Is it this bad everywhere?

[krawllins]

You know since I was a kid I have always wanted to be in EMS. And when I started it I absolutely loved it. I loved my Paramedic training and field training. I thought I'd love being a paramedic. Now I'm in an agency that will get you in trouble for anything they possibly can. I'm getting written up for things other people do. I am fully serious.

We have the same people QA all the time. They are our fellow field paramedics. And there are no words to describe how severe the backstabbing and cut-throat tactics are where I work. It could have been raining for the last three days and you could have run for 24 hours straight but if your truck isn't clean (even if it is still raining) they'll write you up.

So, anyway, I can look at the schedule and tell my reports are going to get pulled based on who's doing QA. There is no QI about it. When I first started in EMS I was with a department that had QI before it had QA. Where I work now you can get fired for the smallest QA issue. One of my co-workers got in trouble for his LEGAL signature. One of the QA members didn't like it. I got in trouble for not doing a 12 lead for a woman who had an anxiety attack 40 minutes before she called 911. One of the QA members thought the patient might have been having an MI. What it is, is that the second we do a 12 lead we're allowed to bill the patient more money. That's all we have to do. Put stickers on a patient's chest. I ran a cardiac arrest the other day (well, actually I wasn't supposed to be running it) and I spent more time intercepting another paramedic for making mistakes. She was afraid to place an IO needle, afraid to shock the patient. She wanted to give lidocaine to a patient in asystole. And I'm the one getting in trouble.

It probably doesn't read that bad, but I currently hate EMS and I hate the department I work for for making me hate EMS.

Thanks for listening (or not if you didn't read it)

K

[eng19ine]

QA has it's place, however the people who usually do the QA were not there, and have no idea why you treated your patients the way you did. I had a similar problem with the agency I worked for in Charlotte, NC. You're not the only one.

[emt161]

So leave.

If you don't, it must not be that bad.

[krawllins]

So leave.

If you don't, it must not be that bad.



Yeah, sure I'll quit. And I'll send you all my bills to pay. It's my job so it's kind of hard to quit on a whim. No matter how bad it is. It's the whole survival pyramid thing. People will do a horrible, dangerous job for little pay if it means they survive.

[TeayotaSoupra]

You do know you can go to another department right?
I live out in the sticks and we have a few EMS stations you can work for..

[medic563]

I was told very early in my life there are 4 sides to every story. Your side, their side, and somewhere in the middle the truth.

1. I worked for a service that was adament that you wash and clean your ambulance after everyshift. You would be written up for not doing it unless a sup. took responslity for it because you were getting out late. That service we were complimented constantly about our professionalism and the cleaniness of our ambulance in comparrison with other services they had been with. You see washing the ambulance as a crappy task, which it is, but your managment sees it as good PR that is neccsary for your agency.

2. I do cardiac/ cardiac arrest/and stroke QA/QI at my agency in a peer reviewed format. Depending on how she was presenting it might have been absolutely appropriate to do a 12 lead on a patient that you believe is having an anxiety attack. But also remember the person doing the review is not there, they do not see the cardiac arrest that went crappy or the fact that your patient didnt need a 12 lead if the documentation didnt reflect that. I've known some absolutely horrible medics that would sit down with the protocol book to write their runforms. They never had a problem with QA but it eventually caught up with them.

So just curious, how long have you been a medic?

[AZCEP43]

I must have missed something, but I only count three of your sides medic563. :)

There comes a time in every life/career that you have to decide what you are willing to take/do from an employer. There are plenty of services looking for ALS help. You have to make the decision for yourself. If you are just venting, so be it. If there is more to the story, then start looking.

[medic563]

I must have missed something, but I only count three of your sides medic563. :)

There comes a time in every life/career that you have to decide what you are willing to take/do from an employer. There are plenty of services looking for ALS help. You have to make the decision for yourself. If you are just venting, so be it. If there is more to the story, then start looking.

Shows my attention to detail when editing, meant 3. Damn, why do the 3 and the 4 key have to be so close together.:)

[brnsknFF]

Hey, S*** sucks when you do what you love and do what your supposed to do and still get S*** for it. Makes everone wanna just drop out of EMS. But then we remember the Millions of people who depend on us, and why we got into the job in the first place. We think of all the great times we we've had doing this job. And we know, without a doubt, no matter how much respect we do/ or don't get, we make a difference in someone's lives everyday.

So, then comes the B.S. white shirts ensuring their job security, by comming down on us so they can "keep us in check." Document your case and kep a copy so you can possibly have it lookin at and overturned, and if not you have a defense if worse comes to worse

But we have to remember, we are important. If we go down, we must get up. And figure out how not to go down again. Remember, like every other business, this is also a business. you got to play the game. Intermingle with the white shirts just enough to know who to look out for and why. What can be done in order to prevent yourself from becoming a target. And No matter what, make the best out of everything. Because, It may be bad at the moment, but it'll get better. Remember, It's who you know and how they know you. People will bend the rules if the see you have a great attitude and give and honest effort.

It's fourth of July, light some fireworks and have great time. tommorows another day.

[armymedic571]

Dude, they're right. Get out. Start looking for another place to reside. The Qa process is an education/research tool, not the militant arm of an employer. Using QA to hold over someones head will make exactly what you described in the other Paramedic, a scared, incompetant Medic.

Any way, hope all works out for you.

[dday05]

Sorry to hear about your situation. Sounds like it's time to explore your options and seek new employment. It's kind of hard to leave though if you're doing what ou love and want to do. Good luck. Are you with a private or fd unit?

[MacGyver124]

What I tell the guys I work with is never quit in the middle of work-- go home and think about it and turn in your paperwork at the beginning of your shift if you are gonna quit. If you can't decide wait until the end of the week if you still want to quit- start looking around and quit the next day in if it is that bad. If you keep on "sufferring through it" then you will burn out not at that particular job but at that type of job even if it is a better company. Keep your head on straight and you will figure out what you need to do. Best of luck.

[fungirlwriter]

krawllins please contact me at:
fungirlwriter@yahoo.com

[Arparamedic04]

I have to agree with most people here. If you are unhappy where you are working go somewhere else. If you are a paramedic you hold the golden ticket almost everywhere in the US. Start looking else where for employment, you'd be much happier. Believe me I know.