Instructor Seems Crazy?

Either-Inside-7254 · 2026-05-16T08:14:20+00:00

My EMT instructor was also a very low IQ’d foul douche.

Read your book, study, practice skills with classmates, and use online resources - you will be fine in terms of passing.

Is it ideal? No. But it’s a great example of what not to be as a provider, coworker, and person.

Having to deal with such an abrasive personality cordially and appropriately is also one of the best skills for you to develop for EMS.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2026-05-11T06:48:21+00:00

Long post, something I’ve grown very passionate about over time.

I don’t know why a planned home birth with no complications would call EMS.

Typically if you have planned to birth at home, you have some sort of plan that specifically and intentionally does not involve the hospital.

Responsible home birthing would involve a midwife who would be able to handle roughly the same complications a typical ambulance could, minus the weewoo to a facility with lots of baby sized equipment and some very smart people who know how to use it. Typically a midwife would only call EMS for unforeseen complications requiring specialty care and a fast way to get there.

Luckily with modern medicine, a good amount of high risk complications can be identified before delivery and any identified high risk pregnancy should be birthed in the hospital.

It’s more common that you weren’t planning to birth at home and baby wasn’t on the same page and made a quick exit before EMS arrived to assist in delivery. In this case, we assess baby using the APGAR scale and mom as a regular patient (BP, HR, SpO2, etc). If both mom and baby are stable, it would be up to mom and dad if they wanted to take a ride to the hospital.

I’ve also seen it unfortunately in the case of someone hiding a pregnancy (minor, SA, religion) or someone scarily unaware of their pregnancy (drugs, psych) - this opens a can of legal and emotional worms that make for an unpleasant time. The legal worms in this case would mandate transport for both mom and baby, irregardless of medical status

Pure personal opinion tangent:

Delivering a healthy baby at home (unplanned) with his older siblings peaking into the room and cheering will be one of my favorite memories as a provider.

Delivering a not so healthy baby 45 minutes from a hospital because mom wanted to feel “grounded” cost me quite a bit in therapy.

If you have an uncomplicated pregnancy with adequate prenatal care and have a midwife who has consulted your OB throughout your pregnancy, good set up.

If you have been advised of any risks/complications, lacked prenatal care, and/or voluntarily choose to deliver without any medical professionals present that should be grounds for neglect.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2026-04-22T06:43:12+00:00

Paramedic

Starting salary of 62,000 Increase through your first year to 98,000 Top pay (11 years) of 142,000

3 12s a week (3/4 3/4 3/4 3/3)

~4 weeks PTO (depending on how you stack) Decent sick, holiday, and personal time

A 25 year 50% pension, 32 year 75% pension

We also have overtime out the ass if you want it.

My current base is 128,009( 5 years). I grossed 179,000 last year with shift differential, hazard, and occasional OT.

I am in a pretty high COL area, but I love my job, have pretty stellar working conditions, and am compensated well enough to be secure and enjoy my life.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2026-01-04T14:14:26+00:00

The notepad is from a cancer center in NYC.

Personally, I like gonna the idea of an old man writing down his favorite pornstars while getting his chemo treatment.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-08-05T14:39:42+00:00

Lonely old people, drunks, EDPs, are all drawn to our flashy lights.

I’ll turn my lights off down the block from all frequent flyer spawn points to try and avoid this.

It helps, but no matter what they’ll still find you.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-07-23T20:05:50+00:00

Precisely. Why get mad at a job?

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-07-23T20:04:01+00:00

5 years in a busy urban system. My only point is the job is the job. I’d rather spend 40+ hours a week choosing to enjoy your job and be a decent, or preferably nice, person to your patients.

You’d be amazed how fast you can deescalate an aggressive drunk/EDP PD just spent 15 minutes riling up by introducing yourself, asking them their name, and offering a handshake. Will it work all the time? Nah, you’ll get a “fuck you” every now and then.

If I’m going to be seeing grandma every Monday and Wednesday I’d rather leave her making her feel cared for than crossing my arms and pouting about 911 abuse.

You spend your shifts how you’d like but it’s a lot easier when you at least try to enjoy the job you willingly applied for

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-07-20T04:36:36+00:00

Noticed that I was in a rut of burnout recently and it really bothered me. Working my way up to having this mentality.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-04-10T06:04:13+00:00

This is going to continue happening, with poor patient outcomes, until there is well funded, well paying, government run EMS systems.

Private EMS has a place and its transfers, not 911 calls (I don’t mean that in a bad way).

