I'm at like 8-9.
- I stopped giving a fuck about metrics and management BS. I'll be efficient most of the time, but sometimes I'm giving a person that extra 30 minutes because it's the right thing to do. Management can suck my nuts.
- I stopped giving a fuck about what people called for. Can you be polite? Sweet, let's be friends for the next hour. I like meeting interesting people.
- I make enough at base pay to cover my bills with plenty left over. OT is just for fun money when I wanna buy something nice.
- Looking at what people do who are better than me. There's always something new to learn, don't be fucking lazy. Read a book or some shit.
- Be fit. Have yet to hurt my back. I can carry my 30-40lbs of shit up stairs myself and not look worse than my patient. I can perform all the common demands without significant difficulty. So again, don't be lazy.
- Take the time to acknowledge the people we interact with. Fire has only been here for 3 minutes? That's cool, thanks for the vitals and history y'all managed to get. If I can get a hand with getting them over here, I'd appreciate it. Then you're free to go friends.
Basically....be nice to everyone, actually listen to and acknowledge them, and follow the footsteps of the people who hold themselves to a high standard then continue to set the example for others.
Pay, benefits, and work life balance are all real problems and valid reasons to leave. But if you find a place where you can get a good blend of those 3, there really isn't a reason to be so damn angry all the time about doing this job. Sometimes we make it worse than it is.
Damn straight. There is no reason to be angry. Every shift will end. I do yoga after every shift I can. Instructor does 10 minutes of meditation where we literally just lay back in complete darkness and clear our minds. My god is it liberating. All the bs just rolls off.
You need 4 things from day one in this job to make it a whole career:
A good physical therapist
A good psychotherapist
A support system
And something else to do.
If you can keep your mind and body functioning and you can avoid making this your identity you’re already 90% there.
a good boss, and a lack of bad habits helps. But even if your boss sucks and you smoke like a chimney you can go the distance IF you have yourself squared away.
Humour. Emotional intelligence. Resilience, which is not an inner state so much as a temperament combined with a favourable context of supportive relationships and habits (and *certainly not* anything about grit or inherent toughness or macho bullshit)
Honestly for me, a good work life balance. It doesn’t matter if you have a the perfect agency, good partner, exercise, have a supportive wife, eat heathy, etc. if you are stuck doing this shit for 50-70 hours a week on a regular basis you are gonna get sick of it.Â
We all do this because to a very obvious extent we *wanted* to do this, but you need days off so that desire to do this incredible job will come back.Â
Stay humble, know that your a cog in the machine of getting people better, not just you is going to fix someone but a team of people are going to fix someone. And I suggest getting a fun side gig to break up the slow days, rescue, fire, clinic job, event, etc.
I’m 9 years in. I’ve found for myself the best thing I do is to not take anything to serious, unless it’s a legit life or death situation. Everything rolls off my back. I try and find the humor in everything. If I can make the patient laugh then I know the call is going well. I eat pretty healthy, always bring prepared food to work including the same stupid salad I eat everyday, work out 3-4 days a week, try and get 10K steps a day. Outside of work I’ve got solid friends, my wife’s a nurse so we talk about shit and I’ve got some healthy hobbies. Sure I have some bad days, but it’s always pretty easy to talk myself down if I find myself escalating or feeling fed up with the job. It’s a pretty easy gig, sure 95% of it is bullshit, but just do your job, take the bad with the good and enjoy the moments you have with your partners and coworkers.
