National EMT shortage threatens patient care
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- Опубліковано 21 гру 2022
- Nearly every industry has dealt with staffing shortages since the start of the pandemic, but few can mean the difference between life and death like that of an emergency medical technician. However, low wages are forcing EMTs out of their jobs. Carter Evans reports.
#news #health #ambulance
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In 2020, as an EMT in Fayetteville, NC working on a 911 service, I made $11 an hour. Try paying for childcare, buying groceries, filling up a car, paying rent, on $11 an hour. The only way to make enough was to work an unhealthy amount of over time and never see my family.
Call after call, 14 hour shifts, going hungry, in the cold, heat, rain, or apartments infested with bedbugs. And they wonder why people don’t stay in the field. I left a job I loved because I didn’t want to work and still qualify for public assistance.
That’s EMS in America.
Bloodborne pathogens, carcinogens, car accidents, dangerous areas, etc.
All to be paid less than a cashier 🤡
@@wizarddaddy47 The car accidents are no joke, we have to oftentimes stand up in the back of the ambulance unbuckled while the vehicle moves at 70 mph. I know that if my driver hits someone, I might die or become paralyzed/crippled. Im so glad I left the field. it boggles my mind that now fast food workers are going to make significantly more than EMTs.
Yikes. I make almost double is a warehouse, but still it barely covers costs of living. Pay rates make no sense in this country...
You know that if you complain about EMTs making less than McD’s employees, the powers that be will think the answer isn’t to up your wages….
… they’d rather lower the other guy’s income.
Everybody deserves a livable wage. The US hasn’t kept up with that.
@@wizarddaddy47 The average unarmed security guard within the State of NY makes roughly the same hourly wage as a EMT working for a private EMS company that provides 911 coverage. In addition, the certification for an unarmed security guard is less costly and the certification course is shorter than that of a EMT course. So why deal with everything that EMS work involves when you could be standing inside a warehouse for roughly the same hourly pay?
There needs to be a nationwide overhaul of EMS. Huge crackdown on 911 abuse and increase pay/standards
They simply do not pay enough for the hard work emt do
100% you are right and they put up with so much crap
I’m an EMT in the Bay Area… yeah this is sad.. fast food workers really !?
It’s not the fast food workers fault that they make a livable wage while EMTs don’t.
You need to take that up with whoever is in charge of y’all
I think EMT is the hardest and stressful job, these guys are on the scene pre-hospital stage, they work long hours, sacrificing their family times, just pay them more for their worth and value, I RESPECT what they do!
I appreciate your kind words but unfortunately the RESPECT just doesn't pay the bills. I done if for twenty years and should have gotten out sooner but stayed the course. It's just not worth it, from the PTSD from the job and the stresses to pay the bills it's just insanity to stay.
Thank you so much! 😊
Not to mention the horrific things they witness all the time. 1/3 of them develop PTSD as a result of it.
@Pancake22 We don't witness "horrific things" all the time. In fact you can go months or years without seeing a particularly traumatizing call because you get desensitized to it. My last "traumatizing" call was almost 2 years ago. I've had serious calls since then, but they don't phase me like that one did.
it's genuinely not that bad
As a burned out paramedic of nearly a decade, I say we all quit and let the public fend for themselves for a day or two. Then we’ll see who really deserves a mandated minimum wage. Fast food workers, or the ones who help you after 20+ years of fast food throat punches your heart at 0300.
Exactly! I esp get livid over the HR dept , health insurance, pharma, and administrative types....they push pencils and make far more than the first responders and healthcare workers on the ground doing the hard patient work being exposed to cootie ridden and violent patients. I think we need to leave folks to fend for themselves and take a LOT of people off of medicaid that have no business calling 911 and going to the ER on a daily basis because they can do so for free with impunity. We can agree to take care of each other, but leave the "administrator ofdiversity inclusion equity patient experience" folks out until they realize that we have the real jobs that make real things happen.
It's funny to see patients and nurses complain about wait times and such when we're getting paid less than gas station attendants, bus drivers, and McDonald's employees. Why should we have to work 72-96 hours a week just to make what most jobs do in 40 hours with no medical liability and not being awake for 22-24 hours straight?
Our nurses got mad when they went on strike and had no support from ems. Their starting was 35. Now it’s 38… our union contracts always said we can’t go on strike. I wonder why.
Bro I make $12 hourly for EMT. Stop acting like $18 an hour isn’t enough for you
McDonald's employees do not make 18 an hour and if they do it just be in a state like Cali or new York where cost of living is higher
I dropped out of my paramedic class in 1983 because the going rate was $7.25 an hour. I was a union Ironworker and making $22.00 plus benefits, it was a no brainer. Thing haven't changed.
7.25 an hour back in 83. Dude I'm an EMT right now make 17 an hour in CA
@@mrsporadicsporkguy5481 That $7.25 was the paramedic rate. I ran the EMS system for Raceway Park. I was paying $20.00 and couldn't staff my trucks. It's a combination of pay and a poor work ethic in many of today's younger EMTs.
