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Wes
you know I have a ton of respect for you and your opinion. Thank God our
country has not outlawed our ability to think and have an opinion of our
own. However, up here we have three systems. To the East is an ALS
system that is "challenged", a real EMS system where I live that is
conservative, and a BLS service in the county to the West that filed a complaint
with KSBEMS because an EMT-I started an IV on a patient that nurses did not feel
was necessary. It is like no one in the community really cares until they
pick up the phone. Things only change when the powerful die from a lacking
situation, not when jane doe is seriously injured or when john doe has the big
one. As long as things appear to work well, EMS will be cut and cut and
cut. Then when the lawsuit for standard of care or negligence or
malpractice hits the county commissioners table will an interest be made.
Sad but true!
As for
the profession, the best quote I have read is "We are being ruined by the best
efforts of people doing the wrong thing." I think the author was
Deming. In Kansas folks, to sit the certification test for Paramedic level
you now have to have an Associates Degree. Now if I was entering the
industry and saw this I would do a comparison. Nursing starts at 17/hr in
KS and EMS 10 to 12/hr. Nursing better hours. Nursing more options for
departments to work in. EMS get a truck for a few years, work 24 hrs and
on call 24 hrs. Work in a major system and get hammered with calls and
lack of sleep. Why anyone in Kansas would want to be a paramedic today is
beyond me? Yet I would never trade the experience and sitting my happy
bottom in the unit I miss it!
As for
professionalism, we choose our behavior. Read the book "Fish!" Then
go to the Pike Place Market and see it in action (I have pictures!). We
do, absolutely choose our behaviors. If we are to be seen as professionals
there are academic standards we are slowly achieving despite obstacles. We
are starting to see research to put numbers to our ways, and the Flight Systems
are leading the way. Yet our attitude is the most important. So easy
to go back to the F&B (Fishbine) and Unity ways, but as an industry what
matters is that we care for the patients, and provide them with the best
possible care in the quickest manner (whether by another service or our
own!).
Those
are my thoughts, I apologize for being windy and I appreciate your
attention.
Joe
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