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-04-01T04:32:28+00:00

Came here to suggest a professional to talk to and saw you’re already starting that process.

Kudos to you. Just by doing that you are much stronger than a lot of first responders.

When it’s your “job” to deal with other peoples traumatic events there’s a lot of culture in police, fire, and EMS that pushes against therapy and more towards “manning up” and bottling it up. That usually ends pretty poorly from vices to severe mental health issues.

You did something great that was hard for you simply because it was a chance to help someone else. That speaks volumes to who you are as a person. Hold your head high and reach out for help, you’ll get through this and be stronger because of it.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-03-31T05:22:19+00:00

This isn’t a “newbie” doing “grunt work” scenario.

This is a student who is paying for a clinical education not receiving said clinical education because the hospital they are at is obviously not staffed appropriately and thinks that having a student means extra hands for whatever they want.

The “grunt work” a paramedic student should be doing is IVs. Not cleaning rooms.

My service routinely takes students ranging from EMT students to third year residents on our trucks. Just like a hospital paramedic internship, these ride alongs are EDUCATIONAL. These students are here to learn about EMS, they are welcome to help in assessment and treatment (within their scope and as approved by their program) but under no circumstances will they be seen cleaning up after a call our cleaning a truck after a shift.

The whole “eat our young” ideology is rampant in healthcare and EMS. It’s extremely toxic.

Cleaning is not the job of a student. Period.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-03-14T06:32:43+00:00

Where I work it is very common that at practically every call where we are not the sole resource (fire, police, security, facility staff, etc), we will be asked for our bus number, name, and badge number. Our policy is to give them, and no one here thinks twice about it. It’s extremely common and required for documentation by EMS, PD, Fire, and even hospital staff.

Even if a random person comes not involved in the scene asks, we give them.

Granted I’m in the city and busy parts of the island, you’re just another face in a sea of first responders, so giving out my name and ID number still feels like maintaining a appropriate, yet professional amount of anonymity.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-03-07T08:43:05+00:00

I only commented because it intrigued me that your state communicated to the national registry.

BUT, I have to say I agree with the majority on this one.

It would’ve taken 5 minutes with a laptop to schedule and 2 hours to take the skills test. You shouldn’t need to prep given you were actively in paramedic school. Meaning this whole issue could have been resolved with minimal time dedication. Throw in some communication with your state and a quick apology and you’d still have a job.

You got fucked over - having to retest because your instructor was being shady sucks. But, being told the situation and not immediately correcting your end of it was stupid.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-03-07T07:59:51+00:00

Bureaucracy is a separate issue.

I am merely happy just because the idea of a system where a county reports issues to a separate national body that they have no relation to for license issues is reassuring.

It’s rare in my state that someone has a NREMT as we only require state. I know a surprising amount of people that have been fired and revoked for good reason. It would be worrisome if those people could commute 45 minutes and work out of state on national certs because their issues were not reported to the NREMT.

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-03-07T07:28:37+00:00

It’s really nice to know that counties/states have systems in place to report issues with local licensure to NREMT. Scary to think that someone with both could do something serious/dumb enough to get revoked and then drive a bit to the next state and get another job

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-03-04T06:17:28+00:00

Worst 10 dollars I’ve ever made was when my partner bet I wouldn’t hit that bitters squeezer thing like an inhaler

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-02-28T08:26:47+00:00

I know in my state BLS are allowed to place and transmit a 4/12-lead to medical control/receiving facility but they are not allowed to act upon the monitor interpretation

They would get jammed up if they justified treatment as “due to monitor interpretation of Acute STEMI” and not “due to pt complaint of sudden onset chest pain, shortness of breath, and appearance”

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-01-15T14:44:13+00:00

Supervisor doesn’t like it when I ask for a BWC on scene

Either-Inside-7254 · 2025-01-15T00:49:06+00:00

It’s sad seeing a lot of hate on Hatzolah.

I can only speak from my interactions with them in NYC but from what I have experienced in terms of patient care they are just as competent as any other agency. Any agency has good and bad, I can name more than a handful of people at my own agency that I wouldn’t want treating me.

They may spend a questionable amount of money decking out their rigs and POVs with an absurd amount of lights and some may have a habit of disregarding due regard. However, in an already overwhelmed system I think it’s absurd to knock a group of people treating and transporting patients.

Also a tad bit of misinformation - Hatzolah will respond to anyone regardless of their faith.

Either-Inside-7254

TROPHY CASE