@@mrsporadicsporkguy5481 and now the Iron workers make 40$/hr. thats the point dude
@Robert Jessen poor work ethic? Why should a young kid become an EMT when he/she can make way more doing way less. That's not a work ethic problem is a work value problem. Even a basic doing dialysis runs is outside in the cold, the rain, the heat, carrying literal humans in and out of their home for life saving treatment, exposed to sickness, death, for what? Minimum wage? Not worth it.
To be fair, paramedics in the 80s were hardly what they are now.
Do a story on 911 abuse. That's directly contributing to the burnout rate and why people are leaving this profession in droves.
Ah yes, going to 90yo Lara for the 8th time this week to pick her up again while 23yo Ryan just got into a near fatal wreck but oops now we have to divert resources from neighboring jurisdictions making the response time 3x as long.
Overall healthcare shouldn’t be about money… if nurses and doctors had their wages lower to compensate for emt low wage that would be balance.
It’s very hard to prove 911 abuse. If the person truly believes they are having an emergency. Even if you don’t agree can’t be prosecuted if they think it’s an actual emergency.
I really wish someone would, but no news agency will actually cover that. Been a paramedic for almost 15 years. My pay is actually pretty good for my area. But I'm so sick and tired of the BS calls, the verbal and physical abuse from pt's and hospital staff, that I've been wanting to leave the field for the last couple of years. I'm tired of my company's BS also. I'm beyond burned out.
@@doylerulz1 hence I would support “the boy who cried wolf” law to grant immunity to providers denying transport to frequent flyers.
I worked in the Denver metro area in 05-09 as an EMT basic. $10.10/hr. The hearse driver's in Denver were getting $15/hr
People will only pay what they value. Everyone thinks healthcare should be free but they want the prehospital professional that comes on the worst day of their life to be the best one possible, but then don't want to pay for it.
There's a conflict in making business work well with healthcare. They don't go together will at all.
Pay the EMS professionals what they are worth and they will fill the jobs. Stop paying celebrities so much as they aren't worth it.
Amen! And things will just continue to get worse as everyone refuses to pay decent wages and give decent working conditions to first responders and healthcare workers in hospitals. Then add to that the massive, aging population of boomers and we have a poo-storm of epic proportions until people wake up and smell the coffee. They are busy at the hospitals hiring overpaid pencil pushers that deal with "equity and experience etc", meanwhile they refuse to hire enough staff to care for patients in the ER and on floors...the priorities are so backwards it is sick!
@@evensong3356 I wish I had a say in what my government spent money on
It's a horrific job that barely pays over minimum wage, I can't imagine why they can't get enough people.
The job is actually quite rewarding and not every day do you have nightmarish calls
@@jsin2319 A lot of times the idea of rewarding goes out the window as you age and become older and have to support a family and want a good quality of life. I think all of us healthcare workers are getting the shaft in terms of our pay. When I started as a nurse $15yrs ago in the OR I had a bachelor's of science and was getting good pay at $22 an hour...now they pay people to stock at Target about that much! Oh yeah, and I had student loans too despite doing everything to not have them and work my way through school. I would say maybe the trades are a better bet and the working conditions are nicer.
Private ambulance companies and Fire departments taking over ems have ruined the field. The pay and quality of life is too bad. Most people worth their salt will only use EMS as a stepping stone in their medical career.
Not just that FDNY EMS often use the EMS as a way to become a Fire Fighter... FDNY makes it extremely difficult to join the fire department and it's not based on skill rather based on where you live. The FDNY fire men test also have be recalled for be "discriminatory" so as result to at least be apart of the FDNY many end up sign on as an EMT and then taking the firemen test as a promotion which allows you to skip ahead of the line if you where to score low like a 95%.
@Caden Woodward lack of competition breeds abuse and wage theft. Fire departments can’t afford to drastically increase pay unless the city agrees to, thus eliminating the incentive to do so on the lower end of the pipeline. Emts.
@Caden Woodward I beg to differ, some departments have no business being involved with it. It needs to stand on its own two feet with its own leadership. Private services and hybrids need to go away for EMS to thrive. Cities need to make a choice, if you want this service legitimize it and subsidize it.
@cadenwoodward2924if anything, it’s the other way around. You can’t spell problems without EMS
@Caden Woodward did not say anything about patient care and I get that different parts of the country have set things up right. Where I'm from, EMS personnel that is attached to a FD are nothing but a heal. It's two totally different professions, with different cultures and they clash. It's best (in my opinion) that EMS goes its own way.
Maybe if we were paid more, went on less "taxi rides", and dealt with actual emergencies we would have people who actually want to work in this line of work. But when we have to work 24s with overtime, be a taxi driver, and be able to be mentally, verbally, and physically abused it's not too worth it.
it’s worse than taxi driver because we have to do so much lifting. every so often we have to lift obese individuals up a flight of stairs and Ive really messed up my back since working in EMS. i’m pretty sure taxi drivers make more than us too
I’m making $14 and some change as an Emt-B, and I can’t live like this as an adult.