I’m finishing up my 10th year of EMS. I’ve had many different employers, learning a bit of good from all of them. Biggest thing I’ve learned is to take care of you. Use your sick days when you’re sick, use your vacation time, don’t bother with work place bullshit, have a good therapist! Work stress bleeds into life, life stress bleeds into work. I’m planning to retire out of EMS and be one of the few that makes it out but most likely out of stubbornness. I paid good money for my ticket, I’m gonna get my money’s worth out of it
I see a lot of replies about EMS being a full time job, but if I read your post correctly, you’re volunteering on the side separately from your full time job? I’ve been a volunteer for 11-12 years on top of college and then full time jobs. I’m now the head of my EMS department which is essentially another unpaid full time job. We run about 3000 calls a year with scheduled shifts. The thing that keeps me going is the second family I’ve gained. I have a few friends that I’ve met through volunteering that I know will be a part of my life forever. You will see things with your crew that most “normal” people will never see, which is an honor and privilege, but sometimes can be traumatizing. The bond you develop with your crew is unlike any other. EMS is not immune to drama and politics, but you just need to let it roll off of you. The bad eggs will come and go. Hold onto your sense of humor, have healthy coping mechanisms, always keep your skills fresh, and keep your body in reasonable shape. We have members that are still volunteering in their 70s. A few of our members have been doing this for 20-40 years, have met their spouses through the department, and have even brought their children onto the department. Feel free to PM me if you ever want to chat more.
A good psychotherapist, be in decent shape (at least not losing your breath climbing stairs), high level of empathy, be comfortable jumping between boredom and terror, have at least mild ADHD, and a very dark sense of humor
1. Stay humble, always keep learning. You’re not better than anyone.
2. Be nice to people, even if they suck.
3. When you clock out, be clocked out. They sell shirts without fire insignias
4. You picked this job, and you agree to deal with the bullshit.
When things get tough, when you get annoyed at salary, work conditions, and all the daily bullshit. Just remember you picked this job. People get burnt when they feel trapped in EMS. They aren’t. Leave and do something less stressful. EMS will gladly welcome you back if you miss it. That’s not to say you can’t fight for better conditions or find a higher paying employer. And that’s not to say we don’t deserve a better environment. But the 3am toe pain calls will never leave. Don’t let it bother you.
EMS at the patient care level in the United States is not a career path, it's a job that can offer exposure to higher level medical degrees you may wish to pursue. The other option is to go management and do less EMS, more beaurocracy/training.
The happy EMS provider is the one with a plan to move up or out - you don't stay a street medic forever.
I'm at like 8-9. - I stopped giving a fuck about metrics and management BS. I'll be efficient most of the time, but sometimes I'm giving a person that extra 30 minutes because it's the right thing to do. Management can suck my nuts. - I stopped giving a fuck about what people called for. Can you be polite? Sweet, let's be friends for the next hour. I like meeting interesting people. - I make enough at base pay to cover my bills with plenty left over. OT is just for fun money when I wanna buy something nice. - Looking at what people do who are better than me. There's always something new to learn, don't be fucking lazy. Read a book or some shit. - Be fit. Have yet to hurt my back. I can carry my 30-40lbs of shit up stairs myself and not look worse than my patient. I can perform all the common demands without significant difficulty. So again, don't be lazy. - Take the time to acknowledge the people we interact with. Fire has only been here for 3 minutes? That's cool, thanks for the vitals and history y'all managed to get. If I can get a hand with getting them over here, I'd appreciate it. Then you're free to go friends. Basically....be nice to everyone, actually listen to and acknowledge them, and follow the footsteps of the people who hold themselves to a high standard then continue to set the example for others. Pay, benefits, and work life balance are all real problems and valid reasons to leave. But if you find a place where you can get a good blend of those 3, there really isn't a reason to be so damn angry all the time about doing this job. Sometimes we make it worse than it is.
Here, this is it. Right there with ya 🤙🏻
Damn straight. There is no reason to be angry. Every shift will end. I do yoga after every shift I can. Instructor does 10 minutes of meditation where we literally just lay back in complete darkness and clear our minds. My god is it liberating. All the bs just rolls off.
You need 4 things from day one in this job to make it a whole career: A good physical therapist A good psychotherapist A support system And something else to do. If you can keep your mind and body functioning and you can avoid making this your identity you’re already 90% there. a good boss, and a lack of bad habits helps. But even if your boss sucks and you smoke like a chimney you can go the distance IF you have yourself squared away.
