Overdue

Posted on July 31, 2011 by transportjockey

Ya know… I’m pissed. And it’s about time I posted a rant. It’s my blog afterall, so I’m allowed to rant. So here goes.

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You nailed it, we’re so fucking impressed. You must be the most incredible person for having a brand new EMT-B card, one that the ink isn’t even dry on yet. But, there’s a few things you need to know, and things that you need to learn quick before I toss you out of the doors of my bus while we’re traveling down the freeway.

1) I don’t care if you are older than me. Yes, I might be a young EMT, but I’ve got many times your experience, and I am the higher licensure on the truck. Keep this in mind. It means if we’re treating a patient, what I say, goes. Don’t you fucking DARE look down on me for only being 23.

2) Quit your whining. No our job is not all traumas. It’s not all code three returns to the hospital. It’s not anything like the TV show ‘Trauma’. Get those thoughts out of your damned head right now if you want to survive at all in this job.

3) Speaking of trauma… Another thing you need to stop, right fucking now, is thinking I’m an inferior EMT just because I prefer medical calls to trauma calls. Trauma is easy; Keep an airway, plug the holes, splint the breaks, stick em with IVs. Rinse and repeat. I actually prefer medical because I have to THINK. Once you get some experience, and some education, you’ll see that medical calls can be some of the most pucker-factor inducing calls you might run in your career.

4) I swear to god, if you EVER repeat the comments you told me about suicide attempt calls, I will end you. How would you like it if I made those kinds of comments to your mother, sister, wife, girlfriend, daughter, brother, son, or father? Really? You wouldn’t like it? Then keep your damned mouth shut! And yea, I don’t like those calls. You don’t know what the fuck I’ve dealt with in the past two months, and you most likely never will, because I don’t deem you worthy of personal discussions with. Yes, SI calls affect me. No, I don’t like running them. But yea, I enjoy talking to the patients, trying to help them, even if it’s just holding their hand and telling them things WILL get better. Helping them is a way of helping me heal myself.

Those are just four things. I’m tired right now or else I might keep going. Count your blessings you are still breathing, and keep in mind that if you ever draw my truck to work on again, you will learn to control your damned mouth. You might be older than me, you might have more life experience than me, but from what I’ve seen you deserve no more respect than I give to my average ETOH bum on the side of the road (which admittedly is more respect than you seem to give them, or me). To me, respect is earned, not freely given. And with what I’ve seen, you have a long long way to go before you get any from me.

Keep one thing in mind. EMS isn’t about saving lives. It’s about caring for people. Caring for people is the majority of our job, saving lives is something we might be lucky enough to help with a few times in our career.

About transportjockey

I'm a 24 year old brand spanking-new Paramedicworking for a small private 911 service in Central NM, and a large national EMS agency doing IFT.. I am slowly chipping away at getting my BSN. I eventually want to become an ED NP at a large hospital. Also a hopeful flight medic/RN
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  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/7HQRBUQONU7RZZ5CMB2YUXUZII Lynda

    Yikes. 

    Hug. for. you.
    Stay your course; you work well, competently and compassionately. 
    Respect must be earned and kept–not a gift. You are respected by the ones that matter.

    That individual has trouble coming right NOW I bet. 

  • Jeanine

    You sound  like a really good tech. Keep at it, you’ve got the right idea. I was an EMT at 23 and not as grounded as you are. I felt I didn’t become a good EMT til I went to medic school. I realized how much of a difference we really make ESPECIALLY on medical calls or even holding a patient’s hand. Now, after 15 yrs as a NYC paramedic, I’m retired but remember those years as the best.  Hope you experience the same.

  • http://twitter.com/crispy_pants Julia StJames

    #2. Not like TRAUMA?

    -No, I dont have a burned out medic named Rabbit that i’m sleeping with… oh wait.
    -No, i didnt have a partner flip a bus… oh wait.
    -No, Jaime didnt bang the hot nurse, then struck out with the cute nurse he really want… oh wait.

    So, what part of this job ISNT like the show again?

    • http://twitter.com/jpdl_us Jaime Ponce de Leon

      shut your face. i didnt FLIP the rig.

      Nate flipped a rig.