I have to work overnight with $5 extra an hour for half my 12 hour shift. I don’t know how they expect adults to live like this. I have to work 6 days a week to keep up with my bills.
Then hurry up and pay your dues, listen and learn from a paramedic. level up by going to medic school. Stop complaining and start taking action
Medics here make 20ish an hour. It costs about 10k to even get in and then a couple thousand after the fact.. so how do you suggest people go about it? While making $14/hr and working insane hours. With that time she takes away from getting paid should she go do that? Medic school isn’t easy. And the reward is hardly ever worth it.
@@camcam3087 that’s not in the cards for everyone rn. You can’t just suddenly drop work hours or add an incredibly intense school program on top of your already relentless work life. Get off your high horse and stop acting like there’s an easy solution to this crisis that EMTs can just solve overnight.
Also, a good paramedic school is well over $10k and doesn’t always qualify for typical financial aid.
@@henrylarson where are you at that school for paramedic is 12000? I went for just under 7000 total at a career and technology center in Missouri. Most services where I live will pay a portion or even all of it if you sign a contract to work a certain amount of time for them. Class was 2 times a week. The worst part was the 800 clinical hours I had to put in.
McDonalds. Work there. They pay more than $14, at least where I am. Our town McD's starts at $18/hr for opening and closing shifts. At least that's what their signs say.
EMT is by the far the worst job. I’ve been an EMT for a year, hoping to be a firefighter someday. I finally got hired at a fire department as an EMT and they are paying me $15.00 an hour. On top of all of the stuff in the ambulance, we are also the maids of the station - cleaning and cooking, and being completely disrespected for 24 hours straight. We also get drafted due to the lack of EMT’s, sometimes turning into a 72hr shift. I’m about to quit. The entire system is messed up.
@Brian Applegate where is your station located bud?
@@messielchakaloso so you can narc on him and get him fired? Real classy.
damn thats criminal dude. And our job is so much more crucial than flipping burgers
@@corbincavitt635 he might as well have just asked for his badge number lol
@@messielchakaloso lol don't answer that
Emt/paramedics are the basically the nurses/Doctors before the hospital setting, not sure why we are paid this way. Thankfully I am now a firefighter/emt working on getting my medic which will put me around 58k/year. Sad to say the day will come where someone calls an no one is there to respond unfortunately. That’s when the nation will hopefully open its eyes.
Proud of you!! Keep striving!
Sure it’ll put you at 58k but is that at 80/wk? Then it isnt 58k. It is whatever that is at time and a half built into your schedule. So no, you aren’t making more than you were before really - if you take into account work/home life balance. As well, that’s still poverty considering inflation. You’d be better off getting your RN.
@@kerideluca962 no that’s at 40hrs/week sometimes we have mandatory ot (holidays/special community events). Rn is great but I love the time and work atmosphere of being at a station with guys and gals who have similar mindset/goals. It’s not for everyone and money isn’t the biggest thing to me. I find joy in giving people extended time with their family or the hugs after a scene when you know you’ve done a great job. There’s no better payment than that
@@xExquiSiTeYT Oh I remember and agree. Unfortunately my last agency didn't see it like that. But I gave most of my career to an agency that did their very best to take care of us. I don't know what county you work for, but a 40hr/wk is unheard of where I come from. So congrats to you! Cheers!
The video clearly gave the reason- low reimbursement rates. The government ruins everything.
I agree with most comments that will still surface and has surfaced - pay the people what they are worth. When youbare risking your life literally, then you should be compensated fairly.
I just finished school to be an EMT after 15 years of doing suicide intervention for veterans and first responders. In my area, I can start at $14.85 an hour, as well as give up my health, welfare, and many of my civil rights, or I can just go to Walmart in the same town and be a greeter for $15 an hour with the same benefits. With the mental and physical toll this career takes on people, there is no joke in the statement "How much is a life worth? $14.85 an hour...."
Pay them right and maybe we won’t have shortage 🤷♂️
I took a emt class in highschool didn’t go threw with my cert after finding out how much trauma you have to endure for so little pay. I had one of the greatest teachers of my life/greatest people I know and was interested but it’s just not sustainable opportunity. I was making the almost the same money making sandwiches in hs so it just didn’t seem right to go be a emt for a 2 dollar raise.
@@Max-dr5wq I got my license in July, started working, got a few pediatric calls combined with a few close calls, now I have PTSD and a Walmart worker gets more an hour than I do.
I’d rather a shortage of fast food workers than first responders
I'm an Advanced EMT and absolutely love my job. I make $20 an hour. I work three days a week at 24 hour shifts. 12 days total each month. I usually pick up an extra shift or two a month and also get paid bonuses. I make over 100k per year. Yes, do the math.
You're one of the few!
Passed the course, but didn’t pass the national exam on the first try… it honestly it surprises me how hard they made the exam for a minimum wage job that exploits its workers for the amount of work/calls they have to take. On top of it being a very stressful job compared to working as a hospital tech or any other 18/hr job. They should wake up.
