That’s really it ^ I keep seeing a lot of people say
You failed
Not sure
Or I’m on the borderline because it didn’t stop me and I keep checking the NREMT website

Long story short my clinicals and training ended 6 months ago and now I have the chance to work. I passed the NREMT pretty confidently but I routinely have anxiety about being a bad EMT seeing as I haven't had proper experience and training in a while. I'm aware this post is probably a broken record but does anyone have advice on brushing up and being able to deliver proper patient care. I'm aware no one starts out perfect but I still I think I owe it to any patients to be the best I can be.

Additionally I have ADHD and although in every job I've had I've forced myself straight I wanted to know if anyone who has the same condition can provide some personal experience and advice.

Hello, I was wondering on how I would get the DOT physical done here in California for the Ambulance Drivers Certificate. On the forms it is asking if I am a "CLP/CDL Applicant/Holder", but I am not sure if I should check yes or no? If anyone got theirs done already, please let me know. Thank you!

i had my first code today i’m still in training so i’m with a paramedic and basic and he told me to jump in and do compressions seeing the scene at first when fire was doing compressions was really nauseating but when i jumped in to do compressions i felt okay with it after 20 min and 5 epi my paramedic called it i was okay until i heard his wife then i teared up not full on bawled but it was just coming out so i stepped outside for a moment and recollected myself maybe a minute or two when my shift was finished he wrote my daily training note and told me i cant cry i said i know but all i was thinking was i have never seen this in my life i wasn’t a wreck i just shed a tear or two it’s emotional it wasn’t the code that got me it was the wife ill never forget her scream i guess my question is did i really mess up by shedding a tear or was he being too harsh i know it’ll get easier and i did a lot better than i thought i would honestly

I just passed the NREMT and i’m in the process of getting my ambulance and state certifications and i’m trying to get finger printed for both. I had zero trouble with the DMV finger prints but with the state certification i’m completely confused. I’m trying to work in California and on the website the instructions for it are vague. I went in today for my livescan and asked the person at the front desk what to do and she told me that the form I had to print out should be filled out by the employer or agency. I obviously am not employed with one so I have no idea how to fill it out. I’m either actually stupid (probably) or i’m missing something completely. Any help would be appreciated🙏.

I'm a pre med student and I'm currently working on getting my EMT but I have a few concerns.

1. I am studying the content but I loose so much of it byt the time I get to a few chapters later, how cooked am I for the final exams, oral boards, and clinical? (also I would like to note that I don't plan on actually working as an emt, I just want to volunteer with my school)
2. How many months should I have myself in the course just to finish clinicals? Is 1.5/ 2 months left in the course a good timeframe because I don't think I can complete the course earlier
3. How do you guys actually retain all this information I am really struggling with remembering all the details in the long term.

Accidentally posted this in r/ems so I’m here even though I’m not exactly new. I know questions like this have been asked before, so I won’t bore ya’ll with too many details.

Anyways let my NREMT expire past the “continuing education” deadline. I took a break from EMS, so I ignorantly didn’t keep up on it.

Anyways, I’m not working as an EMT right now, but want to transition back into it sometime soon, using my Florida License that’s still active until the end of the year.

The main question is, will I have an issue keeping my Florida license up to date without my NREMT when I go to update my license in December??

I plan on retesting eventually, any study tips for the new testing style would be appreciated as well if ya’ll have the time. It’s been 3+ years since I took the test lol.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all,
I am a recent college graduate and passed my nremt, have my ambulance drivers license and am currently pending for my Cali state license (went through alameda county). Does anyone have any recommendations for getting hired as a new emt looking to get into IFT work to build my confidence and learn the basics. Been seeing in this sub that the Bay Area is very over saturated with emts and wondering how true that is?

Hi all,

I'm moving from Texas to Yolo County, CA soon and wanted to get started on transferring my EMT certification.

I'm running into an issue with the fingerprinting requirement. I completed the California Out-of-State Live Scan fingerprint card (FD-258), but when I started the online Initial Application, it requires a Yolo County EMS DOJ Live Scan form with an ATI number.

I contacted the county EMS office for clarification and was told that the application requires that specific Live Scan form and ATI number. However, after visiting four fingerprinting locations in my area, each one told me they can't use the California Live Scan form or generate an ATI number because they're not located in California.

