I have a few friends I consider extended family. One of them in particular feels like a brother from another mother. We have a similar taste for good food and sarcasm mixed with snark. And like me, he doesn't do EMS full-time. He's not paid … [Continue reading]
What Does A Paramedic Need To Know?
Posted on May 12, 2022 Written by
When I was still a relatively new paramedic, I took an EMS instructor class. My instructor had also taught my paramedic course. While I've forgotten a lot about drafting lesson plans (which I think may be the educational version of nursing care … [Continue reading]
FirstNet Fails
Posted on February 9, 2022 Written by
Anyone who knows me well knows that, outside of my passion for volunteer EMS, I also enjoy good food and sharing my opinions about good (and bad) food with reviews. And more than a few of you know that the job that actually pays my bills is … [Continue reading]
EMS Week Thoughts
Posted on May 23, 2021 Written by
Over the last week, which happened to be EMS Week, I tried to do a Facebook post each day with my thoughts on EMS for EMS Week. Here's that collection for y'all... Sunday, May 16 Happy EMS Week to my EMS friends and extended family.To those of … [Continue reading]
EMS – Starting From Scratch
Posted on February 25, 2021 Written by
Right now, there's some controversy in Texas EMS circles over a pilot program to combine EMT and paramedic education into a single program where an entry level student wouldn't need to be an EMT before entering paramedic education. I am cautiously … [Continue reading]
The Right EMS Degree
Posted on December 21, 2020 Written by
Because I haven't thrown out any EMS dynamite in a while, here we go... I oppose the idea of a mandated associates degree for paramedics. Much of what it will do is to guarantee a monopoly to community college programs. These programs are often … [Continue reading]
The Lawyer Says Enough
Posted on October 12, 2020 Written by
Many of you who know me, whether in person or via social media, know that I complain about people expecting free legal advice. Between you, me, and the fencepost, I've actually done quite a bit over the years for the EMS world, whether it's for … [Continue reading]
Where EMS and education collide
Posted on October 10, 2020 Written by
This morning, I read an article with great interest about our local EMS system using a physician assistant who's also a paramedic to provide enhanced EMS care -- both for acute patients and to divert non-acute patients from the emergency room. The … [Continue reading]
EMS Education — Some Easy Places To Start
Posted on July 10, 2020 Written by
Right now, EMS is being asked to step up its game and take on more of a role in healthcare. Even before we knew about COVID-19, EMS was being asked to do more in terms of reducing repeat patients and finding alternatives to the "you call, we haul" … [Continue reading]
A Solution to EMS Stagnation?
Posted on June 23, 2020 Written by
As I look at EMS's stagnation in comparison to nursing, I have a thought. Nursing has made it where a Registered Nurse is the minimum level of entry to almost any acute care role -- and where an associate's degree is the minimum education level at … [Continue reading]