Thank you!!! Thats what I was saying!
I’m an EMT and I get paid 12 a hour for 911, the only reason I do this job is for clinical experience for med school. Most young ppl do this job for that type of reason. No reason for ppl to go into this career anymore
True but the problem is there’s not enough EMTs if only relying on those using it as a steppingstone
Just finished with college and officially became a certified EMT a week ago. Couldn’t be more excited to get on an ambulance
Congratulations! Just do your research on the companies you’re interested in. Not all ambulance companies are created equal.
$18/Hr????!! Flippin burgers @ Mcdonalds pays more than that!!
And $18 is pretty good for the industry. I work in the same county as the EMT in the video and make $16.25. My old partner made $15 (min wage) in LA County too.
18? That’s nice. I get paid $15 for being an EMT.
@@JJ-sc5hm That's not a livable wage.
As someone who has worked in this profession for 25 years and is responsible for recruiting and hiring for the agency I work for, this is all absolutely true.
Sad that Canada pays the equivalent of emts very well at least in Ontario. American emts and paramedics deserve better
It’s the same reason they blame biden for high gas prices, more americans need to be educated on how much they’re being exploited by the healthcare industry. We are quite literally allowing companies to set prices on our health.
Making a few cents more than minimum wage as an EMT in Arkansas. We put in 84 hours a week just to make enough to live on. Nearly all of our medics are looking to take the Paramedic bridge to RN program out of EMS or looking into other careers. This field is dying faster than folks realize.
I’m an EMT myself and the healthcare has been in a shortage since just before the pandemic.
We can't pay our EMTs but we have BILLIONS to give away to Ukraine??
all sales final lol
Damn I know after 5 years as FDNY EMT you make 70k a year sometimes even close to 100k or more with promotions
Exactly. Pay us more.
@chinookH47 You want to run back to back calls? You want to maneuver engines and ambulances through city streets? You want to commute an hour+ to work cause half of that would go to rent otherwise. You want to get shot at?
@@wizarddaddy47 I come form a family of firefighters, military and doctors. I know the scarfices involved. I ain't going into this blind. I ain't going to live in NYC I am likely going to live upstate were it's cheaper or I've with my parents and buy property out of state. Obivously I have a plan, everyone joining this type of work needs a plan. I am already a volunteer firefighter too so the hazards that come with the job is just going to b more likely in the FDNY.
Here’s my EMTs/paramedics are on the decline:
-long hours (12+ hour shifts)
-back to back calls without much if a break
-low pay for such a vital line of work
-some patients being rude when EMS is trying to help
-some drivers not getting out of the way
-dangerous areas of work (cities with high crime)
The amount that is charged to do the schooling mixed with the amount you are paid to do the job doesn’t line up.
funny how that works right? price of education rises…. the job they give you wasn’t enough in the first place…… hm good ol capitalism, guarantee all these idiots forget this issue during the next election and put in someone that will not only ignore our current problems but find a way to increase profits.
Hats off to all the EMT’s out there. Keep up the good work! Tough job.
Lol I made $10.50 running a 911 truck as an EMT and my paramedic partner only made $12.50, and we had to work at minimum 72 hours a week to be able to have a decent paycheck. Now since we’re under new management, I make $11.50 now and I still have to get at least 72 hours a week to make a decent wage. And also don’t forget corporate telling supervisors who are in charge of scheduling to cut or rearrange shifts so the company doesn’t have to pay overtime to employees. 👍🏻
The fact that I made more making smoothies is scary
I made $15 an hour at a store like party city.
This is frustrating to hear when I’m EMT certified but 19 years old in Montana and all the nearby hospitals or ambulance services require me to be 21 for insurance reasons (there’s not many). I’ve been trying to get hired for half a year.
Much respect to everyone in EMS-it’s a little appreciated profession but you all do so much as the backbone of the US healthcare system
I took my emt basic at 19 also. Couldn’t get a job due to the age requirement of either 21 or 24 to drive the ambulance.
The only place that would hire 18+ was a private company in New Orleans that gave you the option of a bullet proof vest. I went back to college shortly after.
@@slytido1283 Wow, interesting to hear your similar experience-probably safer to go back to college, lol
you should just work as a medical assistant it’s an easier higher paying job anyway. that’s what I plan to do with my EMT license when I’m no longer in college and waiting to be admitted into a nursing school
@@ghostridersinthesky21 What was the training you had to complete for it? I had planned to transition from an EMT ambulance setting to a medical tech position relatively quickly
@@learningwithlanden that’s another option. There are lots of jobs that take EMTs in place of medical assistants we are better trained than them afterall
As a medical provider in private ems no medicaid barely pays anything. The problem lies with what companies are paying there people and the workload. I'm in a situation where I am a front runner. That means all the 911 calls come to me, all the bariatric calls come to me. At the end of the day i'm exhausted and hurting and what I make isn't worth that pain. I did 911 for quite awhile. In my opinion the 911 Emt's and medics should be paid alot more for what they do bc they put up with more crap than I do. It is not for for people to run their rear ends off for crap calls that people could go to their doctor or urgent care for. 50% call a ambulance just bc they think they'll be seen faster. The EMS system needs to be revamped to where the EMT or MEDIC can make the decision whether the patient needs to go to the ER or could just follow up with there doctor.
