Re: employment

["Jeff Brosius" <reno316@hotmail.com>]

>Our screening process requires the following:
>5 years either as a nurse in ICU/ER but prefer pre-hospital exposure. 75% 
>of
>our nurses are also Paramedics.
>If a medic, 5 years in a high volume 911 service.

I can understand the rationale behind the "high volume 9-1-1 service" 
requirement...more calls, more experience -- does Grady EMS count as "high 
volume?":) -- but having worked in urban, suburban, and rural EMS areas, I 
wonder if that "high volume" component is limiting?

Some (actually MANY) of the most challenging calls I've ever run were in 
rural areas when aeromedical evac was not available (insert reason 
here...weather, on another call, etc.), and we had a LONG way to go.  
Fourty-five miles by ground thru 3 feet of snow and a -15F windchill with a 
CHF patient that has crappy vitals can make or break a medic.

And to the contrary, in my current job as a medic/Field Training Officer in 
a high volume urban service, its rare that our transports with critical 
patients last longer than 6-12 minutes (for you statistic freaks, the median 
is 9.2, mean is 8.6, SD +/- 1.1.)  Barely enough time to really figure out 
what the problem is and do anything about it.  Re-assessment and alterations 
to the treatment plan?  Please...

So....Is the 'high volume' a good idea?  Or is there another way to measure 
the experiences and capabilities of a potential employee?

------------
JRB

Jeff Brosius,
Paramedic, etc.
Atlanta, GA
www.prehospital-perspective.com
brosius@prehospital-perspective.com
"What we imagine is order is merely
the prevailing form of chaos."
-- Kerry Thornley


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