Hospitals should hire me to keep bad things from happening ? I worked 3:00 ? 11:00 PM in the ER and nothing of any consequence came through. I got to hear all about the student that was there the night BEFORE me and how he got to do CPR on a patient who later died. I saw the usual boring cases.
I got to see a bit of social commentary though. One patient that came in had been doing cocaine earlier that day and his daughter wanted to come back so she could see that he was ok. Later on, the police came for him for charges related to something else. A druggie with a criminal record and young daughter ? that?s just splendid.
Also got to see two brothers ? both in their mid teens ? who had gotten into a fight that left one with a pretty nasty cut across the back of his foot that almost cut the Achilles tendon. Cool for me because I got to see a tendon in action on a live person?not so good for him because it was his tendon that got nicked, and almost cut. All because he and his brother got into a rather non-brotherly fight. I?m learning that nine times out of ten, it seems the medical profession is there to save people from themselves rather than circumstances thrust upon them.
Also talked to a male nurse who has me thinking about going to nursing school instead of finishing out the paramedic thing. As a nurse, there would be more (and better paying) opportunities to me to get into flight medicine. But, I?m not too thrilled with the things that ER or ICU nurses do while they?re working their way TO flight medicine. It seems kind of boring, although I know it?s not always that way and it?s as important as anything else.
I?m also reconsidering the fire department thing. That might not be such a bad way to go either ? more money than the private companies and I?d be able to say I was a firefighter! The more I think about that, the more it starts to sound like something that I might want to be.
I had planned to rant and rave about the salaries of EMTs and Paramedics?but I think I?ll just let the following statement speak the volumes I could spout for hours:
The guy handing you your Whopper barely makes less than the guy who?s job it is to save your life in a medical emergency. A man hath no greater love?
-MedicMike