I love my job most of the time but EMTs are horribly underpaid for what we do. I don’t think the general public fully recognizes the dangers we face or the importance of the care we provide. Yes there are calls that are glorified uber rides but, aside from those, whether we’re transporting a dialysis patient or doing cpr, that care is NECESSARY for a person’s life and wellbeing. Doctors don’t make house calls anymore.
As for the danger aspect, Spending 10-12 hrs a day in a motor vehicle that sometimes has to cross intersections against the light is going to mean more risk of accidents. Exposure to sick and injured people means exposure to disease. Working in unfamiliar environments means risk of unknown dangers, the environment, aggressive patients/family/pets, etc.
And after ALL that, not only do we get paid like fast food workers, we get called “transport” or “ambulance driver” as if that’s all we are. Oh and we often don’t receive benefits like health insurance.
I love this job and the downsides/risks are just part of the deal, but it can burn you out fast. And I’m fortunate enough to work for one of the better paying companies! If they want more people to do it, fix the pay and benefits situation at a minimum.
We all agree on pay being a big part of it, but community education needs to be, obviously people who aren't in the medical field don't understand what is an actual emergency but we need to educate public on when to call an ambulance and when to drive yourself
EMTs get paid less than fast food workers in most places. My husband was an EMT in 2007 before we became nurses, and he made literally $7.15 an hour in Colorado. I highly doubt that has changed much in most places. Pay them better, and get rid of the ridiculous jab mandates. The jab does not stop transmission, and EMTs/healthcare workers are the most naturally immune in the populace due to constant re-exposure and having already had it. A jab that does not stop transmission means if your workers are jabbed they are not protecting you any more or less by being jabbed. This isn't rocket science, cut taxes, pay people more, treat them with respect, and don't make it more worth a person's time to sit at home on the dole. When these needs have been met folks will work. It is simple human motivation...heck even animals respond accordingly to incentives.
Just graduated emt school almost certified and I'll be making 18/hr in my area although I'm currently working as an ambulance driver only making 10/hr. Overworked and underpaid is the fastest way to destroy an industry. My company is severely understaffed and there's no fixing it in sight
It is definitely a horrible situation for us who work in this field... And now people can get a job at McDonalds at an entry level position making more than EMT's which requires training, certification and continued education to maintain our certification. Not to mention the PTSD than some struggle with due to the many disturbing scenes we have to work and there is very little counseling provided to be able to cope. Very few EMS services offer any benefits at all. Most EMS employees stay because their hearts are truly about serving the people but their finances and home lives suffer tremendously because of it just to make ends meet. I don't see McDonalds workers knee deep in a muddy or snow covered ditch trying to pull someone from a mangled car attempting to save a life all the while trying to protect their own lives from distracted drivers as they are working the scene. The pay rates are an insult to our skill level, as well as to our commitment and dedication to this job and to the people we serve.
I am an EMT 4 years so far when they say they can't pay due to not being reimbursed by the insurance company that is such bull a BLS transport is 500+ and you are paying EMTS 18$ you have the money to pay you are being greedy when the CEO gets a bonus bigger than what someone makes there whole life we have a problem and keep in mind a unit will usually make 8 transports a day on average at 500$ per transport and that if ITS BLS if its ALS 1000+ you can do that math. They can afford to pay i am so sick of these companies blaming someone else for why they can pay more first of all THEY ARE FOR PROFIT, EMS should not be for profit in the first place they should be run by fire departments, not private companies
Emts are definitely underpaid for what they do. I’m an emt student right now because I want to become a firefighter and it’s definitely given me an appreciation for what EMS does.
Many EMTs and medics were fired during the mandatory vaccination campaign. I imagine many more opted not to get the education at all to avoid the vaccination requirement in order to complete their clinical experience in hospital settings.
Stop paying them like a short order cook
It's NOT a lack of candidates it’s the poverty level wages you expect anyone to work for!!! People have to EAT!
Wow this hits personally for me. because it was exactly 7 years doing EMS that I wasn't able to do it anymore because of the bills. I had to leave my field and passion. The only thing I have going for me spiritually is that I kept up all my medical certifications so even though I have a different career in law enforcement now I still fully State EMT certified and stay up to date with all the protocols and do per diem to keep up my skills. But it's unfortunate I can't do it everyday and actually fulfill my calling. 🚨
Well I am in Central Illinois and work for a municipality owned service. After 30 years of service as a paramedic and also teaching EMS classes,(which I did for no extra pay), I finally broke $20 an hour. When there is no one to respond to emergencies maybe something will happen. This appears to be a reactive approach rather than a proactive approach.