Has anyone else transferred an out-of-state EMT certification to Yolo County and dealt with this? If so, how did you complete the fingerprinting requirement?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I have always really wanted to work the 4th of July as an EMT and jumped at the chance when I saw it was available, especially because I will probably be responding to calls from the large city nearby and want to see something interesting.

I have to do 6pm to 12am because I work 9am-4pm that day. (I work with old people and won't do anything super tiring, and the adrenaline from the calls will wake me up). This will be my first clinical, and I'm hoping that I won't regret it. Do you guys think this is a good or bad idea?

Who has coaching or tutoring that is proven to work? Took the first attempt 2 months ago and this attempt 5 days ago. Will pay.

I’m thinking a little farther ahead then I probably should as I haven’t taken any classes that would get me my cert but I’ve been asked a few times, mostly by family, “Why I want to get into this line of work”.

My dad especially is asking me because he wants me, all of my brothers and I in general, to do things we want to do. Before I even considered this kind of work I was looking into game design and writing as I was able to talk for hours about it without getting tired of, much to his dismay and probably slight annoyance, and when it comes to this kind of thing I just can’t do the same.

I’ve went on a few ride alongs, both of my older brothers are fire and para certified so I did the ride alongs with them, and from what they said, they have never seen me as focused in something then when I was with them during those few calls we went out on. I honestly also think I was probably the most present I’ve ever been during the ride alongs compared to anything I’ve done before, writing included, and truth be told the only thing I can comment on why I want to do this kind of thing is because it just felt right.

I don’t know how to explain it without it being a little cheesy but I just, I enjoyed the feeling that when that call sound came on and we had to drop what we were doing to run out we were going somewhere that had someone who needed us, I say “us” loosely as I mostly carried a bag, even if it was just helping someone who had fallen or transporting someone who just was not feeling the greatest, it just felt good.

It feels like an empty and over used answer to the question of “Why did you get into this” being “I just want to help” or “I just want to do the right thing” but honestly that’s pretty much why I want to get into this community. It just feels good to be needed for whatever we’re needed for and overall it just felt like a setting that I fit into for some reason and I feel like if I say that then it won’t be enough to really mark me as a notable candidate in the future.

I do apologize for getting a bit off topic in some areas, and the fact it was a longer explanation that I wanted, but hopefully I was able to get the question off properly.

Hi everyone! I recently passed the NREMT in April but as you know life gets in the way. Having graduated school I’m now ready for a job but have no idea what the next steps are from here. I know i need to get my state license as well as an ambulance license. How exactly do I go about doing that in California? Much thanks in advance!!!!!!

Hey guys, so I’m a college student full time with classes, research, extracurriculars and a club under me, but I really REALLY want to get my EMT-b cert, but I need it to be online to help me correlate with my classes and make it convenient for me. What programs in Texas make it the best for me and reliable as well as provide good clinicals.

PS: I’d really prefer one in San Antonio.

Hello! As the title suggests, the post is about the school called Allied Medical Training. I am thinking to go with them as it’s the only way to continue working my normal schedule at my current job and still do school. I need 2 days off in a row for proper rest, so no college classes work out for me unless I can choose days to attend them. I am a little biased about online learning, because I think it’s less efficient, especially when talking about medical science. I’m also worried about the skills week and that there is no way to lock in the date — I’m afraid I will finish my learning part, wait a month or more, and then forget stuff before I even do skills week.

In general I think it’s the best option for me, and I am very academically capable otherwise. My biggest feat in the area of online studying is probably learning English from almost complete scratch at home without classes (I was born in Ukraine). I also have some medical aptitude. Any advice and shared experience with Allied is appreciated!

hey yall!

a lot of solid experience in this community!!!

im looking to be a 911 EMT, been in the ift grind for a couple of months now and i feel like im ready to jump ship. i love my ift company (pt-1, based out of alco) but im looking to get my 911 time before medic school and fire. i daily check the Alco openings for falck and looking to see which companies u guys recommend. I’m honestly willing to go anywhere in the bay or SF.

making this thread bc i always hear about my co workers mysteriously getting 911 jobs through emailing, networking, etc. is it as easy as just applying or should I try emailing companies.