      • http://transportjockey.com/ Transport Jockey

        Rolled, not flipped. There is a difference. right?

        • http://twitter.com/crispy_pants Julia StJames

          I think it all depends on what side it landed on, and how many tries it took to get it there.

        • http://thesocialmedic.net Dave Konig

          There is? I thought they were the same thing…

          • http://transportjockey.com/ Transport Jockey

            Well… Sorta? But flipped just sound worse lol

          • http://thesocialmedic.net Dave Konig

            Oh I absolutely agree! Which is why when I teach CEVO III I wear my “Flipper” dolphin pin proudly!

            Yeah… I’m one of those guys…

  • http://twitter.com/jpdl_us Jaime Ponce de Leon

    I left a partner on the side of the road once.

    She was a bitch.

    She was also a brand new paper-medic with, at that point, 31 minutes of street experience.
    Also didnt like the fact that an EMT-I, me, was her FTO.

    As far as i know, she still has a total of 31 minutes of street experience, because she never came back to work, last i heard she was a bar-bitch.
    And she got fat.

  • Sblessing10

    I like your Blog, and let me say that I am 40 with 20 years experience in the ER (Which means NONE in Pre hospital Care), I  finished my EMT, got my license, and immediately went into Medic school (I actually had no choice), anyway, when I do my ride outs or clinicals for that matter, I don’t care if you are 23 or 35 or 50, teaching me and precepting me, I jusat want and need to learn from someone who has experience and can teach me, it doesnt matter the age its the experience, so I totally agree with you and I cannot wait to do my medic clinicals in a couple of months. I dont care who my preceptor is or what age they are, I just need someone with experience who is willing to teach and give goood advise!  Eventhough I have been in the ER for 20 years, I havent been on the streets, so I technically am a newbie!  But hey we all have to start somewhere and it is my passion!!

    Good luck to you.

  • Theresa

    Whoa, Buddy.
    You need to go find yourself some counseling and fast! You are WAY out of line in your rant. I’ve followed your blog for awhile, and while I have not always agreed with you (as I am 22 years your senior with 22 years more experience than you), I have stayed with you. That is until now. A blog is no place to rant about a bad partner. That is something that needs to be done in private or with your boss, supervisor or human resource office. 

    Good luck and god speed.  

    • http://transportjockey.com/ Transport Jockey

      Theresa, I’m sorry you feel that way. But to me, this place was made to rant about things, especially things that if I said the way I felt it would get me reprimanded or fired. I know a few other EMS bloggers who have had rants about their partners. But tell me, from what I’ve posted of this partner, can you tell me who it is? Is there one piece of information that is identifiable? If there was then I would consider taking it down… But Nah, not really. 

  • http://www.russreina.com Firetender

    It’s a crazed world you got thrust into lately, TJ. All sorts of stuff is getting reflected back to you. This is the part where you get to learn a lot about yourself.  To me, your rant was a good rant, especially because you understood it to be a rant. Who you are is a bit deeper than your anger, yet, you have every right to it.

    Keep moving the energy in safe places and it’ll all work itself out.

    There’s a lot of us in the neighborhood to lean on; don’t forget that.

    Our partners are often the parts of ourselves we are most afraid of becoming. In terms of respect, if they don’t respect you, make sure you DO!

    You’re worth getting to know and if he didn’t get that then he’s the loser, not you.

  • Marianna

    I, too, am an “older” (45 yrs) new EMT that works for a rural, volunteer service. Most of my partners so far, are young enough to be my kids. It can be very intimidating esp. when I think that they could be better/kinder/more gentle around certain patients like the elderly, deaf, mentally ill etc. I keep my mouth shut as I figure they haven’t had enough “life” (not work) experience to know yet. Give them time, they will learn, just as I am learning to work with my young partners.  
    Your rant shows a lot of anger. I think (I don’t know, but I’m guessing) that Theresa was hinting that you’ve been through a lot in your life lately, and you have. I want to jump through my computer and give you a hug and tell you to stay the course. You’re doing a smashing job considering all you’ve been though.
    I understand that this is your blog and have the right to rant as you choose, but if you are having such fits about this partner, do something about it….like tell a supervisor.
    Sorry for all your going through.
    {hugs}