Some Things You Should Know

11 years ago right around this time, I was spending every free moment that I had studying for my Paramedic Class Final. It had been 11 long months of work, where I had sacrificed time away from family and friends to help achieve a dream that I had: to be a Paramedic. That 250 question final was staring me straight in the face, and after that, it would be off to my Clinical and Field time. I had learned a lot in those 11 months, and had also learned a lot in my 4 and a half years that I had been an EMT prior to that. There were still plenty of lessons that were waiting for me on the road ahead throughout my career.

If someone was to ask me what I thought some of the most important qualities that a Paramedic should have, some buzzwords that come to mind are “caring,” “compassionate,” “clinically competent,” and “hard working.” That would be my politically correct answer though. There are some other qualities that lie under the surface that are rarely discussed with the public that people should know about and be ready for if they choose to make EMS their career:

Strong stomach — During your career, you will see and smell things that no person should ever have to. When you encounter them, you will be expected to keep a straight face, stay calm, and act like it doesn’t bother you one bit.

Able to work independently — There will be times when that other truck, or even your partner might not be near by. You may have to work a cardiac arrest by yourself. You could pick up the radio and ask for another truck and hear those terrifying words: “No units available.” Above all else, be ready for as much as you can with little to no help.

Innovative — In EMT and Paramedic class, you will learn about algorithms and what to do for a patient quiet often in the best case scenario, but remember what Murphy’s Law teaches us: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” You need to be able to think outside the box and adjust to the situation you’re presented with. Did you run out of electrodes? Break out the Alcohol Prep Pads and Tape. Do you have a patient with a nose bleed? Try using a couple of tongue depressors to help hold pressure for you. There are lots of little tricks of the trade out there to learn, and I encourage you to put as many of them as you can in your “mental toolbox.”

Be a good sales person — You need to be persuasive. People are going to not want to go to the hospital with you. They’re not going to want you to come near them with that needle, and you need to convince them that what you are telling them is exactly what they need to do. They need to trust you and believe in you, and sometimes, that takes some salesmanship.

Can function on little to no sleep — EMS is a career plagued with long hours and sometimes little to no downtime. You need to be as ready as possible when those tones go out or when your number gets called. Someone is counting on you to be there to help them.

People call 9-1-1 at any time of day, and 365 days a year – Be prepared to spend a holiday or two away from your family. People still need to go to the hospital, even on Christmas. Someone needs to be there to answer the call, and depending on the luck of the draw, that might be you.

I really think what I have here is a pretty good start, but I’m sure there are lots of things that I missed. Leave me a comment, and tell me what other qualities you think a Paramedic or EMT should have that they didn’t tell you about in school.