Since I left the industry 3 1/2 years ago, maybe things have changed, but when I left, these were my observations.....The shortage is not new. It has been forecast for 10-15 years. Some of the things they mention (burn-out, injuries) may influence tenure, but I think there are several reasons for the shortages... First thing that comes to mind is that large areas of the country are still being served by volunteers. To invest over 2 years for a certification to volunteer your time is beyond most peoples ability. Many other areas are served by for-profit EMS services, and the smaller ones, for example, are more geared toward providing the owners a new yacht than taking care of their employees. Then, there comes compensation. Why would a person invest that much time in education to take a job making 1/2 or less than if they had invested in another trade (welding, auto mechanic, computer specialist, nursing). Last, but not least, is that paramedics spend the 2+ years getting certified, must complete continuing education at levels above ANY other healthcare professional, and are relinquished to spending their days running routine convalescent transports to nursing homes and dialysis centers. They never getting off work on time, not because they had a bad patient in the ER, but were stuck doing just one more transport. The improper use of this resource, the paramedic, is quickly learned and those that are good, rapidly change careers, into nursing, law enforcement, or firefighting. Being a paramedic in the old days was a fun and rewarding job. Many of us served dual roles, many being career medics AND volunteering in fire service/EMS while off duty. We had heart.....It paid comparatively well and you only ran emergency responses. But, in recent times, governments are quick to cut support to these agencies, while protecting dog catchers and tennis courts, forcing true EMERGENCY services to perform routine transports just to keep the jobs open and trucks running. It is a different world in EMS today, and just having HEART isnt good enough to keep people in the business. Theres no turning back...... (Sad)
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 19:59:59 +0000
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