Is "Paramedic" a good career? Will I have enough time for my family?

Question

I already know the degree process for EMT-P. If u r a paramedic, PLEASE, describe ur career.

Answer 1

Well, it really depends on who you work for. I work at a private ambulance service, and I work a 24 on/48 off schedule (yup, this is the schedule of most ambulance services, whether private, fire based, hospital based, or third service based). There's usually the option of working 8, 10, or 12 hour shifts, too, depending on the individual company.

I'm not going to lie to you. It's hard, back breaking, and emotionally intensive work, and the pay isn't nearly what you would expect for the amount of responsibility involved. It's a challenge to raise a family on a paramedic's wages, but many people do it (and lots of them take a part time job or overtime shifts to make it possible).

However, this is the most rewarding career I've ever done. There's also a lot of atonomy in being a paramedic. While I have a supervisor back at headquarters, a med control doctor at the hospital to answer to, and written protocols to follow, in the end it's up to my clinical judgement to make the right decisions for the patient, and there's no one standing over my shoulder at scene to tell me whether it's right or wrong. That's why it's really important to know your stuff, inside and out.

When you're not out running calls, or doing chores at base, your time is pretty much your own with most private ambulance services. You're usually free to nap, catch up on reading, or surf the internet when not busy. Fire based services and hospital based services are usually more strict, though.

Here's a quick rundown of the different employers of paramedics:

You've got private ambulance services (AMR, Rural/Metro, Acadian, etc). These are for-profit services. Most of them have contracts to run 911 calls in the city they work in, but some of them just do nursing home transfers and such. The pay is usually on the lower end of the scale, unfortunately.

Then there are hospital based services. Basically, the ambulance is just another division of that hospital. They can transport to any hospital in the area, but usually prefer to transport back to their sponsoring hospital. When you're not b busy running calls, you are usually expected to help out in the ER. The pay tends to be a bit higher then private services.

There's also fire based services. Usually you will be cross trained as both a medic and a firefighter. You usually have to meet the fire department's strict fitness standards. The pay is generally the highest around, but you also have to respond to fire calls, and rotate between the fire truck and the ambulance.

There's also municipality based services (where the ambulance is just another division, like the police and fire departments), volunteer departments (sometimes, these do pay!), flight medic positions (the most coveted jobs in EMS), and offshore drilling medic positions (fantastic pay, but horrible schedule - 14 days on, and 14 days off). Paramedics can also be hired to work as ER techs, if they want a more "normal" schedule, and less heavy lifting.

Basically, if you want to be a paramedic, there's probably a position out there somewhere that will suit you and your schedule. It's a very hard job, but also very rewarding, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Answer 2

I am a CCEMTP (Critical Care Paramedic). I am still liscensed, but no longer actively working in EMS.

I started my career working for a county on a 24/48 shift. This left plenty of time, but the money wasn't great. I wound up having to get a second job at a private ambulance company and work there on my days off.

I eventually left the county and went to work full time for the private service. I worked everyday - no more 24/48's. And the money was much better. There were also "perks" as the company I worked for provided EMS for the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Motor Speedway, The Atlanta Hawks, Thrashers, and any concert that came to town. There were also much better opportunities for advancement working for the private service. When I "retired" I was the Field Operations Supervisor.

Is it a good career? Yes and No. Regardless of where you go to work, you aren't going to have a whole lot of spare time. Most all the people who work 24/48's usually have to get a second job. Also, there is always the risk of burning out - which was why I retired from EMS. The emotional and physical toll that EMS takes on you is a heavy burden. And it will start to wear you down.

On the upside of things, there is quite a bit of job security in EMS because so few people want to pursue it.

I loved my time on the ambulance and I wouldn't trade it for the world. But at this point in my life, my family is my priority.

Best of luck and I hope this helps!

Answer 3

A lot depends on what type of system you work for.

Private ambulance services usually only work 8-12 hour shifts. Fire department EMS systems work 24 hour shifts.

Both have their benefits and drawbacks.

I did 18 years in a fire department EMS system. Sure I was away from my family for 24 hours at a time, but then I had a lot of time off.

Answer 4

It's a good career to be in depending in what area of the country and size of the city you are in. They usually work several 12 hour shifts in a row and then have several days off. It also depends on what shift you work. If you work nights, it is harder to have a "normal" family life than if you worked days