too ..in our local area, our local PD uses the San Jose Model FTO/FTEP program. (So does our agency, adapted for EMS. So I am quite familiar with it, being an FTO myself. It is my understanding that this, and the reno model, are probably the two more common types out there.

Phase 1 is academy, phase 2 is the time with the FTO's, and phase 3 is the final rotation with an FTO prior to being clear for working solo. This can occur in about a year. Are you honestly telling me that a cop with a years experience is a "veteran"?

When are they a rookie?

Granted , time in grade isnt the only requirement, but man, the more you post the more confused I am about where the heck your coming from. Trying to understand, but cant quite do it. Help me out here.

As for my opinion, as a medic and an educator and an FTO:

I think most medics , even in busy systems, spend their first 3-5 years just treading water and learning their craft..after that, then the real learning begins. So 0-3/5 years is typical rookie, depending on if they have actually learned anything.
3/5-10 years is the 'seasoned' phase...now the real learning starts....
After 10 years, when he not only is comfortable...he is not only confident, he is not only competent..he may be a veteran now...

Understand I have seen 20 year medics and medics with 1 years of experience 20 times....but the above are probably good minimums, good generalizations....

[aromania]

In a recent conversation with a medic from one of the first paramedic classes I was an instructor for he came up with this statement below (paraphrased).

Your first year as a medic you think you know alot, but are scared ****less for the first few months because of the new found responsibility. This scared feeling goes away slowly and somewhere in the first year you become dangerous because now you know you know everything and start to get a little too comfortable unless something happens to humble you. Sometime in your second year you realize how little you really know and really start the process of becoming an experienced medic. Years 3,4 and 5 are when you experience starts to catch up to your knowledge and you start to understand... When you understand, you really know how little you truely know :D

Of course, everyone is different... but his model is pretty accurate for many medics I have trained and know.

[ffpm14a]

I have to agree. Handling the first call without your preceptor makes you a vet? NO. If you think that you are very sadly mistaken. It takes years to develop the skills that make you a vet. It does not matter how busy your system is. I think the best reply was When you go on calls,As others have said, it comes down to attitude. When you no longer have to tell others you are good, but others treat you as being good, you are a veteran. Respect from your coworkers. Its not time/experience or any other easy to measure parameter.