Monday, June 28, 2010

Yay! Comments!

Side note: I am and will address comments in a post fashion. I want to be able to bring attention to the comments/questions, and be able to give a well thought out and appropriate answer/response. Keep the comments coming! Thank you!


Murphquake: I looked into going to NYC before I moved where I did. They do not honor the NREMT other than not making you go through your Paramedic class. I would have had to take a 3 month program, then jump through even more hoops just to possibly get a job there. The sad part is, at least the way it was described to me by your EMS council, was that after I took all those classes, I'd have to live in NY for at least 3 months before I could apply for a job. Needless to say, I wasn't going to move somewhere where, even after jumping through the hoops, I wasn't guarenteed employment. Homie don't play that game.

The Happy Medic: Tell AD I said hello and thank you for stopping by. I have to agree with you, but at the same time, the NR sucks people in by telling them that this craziness won't happen if they take the test. I probably still would have gotten my NR in any case...don't feel like going through medic class again, but I would have been better prepared if I would've known what each state requires past the NR. A lot of people in my class have experienced the same thing. In the state where I'm from, you don't need the NR; you have to take it just out of Medic School to satisfy being accredited through the NR, but you don't have to stay NR to work. Most other states, except Ohio, which is where the NR is based out of, make you take a crap ton of exams and other tests/interviews even before anything else happens.

Lizzie: As far as my research has shown, most states accept the registry, but still make you go through classes/tests before you can practice. Some locations have border state resciprocity that would allow you to transfer over just because of the state you lived in. Problem with that is, it usually comes down to the bordering counties, the ones that touch the other state directly. Ohio is one of the states that I can speak of because of direct knowledge, that transfers the NR easily. You take a simple protocol test; they have some drugs that most states don't, and that's it. West Virginia is another one. I could've moved to WV and all I had to do was sign on with a service, send in a form asking for WV numbers, and within a few days, would've been a WV Medic, few questions asked.

All in all, the system as a whole is flawed. I believe that, for a state to say they conform to the NR, they should grant licensure/certification with minimal hoops to jump through. I am understanding of a protocol exam; not knocking that from ANY state. I can even see a skills review. Coming from a state that does not allow surgical crichothyroidotomies, moving to one that does, I am understanding of sitting down with a Command Physician to show them that I am proficient in that skill.

But telling a Paramedic who has worked their ass off for a year, in upwards of three or four, that to even apply for a job, they have to jump through more hoops than Shamu at Sea World is ridiculous. If the NR is to continue, I believe they need to mandate some serious changes across the board. My thought is; if you as a state want to continue to be in the NR, then they must create a written protocol test and/or a practical exam, and that is the only test used for incomming medics and EMT's. If not, then they can do all the frivolous testing they want, but they can't require someone to be Nationally Registered if they are not going to accept it for all it's worth.

Thank you everyone for your comments! I believe that, the only way to make positive changes in our chosen profession is to have dialogues like this, to fuel ideas and create new ones. I'm glad you all have stopped by my little slice of paradise, and I can't wait to hear more from you! You guys were wonderful! Thank you to Lizzie, The Happy Medic, and Murphquake for your wonderful comments!

Have fun and Be Safe!

4 comments:

  1. Yay! Someone who responds to comments!

    Thanks for answering my questions and helping me understand how your system works.

    P.S. I don't have you linked on my blog yet, but I promise I'll have it up in the next few days. I look forward to reading your posts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What type of interractive blogger would I be if I didn't respond to comments? To keep the blog rolling, I need to make sure the readers are enthralled. Thanks again for your awesome comments!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey,
    I just found your blog, and I am actually in the middle of moving from one state to another, so am dealing with this right now... I am an EMT-B and have national registry, and to get EMT-B for the state I used to live in, all I needed to do was submit my NREMT-B papers. Now my new state doesn't recognize NREMT-B, but they do recognize my old state, so for them all I have to do is submit proof of certification from my old state (which I used national to get in the first place!)... the system is so backwards! Hopefully your certification transfers soon!

    ReplyDelete
  4. But telling a Paramedic who has worked their ass off for a year, in upwards of three or four, that to even apply for a job, they have to jump through more hoops than Shamu at Sea World is ridiculous.

    I love you. That's the greatest comment on reciprocity EVER. That's so good that Ambulance Driver will probably steal it. :)

    ReplyDelete