Please stop using the term EMT. Learn the difference in prehospital care providers. I’m a Paramedic… 12 years and I still only earn a base of $15 something and my overtime is $22 or $23. It is so bad I’ll be the next to jump ship permanently once something else lines up. The Paramedic shortage should scare us more than the EMT shortage, big difference in scope of practice. We are absolutely sick of the work load along with still not being able to live on our salaries.
Come to Houston man. we start at 25. 911 only.
I find it funny that they keep complaining about the EMTs shortage for the last two years and they absolutely do nothing about it and keep the wages low. I just expect the problem to persist and intensify until they do something about it. I left the field earlier this year and I couldn’t be happier to now be a full-time student working towards a bachelors in something else. I will never return to EMS
Yeah medics can do more, but don't poo poo on EMTs. I'm a medic as well, and at the end of the day 90% of my calls are BLS skills.
@@Medicbobs Where's this?
Basics, Advanced, Paramedics are all EMTs. At least in Texas.
The worst part of it all now, is it does not matter how many take the classes to get pre-hospital certs. We are dropping faster than what programs can push out. Be it burn out, low pay, understaffed, overworked, or the combination of them all, we can't sustain this much longer. Several others at my department have already left for the fast food industry or places like QuikTrip.. better pay, easier hours ect. It's a very real crisis that is on the verge of collapse in certain areas, with others not far behind. We're shutting trucks down daily due to staffing where I'm at, which only taxes us harder and the system with it.
We can’t pay our bills being FF/EMT’s…. Bed bugs, illnesses, violence poor treatment by the hospitals. We work more hours than a normal 9-5 . Now they are cutting back our retirement.
I was an EMT, everyone I knew is just transferring into nurse or firefighter. I did the transition to firefighter and I doubled my pay and halved my work.
1:28, medicare reimburses about $300 per call and calls average 30-90 minutes. They also reimburse $5.29 per mile. Ambulance services are making hand over fist even with medicare reimbursement. And that's not even to speak of the rates they charge private insurance. The issue isn't medicare reimbursements, the issue is profiteering greed plain and simple
Medicare reimbursement has always been a joke. A cardiac arrest which may cost the service upwards to $1500 in meds and equipment alone would only reimburse $500. EMS services backed by municipal government can afford to take these hits and have the tax base absorb the difference. Private ambulances will struggle to exist in areas with Medicare heavy populations and the reason why Fire based or third party EMS will always be paid better
Its not really that simple, a lot of areas don't really have the call volume to be profitable
Made it 2 years in the field. Still keep my license up to date as a fallback. It’s hard to deal with co-workers who burnout due to the mental and emotional trauma you experience. Now add in feeling short changed
$18/hr to be put in high-pressure situations and watch people die or $18/hr to lift boxes in a warehouse? Not a hard choice for me!
Damn must be nice being paid 18 lol
@@IsaacG949 dude I know I make $14 in the Dallas Fort Worth area
I've been an EMT for 3 years. I made $10.50 in my home state and it is insane the amount you have to do for little pay. You deal with so much. Now with the minimum wage rises it is making a loveable wage as a first responder not feasible anymore. I'm halfway through paramedic school and if I'm lucky I would start at $25 and after 2 years I would make almost $40 with differentials and if I become an FTO or anything higher. The system needs to change, or it'll get way way worse
Why work when you can contribute nothing to society as an influencer
20 year paramedic here This has been going on for at least 2 decades since I started. It's not a sudden surprise. I'm willing to bet every service in every county are starving for paramedics nationwide. And it's only going to get worse.
Y’all can give Ukrain billions of dollars so it’s no reason you can’t pay these lifesaving hero’s a livable wage.
They were given $$$ to buy weapons from American companies, so they didn't really keep the $$$.
Shh you're going to upset the war machine
Blaming the government instead of the lobbyists, deregulatory conservative practices, and exploitation of labor laws by corporations. Your can’t even educate yourself on why you’re underpaid but cry as if big government is stealing your paycheck 😢
Idk, maybe pay first responders more? That’s the reason I’m leaving my agency in a few weeks. I’m going to be making 4 dollars more with this new job (routine office position) answering phones and making appointments. Do I want to do it? No. But I’d rather choose this than being worked into the ground for scraps
I am a trained and certified paramedic, I was before I went into the Marine Corps I did my four years got out of the Marine Corps and proceeded to get my license back to go back into my preferred profession, with my old agency and covid kicked off. I had my suspicions on a rush vaccine so I did not want to get it, because of this choice I wound up doing another job and I still cannot get hired with an agency because I refused to get vaccinated and I still refuse to get vaccinated. Part of the reason for your EMS shortage is this. I loved being a paramedic I loved helping my community. but when the chips were down nobody was willing to understand my feelings or suspicions regarding a rushed vaccine, and I was automatically evil and ostracized for this. There are other EMTs and paramedics and nurses just like me, that did not agree with the vaccine and that did not do it and are currently working in other professions because of our feelings regarding this. And also it's common sense that a paper mask or cloth mask will not stop viruses a full cbrn suit would be what you need, viruses can still be absorbed through the skin. I have now had covid a couple of times and I am still alive and kicking and healthy. However I'm hearing people who are athletically in shape who have gotten the vaccine have died from blood clots and various other complications that may or may not be tied to the vaccine. You guys did this to yourself, I was a darn good paramedic and I will gladly do my job, but I'm not going to put myself at a greater risk in order to do that job and I feel the vaccine is a much greater risk than eating healthy exercise and getting plenty of Sun. The couple of times that I had covid I got over it fairly quickly through exercise, liquid IV, and rest.
