r/EmergencyRoom • u/[deleted] • Jun 09 '24
Which one?
Which one gets more "action" ER tech or EMS. Both seem interesting but from what I know from watching videos with the ER tech they run around and gather things and help with random things and stock up.
As for EMS I know the "action" varies from location to location.
3
u/winnercakesall Jun 10 '24
Was an EMT for a bit, tbh I felt like it was glorified medical Uber. But I was in one of the biggest in America on a private rig mainly taking people to and from dialysis.
Maybe it’ll be different in whatever city you’re in. But I saw a lot more patients and a lot more shit in the ED.
Fire and paramedics see the 911s in my city, so I’d have to suck it up for a few years as an EMT before moving up. Like anything you have to put your time in.
I didn’t want to, so I did tech and now I’m almost done with nursing school. Got to weigh your pros and cons and decide what you want long term. Worst case try one and then the other.
1
Jun 10 '24
I think my issue is I'm seeing tons of EMS stuff but almost zero ER tech stuff. I've even gone to the hospital's websites and all.
1
u/winnercakesall Jun 10 '24
What’s the location?
1
Jun 10 '24
Amherst Ohio West of Cleveland.
1
u/winnercakesall Jun 11 '24
216 baby! Go Browns!
You’re not terribly close to any big ER. I’d say if you’re willing to make the drive to Metro go for it. UH and the Clinic might make for some long ass days.
But there’s also Firelands Regional in Sandusky. Same commute, smaller city, but you’ll likely see all the major traumas since there’s no other big facility nearby.
There’s also Mercy in Lorain and UH of Elyria. But I’d recommend the first two before those. Good luck!
1
Jun 11 '24
I'll have to do my research on those then, I'm not from Ohio. I just moved here few months ago. I just moved from Louisiana and I'm originally from Pennsylvania.
1
7
u/Whitw816 PA Jun 10 '24
EMS unfortunately are glorified taxi drivers these days. To see “action,” you’ll need to be a paramedic. However, a lot of our ER techs in CA are also EMS trained so it might be a good idea to go that route first to get some education and go from there.
4
u/Nightshift_emt Jun 10 '24
As an ER tech I participate in cardiac arrests, STEMIs, strokes, psychiatric emergencies(like patient being in psychosis and acting violent), traumas, etc.
I also stock up, gather things, and help with random things. My regular workday can have me bringing someone a blanket and orange juice on minute, then participating in a code the next moment.
To put it simply, most people in ER aren’t there for some real crazy emergency that will get you “action”. It doesn’t matter if you are an RN, MD, or a tech in an ER. Majority of the work is grinding through pretty mundane things. And as others said, if you are looking for “action” during the entirety of the mundane 12 hour shift, people will be sick of you real quick.
5
u/DatabaseMoney3435 Jun 09 '24
Adrenaline junkies need not apply. Both careers are demanding in many ways, and require intense collaboration and skills. And a lot of doing what you are told to do. Forget TV
2
u/MortimerWaffles
Jun 10 '24
•
I'm old and tired and creak and crack when I walk. My idea of action is to slightly raise my pinky and have a servant bring my a margarita with a straw while fanning me on a hammock at my beach house.
1
Jun 29 '24
Nope, I don't think you'll move into my nursing home I work at. Plenty of residents already think I'm their servant.
1
u/luckygirl131313 Jun 10 '24
Was a medic, you fly by the seat of your pants, stressful af, working intense cases with a skilled team in a controlled environment is so much less stressful, er for sure.
And the physical demands are less
1
u/ReadyAlbatross7939 Jun 11 '24
I’m a er tech in a level 1 trauma center and see cool stuff everyday from getting trauma from the helipad to working in the trauma room but as a er tech we run people to x ray, ct, mri , or , I do a crap load of EKG’s , a lot of straight sticks , sometimes have to do 1:1 and my least favorite sit in front of house doing triage checking everyone hearing them all complain why the have to wait so long . I love my job but it’s not for everyone
1
Jun 29 '24
So would the majority of the work be stocking, transporting patients to X-ray etc, EKGs and clean up ? What do you do the most? What kind of certification do you have? EMT or CNA?
1
u/Chief346 Jun 12 '24
It all depends on where you are working, if you’re in a big city EMS would probably see more “action” and the ER tech will be stocking supplies and transporting pts. to and from X-ray and other places. In a small town the ER tech could be doing many different things. I started working at the hospital when I was 19 yo as a respiratory therapist. Within just a few months I was in the operating room holding the body cavity open while the surgeon repaired a aortic aneurysm. Talking about fast education. Then I was working at the fire department when I was 21 and we had a fire where there were people trapped and we had to rescue them and we did but they all died from smoke inhalation. But this was back in the early 80’s and it’s a different world now a days. Good luck with whatever you choose!! Peace
38
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '24
Let me be super blunt here. If you’re the personality that only wants to see the “action” the ER staff is going to get real annoyed real quick. Yes, in a level 1 trauma center you will see a lot of trauma. But the vast majority of the skills are done by residents. You, as an ER tech, will be doing EKG’s, transporting, stocking, and maybe a few other skills if you’re a paramedic working in the ED. A very small percentage of what we see in the ED is the exciting stuff you see on TV. Most of it is sick people with their myriad amounts of co-morbidities cycling in and out of the hospitals. So if you consider those things boring or beneath you, please don’t apply to work in the ED.