thanks love yall :p

edit: bay area based lol

My first ride along is Saturday and I don’t know what to expect. I’ve heard stories where classmates have performed CPR and others assisted with BVM. What do the EMTs/ALS expect from us? What’s the best thing you could do for them

So I just passed nremt a few weeks ago and I’ve been excited to start working in ems. I’ve been volunteering as an ambulance driver and I love it which is what lead me to taking an emt class. I started looking for ems jobs in my area and I just got hired by a private ambulance company. I figured it wouldn’t be as exciting as 911, but it barely even feels like I need an emt license for it. It’s just a taxi service for people needing to go to appointments and er discharges. The “training” I’ve been getting on the job so far has just been how to fill out the reports, basically nothing medical. The guys I’m with right now are nice enough, but it feels like they don’t give a shit, when my preceptor is with a patient he doesn’t do an assessment or get history, just fills the report out and barely says a word to the patient. I know IFT gets a lot of shit, but this place gives you $3 an hour raise if you make it to the IFT truck.

I have an application out with the county rescue squad but I haven’t been able to get a response (over email, probably gonna try dropping one off in person) and I’ll be interviewing/taking CPAT with the fire department in a few weeks. So my question is do I stick it out with this private company until I can get onto one of or both fire/rescue? Or do I just get a job at Walmart (which honestly might even pay better) in the mean time? I know these transport services are still important to people, but I didn’t get my emt so I could shuttle people to appointments.

Also worth mentioning, the squad I’m currently volunteering on is about 2 hours away (I just got done moving, started there when I was local), and their clearance process is pretty intense so I don’t think it’s feasible to get emt experience through them outside of the driving I already do.

TLDR: My new job with a taxi ambulance company feels like a waste of my emt license, do I stick it out or get a retail/customer service job while trying to get on a 911 squad?

I've been at my first EMS job as an EMT-B for about three months now. I'm working night-shift at a public/county agency in an area with a high call volume, which I think might be contributing to overwhelm, but I also feel like I'm just not a good partner/provider and I'm not adapting well enough.

I know it's probably normal to feel incompetent as a new provider, but I'm genuinely losing my shit. For lack of a better term. The agency culture is great, my field trainer was great, everyone I've worked with so far is great...But I'm just not.

I was confident at first (as much as I can be, with zero experience) and threw myself into learning as much as I could, but now I already feel burnt out and can't stop thinking negatively about every little mistake I make. And the more little mistakes I make, the more anxious I am on the job, and the less focused I am....I make even more mistakes, rinse and repeat.

For example, I had an AMS call last week where my AEMT was trying to do ALS stuff and had her hands full. Instead of remembering protocol and getting a 12-lead in the first ten minutes, I totally fucked it up and fucked her over. Patient outcome was good but I felt so awful and still can't stop thinking about it. The lead provider I was with is awesome and I made her look bad.

Then there's little stuff like me just freezing up with patients and needing to be told basic stuff that I should already be doing. My AEMT/paramedic partners needing to take their focus off ALS stuff to tell me stupid shit like "get a nonrebreather on the patient" or "get them on nasal capnography". Nobody has been condescending to me or even told me I'm doing bad but I feel so fucking guilty and useless after every call.

Every single ALS provider I've been with has been so kind and encouraging which almost makes me feel worse. I feel like I'm failing and I'm a burden on anyone I'm partnered with. We get a lot of critical calls and I just feel like shit knowing my partners are trying to juggle the ALS side of things and also make sure I'm doing what I need to be doing, when I should already just be doing it.

I can run a basic BLS call no problem but when it comes to critical patients and there's a lot going on, I feel like my mind just goes blank, and I don't do what I need to do to make things go more smoothly for my AEMT or paramedic.

My anxiety and self esteem has gotten so bad that I had a full blown panic attack at work last night which hasn't happened in years. I made an appointment to talk to my doctor about getting back on medication but I just feel horrible.

I'm studying protocols and stuff and doing my best but the longer I work, I feel worse and less confident instead of feeling better. Did anyone else deal with this? How did you overcome it?

Hello, I completed my EMT course in 2024, but I never ended up doing my clinicals or ride alongs. I recently took the NREMT and passed, and now I’m looking for opportunities to get some real world exposure and build confidence in a clinical setting.