2020, "Oh our first responders and health professionals are national heroes." 2021 "Do what we say or you are fired." 2022 "Why is there a shortage of health care workers and first responders"
Just registered for an emt course. I plan on using it as a stepping stone to work during college but I definitely don’t see myself staying there for too long
I failed out of emt school, couldn’t keep up with the amount of text book reading required and not to mention the class I took, the instructors didn’t help with any of the work. Also we only had one day of class, SATURDAY. So we would have to read very very lengthy chapters a night if not 2 during the week, to keep up and then have to retain all that knowledge for Saturday. For all those emts out there, you deserve the upmost respect and most importantly you deserve to make enough to be able to provide for yourself and a family. No reason ems provides should be making NO LESS than $22. That should be a bare minimum, if not higher
Go back, do it with someone else. You can do it for sure! BSI!
Low pay.
Rough hours.
High chance of back injury.
Idiot bosses.
Rude/moronic patients.
Having to recertify every 2 years.
Repeat list....
So I'm an EMT-A going through paramedic school. While low pay is a big factor in dropping numbers in my area, another big part, if I could speak for all of us, we don't feel appreciated. How many people say "you guys don't get paid enough to do your job" but yet when voting time comes around, the issue is never brought up? And when it is, everyone is too busy to vote? I'm a county employee, voting is the only way things change for me, and while the public provides a lot of lip service about "we want our public services to have better pay", it never gets brought up.
I don't even mind low pay as long as I want for nothing. If I have facilities where I can work out, get health coverages, dental, maybe insurance through the workplace (which should be a given for those that respond in personal vehicles to begin with) and other benefits, low pay wouldn't be such a big deal. But the job is backbreaking (literally in some cases) and well... no one wants to feel disposable at their job no matter the pay or the duty. So far I have paid over $10k in schooling to just get the medical part done, I don't know why it's so hard to get a return on that.
make ems an essential service like pd and firefighters....
Arkansas FF-EMT here. I make 13.60 an hour, or about 41k a year after all is said and done. But that’s after 56 hour work weeks. Pretty shameful. I just love what I do, but that’s no excuse for me to be paid less then my worth
Low pay. No respect. Long hours. Why be an Emt?
Here’s a quick fix- UP THE PAY.
Just certified as an EMT, this seems like a field with zero issues whatsoever. Filled with cotton candy, sugarcubes, and rainbows. Looking forward to a long career, being well-paid with exactly zero emotional baggage and no experienced trauma that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Not at all, this'll be perfect.
Until you get your first full code
THE PAY IS WAY TOO LOW , HOW CAN PEOPLE PAY RENT, CAR, FOOD, WITH SUCH LOW PAY
If anyone is thinking about being an EMT "it's. great second job". Do not make emt medic a career.
A 20 year paramedic makes the same amount as a new paramedic who just passed his test. Tell me how this makes any sense?????!!!
I think a shift towards making EMS (EMT/Paramedic/EMR) a licensure instead of a certification could help-letting EMTs do "Travel EMS" like nurses have the option of could really help those areas hurting.
Obviously that's not the only issue and it's a temporary fix. I dont know a single EMT that only works 1 job. Every single one of them is also a truck driver, EMT somewhere else, etc. The problem is that the public loves to praise EMS once in a while instead of actually doing anything to change things
I went through an EMT course and unfortunately failed my NREMT (quite literally by a few questions each time) but i'm honestly glad I won't be working as one. The pay is horrifying, the hours are damn near abusive, and when a new Jersey Mike's here in Montana is paying $18/hour starting (as opposed to $15 as an EMT with the local departments) it's obvious why there's a shortage.
Just glad I got some good knowledge of pre-hospital care and an AHA CPR certification out of it.
You made the right decision.
-someone who wishes they never worked in this field
Greed is encouraged within the for profit United States medical industry. Runaway capitalism and sociopaths in power are doing this. Not lazy workers. People are working hard to get by. I’m sick of the blame shifting and gas lighting.
With all the money they charge to ride a gotdaim ambulance they should make at least $42/hr....
$18/hr is high for an EMT nationally! In the Southeast $18/hr can be average for paramedics, which is a higher level. EMTs can be earning $12-14/hr starting here.
I can't imagine making a living in CA and only earning $18/hr! That's gotta be near impossible there with cost of living.