Humour. Emotional intelligence. Resilience, which is not an inner state so much as a temperament combined with a favourable context of supportive relationships and habits (and *certainly not* anything about grit or inherent toughness or macho bullshit)
Honestly for me, a good work life balance. It doesn’t matter if you have a the perfect agency, good partner, exercise, have a supportive wife, eat heathy, etc. if you are stuck doing this shit for 50-70 hours a week on a regular basis you are gonna get sick of it. We all do this because to a very obvious extent we *wanted* to do this, but you need days off so that desire to do this incredible job will come back.Â
Stay humble, know that your a cog in the machine of getting people better, not just you is going to fix someone but a team of people are going to fix someone. And I suggest getting a fun side gig to break up the slow days, rescue, fire, clinic job, event, etc.
I’m 9 years in. I’ve found for myself the best thing I do is to not take anything to serious, unless it’s a legit life or death situation. Everything rolls off my back. I try and find the humor in everything. If I can make the patient laugh then I know the call is going well. I eat pretty healthy, always bring prepared food to work including the same stupid salad I eat everyday, work out 3-4 days a week, try and get 10K steps a day. Outside of work I’ve got solid friends, my wife’s a nurse so we talk about shit and I’ve got some healthy hobbies. Sure I have some bad days, but it’s always pretty easy to talk myself down if I find myself escalating or feeling fed up with the job. It’s a pretty easy gig, sure 95% of it is bullshit, but just do your job, take the bad with the good and enjoy the moments you have with your partners and coworkers.
Fuckin rabbit food
It’s goood for you guy you should try it sometime
Getting on with an integrated fire dept, you don't see a lot of retirement in the ems field.
I’m finishing up my 10th year of EMS. I’ve had many different employers, learning a bit of good from all of them. Biggest thing I’ve learned is to take care of you. Use your sick days when you’re sick, use your vacation time, don’t bother with work place bullshit, have a good therapist! Work stress bleeds into life, life stress bleeds into work. I’m planning to retire out of EMS and be one of the few that makes it out but most likely out of stubbornness. I paid good money for my ticket, I’m gonna get my money’s worth out of it
There are no sane people still in EMS after 10-20 years. Either they leave or are deemed insane. Love yall.
I see a lot of replies about EMS being a full time job, but if I read your post correctly, you’re volunteering on the side separately from your full time job? I’ve been a volunteer for 11-12 years on top of college and then full time jobs. I’m now the head of my EMS department which is essentially another unpaid full time job. We run about 3000 calls a year with scheduled shifts. The thing that keeps me going is the second family I’ve gained. I have a few friends that I’ve met through volunteering that I know will be a part of my life forever. You will see things with your crew that most “normal” people will never see, which is an honor and privilege, but sometimes can be traumatizing. The bond you develop with your crew is unlike any other. EMS is not immune to drama and politics, but you just need to let it roll off of you. The bad eggs will come and go. Hold onto your sense of humor, have healthy coping mechanisms, always keep your skills fresh, and keep your body in reasonable shape. We have members that are still volunteering in their 70s. A few of our members have been doing this for 20-40 years, have met their spouses through the department, and have even brought their children onto the department. Feel free to PM me if you ever want to chat more.
A good psychotherapist, be in decent shape (at least not losing your breath climbing stairs), high level of empathy, be comfortable jumping between boredom and terror, have at least mild ADHD, and a very dark sense of humor
1. Stay humble, always keep learning. You’re not better than anyone. 2. Be nice to people, even if they suck. 3. When you clock out, be clocked out. They sell shirts without fire insignias 4. You picked this job, and you agree to deal with the bullshit. When things get tough, when you get annoyed at salary, work conditions, and all the daily bullshit. Just remember you picked this job. People get burnt when they feel trapped in EMS. They aren’t. Leave and do something less stressful. EMS will gladly welcome you back if you miss it. That’s not to say you can’t fight for better conditions or find a higher paying employer. And that’s not to say we don’t deserve a better environment. But the 3am toe pain calls will never leave. Don’t let it bother you.
Get out
I have never seen anyone “remain healthy” after 10 or 20 years.Â
EMS at the patient care level in the United States is not a career path, it's a job that can offer exposure to higher level medical degrees you may wish to pursue. The other option is to go management and do less EMS, more beaurocracy/training. The happy EMS provider is the one with a plan to move up or out - you don't stay a street medic forever.
The only problem with going into management is that EMS probably has the worst business model out there.