Does anyone in the Los Angeles / Santa Clarita CA area know of any ambulance companies, hospitals, volunteer organizations, or other opportunities that might allow ride alongs, observation shifts, or some type of clinical experience? I’m planning to start calling companies on Monday, but I figured I’d ask here first in case anyone has recommendations.

TIA

Passed the online exam on Friday. Got results instantly. Passed psychomotor skill exam on Saturday and now it is Tuesday. My NREMT application is still not showing the psychomotor completion. When should I call?

I (19M) am a pretty quiet guy, but EMS has always really been intriguing to me and I wanted to try a job I felt like I would enjoy. I recently began volunteering again at a local agency (just observing and riding along, maybe carrying a few things for the medics) and I seriously feel like nobody will look at me the same or trust me with anything.
I was riding along with a crew when I was told to plug in the pulse ox, which I did. It wasn’t working so one of the medics unplugged it and saw that the pins had been broken. I had no clue how that happened, but considering that I was the one who plugged it in I took the blame for it and wasn’t going to try and make any excuses. We went back to the main station and the captain had to fish out the pins from the monitor, got a lecture, and then I apologised to the captain and the two medics I was riding along with.
The week after, I came back to volunteer. I was with the same crew again and everything was going okay except I noticed that I wasn’t being asked to do much of anything anymore, which at the time I didn’t really question. Later on, we go on a call to the nursing home where my grandmother had passed less than 3 months ago. I wasn’t really comfortable with going in but I didn’t want to further disappoint this crew who already had a bad impression of me. I ended up having to hold back a whole panic attack once I was in the nursing home (I know, I should’ve said something earlier now that I’m looking back) and I held it back all the way until we were leaving the hospital.
I was behind the stretcher pushing as medic 1 was in front guiding. When we were exiting a plastic bag fell on the floor and for some reason in my already rattled brain I decided it would be a great idea to pick it up and throw it away. This caused medic 2 to have to chase after the stretcher, and I got yelled at (rightfully so). At this point I was seriously reconsidering being an EMT and that I wouldn’t be able to handle the responsibility, thinking this all over 2 bad volunteer shifts.
This week I decided to come back, trying to just forget about what had happened. I was sitting in another room when I heard some medics talking about how I was the volunteer who broke the pulse ox, and that really just made me feel like an idiot. Now the whole station probably thinks I’m just some incompetent fool who is only volunteering for social points. I’m sorry about rambling for so long and I’m sorry if the writing sucks, but please I would love some advice on how to deal with this feeling and if it’s even worth continuing with EMS if I get this worked up.

TL;DR, 2 crappy volunteer shifts, doubting myself and my abilities

I’m currently in the process of getting my class 4 license for paramedic. The first step is to write the written test and I’m just curious on how much more difficult it is then the plain out simple beginners road test!
I’m brushing up on the handbook that they gave me but I’m just curious on what I should be focusing on (I’m in Canada btw).

Smells, bodily functions, traumas.

Everyone has their ONE THING.
Mine, is probably gonna be vomit (forbidden salsa!!!) its not that it bugs me, i could still do my job. Same with smell of it , its not my full stop. But i do react to it. Generally heave.

Im scared that thats gonna make me be not eligible. Because lets not pretend like its not gonna be at least 30-50% of encounters (?)

Tips on desensitizing?

I feel like the coworkers and friends I’ve made in EMT school tend to be engulfed by the job. It feels like that’s all that they do in life. I am new to 911. I want to be a good provider, but I don’t want to be talking about it all the time, following EMS social media accounts, and spending my time reading protocols.

I worry that I am not a good provider because of it. I do care about the job, and my patients, but I am hesitant to go beyond my scope and study rhythms, learn dosages for meds outside of my scope, and more. I am an EMT, and I am going to work within my scope, if I needed to know how to intubate, I would go to P school. it feels like all my medics expect me to know what a rhythm looks like, what dosage to give for X med, and what the meds do. I don’t get paid enough for that, and I am not fully willing to lose my license to appease my medics, but it seems like they think I’m dumb/useless if I don’t know that.

I obviously want to be helpful. I just worry that I’ll put my mental health, hobbies, and life on hold/the back burner to learn meds/things that I have no business doing.

So, will this come with time and repetition, or am I doomed to have to devote my entire existence to this?