What's happening with my service is that because there's not enough paramedics, they are assigning online training to intermediates and calling it "special skills" to treat patients beyond their normal scope of practice without increase in pay.
Insurance companies need to increase their reimbursement for EMS runs. Medicare and Medicaid included. A lot of these patients we carry we do not collect a dime for.
There are many problems with EMS from the insurance reimbursements, patients calling for just the taxi ride to the hospital, companies paying low wages, and educational requirements for EMTS are too high due to the National registry test. Many students would be great EMTS but can not pass a test that is truly designed to fail them. Instead of a test that exams a students ability to do the job, the tests ask questions that are out of the EMTs scope of practice or just errelevant to the job.
😂😂😂😂 EMT hard 🦍 😂😂😂😂
thats actually scary because i make that much as a hospital courier with only requirements is GED and clean driving record, EMTs are much trained than us so they should be getting paid more
“Rewarding” is another way of saying “ poor pay for dangerous hard labor that will destroy your back”.
This is sad and gross.
I been trying to find a job and everyplace is saying NO.
It's surprisingly low pay considering the difficulty of obtaining this job.
It's just not worth it. I only make a dollar less than her and I'm just an administrative assistant at a pediatric office. She's a whole EMT! She should be making way more than me. She's literally saving lives. 🤦
Got my bachelor degree while working as a paramedic. I amnactivley trying to get out of this job. I work 96 hours a week to survive. Ambulance companies are closing as i write this. Not sure what will happen but I do know paramedic school has be shorten and the requirements to pass have been dumb downed. Sadly this is are future for EMS 😢
I was a volunteer EMT on a small rural service for many years and saved several lives in that capacity. I was unable to find a refresher course near where I lived and was 1 week late in attending that refresher only to be told by the NREMT that my license had been cancelled and that I would need to go through the full EMT course from the beginning in order to be re-licensed. I didn't have the time or interest in doing so, so I ended my EMT career. Too bad, I would still be a volunteer EMT today if this hadn't been the case.
He said it cost them 200 to make a run and they get back 100 but they bill the patient/insurance 800-1500 for the ride?
No EMT/Paramedic shortage exists, there's a shortage of decent wages. Please correct the title.
This is true. If I got paid more and the shift schedules were changed to reflect the increased call volume and work load on crews I would have never left the profession (had almost years in with about 65% as a medic).
Easy fix. Pay more! When ANY EMPLOYER can’t find employees, you’re not realizing that $1,000/hour will create a line for your Human Resources dept., so get to that sweet spot in between the garbage you currently pay and $1k per hour. PAY MORE!
Everyone reach out to your elected officials. Apparently they serve the public and forward them your comments.
This is ridiculous! Can we do something about low pay in ems and get livable wages? Can we pass a bill stating ems is "essential" so we get more funding? Can we pass more bills reforming Medicare and medicaid reimbursement to help our ems system and those working in it?
Why are we working on a daylights savings bill that ISN'T IMPORTANT AT ALL AND START WORKING ON EMS REFORM TOMORROW!
They shouldn't make it so expensive to become an emt as well.
There’s no point In it. You make minimum wage and you can/will get sued by people. So many people abuse the ems system. A good majority don’t even pay for ambulance rides. All it is at the end of the day is a glorified taxi service. It’s not worth it.
Maybe you should pay EMT's more, and stop the long transports, just so you can make money.
Pay them more and the shortage will ease. I’m in 911 dispatch and although I’d prefer being in fire/rescue, just getting started as an EMT is a massive pay cut. I’d have to serve years and get full boat educational experience for paramedic skills before the pay reached the starting dispatch pay. Pay them more.
A single ambulance ride is worth an insane amount of money to the hospital, revenue which the medic crew barely gets a share of.
Oh? You can’t meet demand for a resource? Raise pay.
Maybe people should start to learn why to call 911 and not call 911 for everything people complain about.
Think about this... if $18hr isnt enough for her bills then what makes you think paying less for other jobs is ok? Cost of living expenses have been rising & things need to change. America's most neglected aspect on the people is mental health. If we all had jobs that paid us minimum of $20-$25hr and cost of living lowered... I'm pretty sure that's a good start. Minimum wage isnt $22 over in NY... it's at $15 soon to be raised to $16. This stuff just needs more awareness, that's all.
A big problem is that medicare has us marked as department of transportation and not medical. Years ago the funeral homes transported people in a hearse and it was one person just driving you to the hospital. Now we are trained and heavily tested to make life saving decisions for the people in need. The government has never changed us to medical and until they do the insurance will never pay. If we bill Medicare for a cardiac arrest $1200 they may pay $250 while Medicaid will only pay $100 or so. The problem is Medicare and how they set to bar. All the other insurance companies follow there policies. When the insurance pays the proper amount for our runs then our pay would reflect as such. We need to be changed to medical in Medicares eyes!
Well when any grocery store will pay you more hourly with zero experience compared to an EMT that requires a national exam. You do not have to be that smart to see the problem here
Shoutout to Bell Ambulance for starting at $20 (or more) per hour.