Guest Editorial: Medics Needed

Wanted: Paramedics and EMTs. Applicants must have state and national certification. Expect long hours away from family. Pay is probably less than what McDonald's pays, and the benefits are average at best. Your safety is of utmost importance, but as in life, the environment can't always be controlled. You will be subjected to the worst society has to offer and exposed to diseases that can end your career and bring your life to a slow and painful death. Alternatively, your life may be taken because someone wants to shave two minutes off their travel time and speeds through your accident scene. You will not receive hazard pay. But wait: You will make the difference between life and death! You will be the one to administer that lifesaving breath into a dying person's lungs, pump oxygen-carrying blood to vital organs, and administer medications that will continue the circle of life! The job is also challenging and ever-changing, so apply now!

I wish I had read the above ad before signing up! Like most medics, I don't mind getting up at 3 a.m. after 20 minutes of sleep to drive through the worst weather imaginable to rescue a trapped family from a wreck; however, I might feel differently about the routine response to a frequent flyer for another "emergency" at 3 a.m. Most medics get into EMS expecting lights and sirens, trauma and blood! Reality check! Your training is good for less than 10% of calls, and the times you actually make a difference between life and death is closer to 1%. At this point, some of you are saying, "If you don't like your job in EMS, do something else."

To be honest, I do love my job. That's why I trained to become a paramedic. That's why I commit to countless hours of continuing education every year, not only to keep my license up, but to enhance my knowledge base and skills. And I don't even mind getting up at 3 a.m. for the less-than-glamorous calls. I do this job because I love it, as do most medics. But how long are medics going to keep working just because they love their job?

The Burnout Business

Several of my fellow medics who came into EMS when I did have hit "burnout" in just four short years, and many have moved completely out of the industry. Most of the "burnouts" were attributed to low pay and long hours away from their family, not because of what they saw and did. Some simply grew tired of the misuse and abuse of ambulance services.

Clearly, EMS providers are a critical link in the chain of medical professionals. In the last few years, however, there has been a growing shortage of medics across the nation. Recently, this shortage has been called a crisis affecting rural and urban systems alike. In an article in the Huntsville Times, staff writer Wendy Reeves pointed out that the paramedic shortage may continue unless pay rises along with the new education requirements.1 The article quotes Mike Coakley, director of the Alabama Fire College EMS program, saying, "Things are about to get tight." His contract recently expired due to a "great reduction in enrollment" for the program he had worked with for 10 years. As reported, the remainder of the permanent staff were dismissed, and part-time instructors are now teaching courses. According to the Alabama State Department of Public Health, Alabama had 312 paramedic graduates during the 2001-02 school year. Coakley said the Fire College alone had 1,000 EMS students five years ago.

Got Medics?

Why are we seeing a shortage of medics? It could be due in part to low pay, coupled with poor benefits and long hours. It may be that people are finally asking, "Why am I doing this when the demands are increasing and the rewards are not improving?" Due to the nursing shortage, many medics are moving into the emergency department for higher pay. Bre Jones of the Bradenton Herald quotes John Gosford, a medical healthcare program analyst for the Florida Department of Health, saying, "In Florida, we have about 39,000 certified EMTs and paramedics. Of that, only about 20,000 work for ambulance services. The rest are in emergency rooms and doctors' offices."2 In the same article, Lt. Larry Leinhauser, a spokesman for Manatee County EMS, says, "We used to have waiting lists of people who wanted to work for us. It used to be so hard to get a job here. Now, we are trying to fill positions."