Ambulance service

[incognito]

Is anyone here involved with Australian ambulance service or a service that works directly with them? If so I would love to have a chat I've just started as a volunteer ambo driver (completing my 4 month training end of the month before I can go on active duty) and am seriously considering a career with them, if things work out they will put me in for a traineeship (paid). Just wondering if any plant heads could share their experiences with me?

[incognito]

The way it's been explained is that if I take on a traineeship after 6 months voluntary I will be a better ambo than someone straight out of uni, minus the expense of a paramedics degree.

It's all rather exciting I guess I'm a bit wary of the mental scaring that will occur when fade with children in pain and worse. I guess I'll see if I'm cut out for it through my volunteering, most ambos I speak to love the job, though I guess they are the only ones who would last. So.. Any paramedics or ex paramedics here?

[paradesend]

I'm not an ambo but thinking of the same thing, leaving a high paying corporate job behind that just sucks too much of my time/life. I like the idea of constantly learning to improve the craft and helping people out. I'm in rural WA so we have a volunteer thing too.

[FancyPants]

No experience other than being the one in the ambo a few times, but good luck and I hope you find that it's something you enjoy and be rewarded from :D I'm looking into volunteering for Lifeline soonish and I have a helluva lot of self-doubt about being able to handle that kind of shit too.

[incognito]

That's cool parasend, it's a back door way in if u live rural fancypants I'm sure you would be excellent in lifeline

I've just completed the online course before we all meet at gigandra on the 30th of this month for a weekend workshop, looking forward to that

I find the course matter interesting, so so far so good.

Apparently bullying is bad in the ambo service, nsw anyways with a couple of highly publicised suicides coming from workplace bullying within the ambo service yucky

But I guess I've been bullied by the best of them, and bullying occurs everywhere in any social or work setting, I guess it's just human nature.

[Francois le Danque]

Hey inco, my dad is an ambo and he seems alright. Very resilient fellow. Personally i live in absolute fear of the day i encounter a car accident or other serious situation with mangled people; i don't think i could handle it even once, let alone every day. Ambos are my heroes.

As for suicides, i know another paramedic who has known ~30 others in the field personally who ended their own lives after struggling with PTSD and depression. Not trying to put you off, it's just ...i dunno why i'm telling you that actually . gotta be prepared for such realities i suppose. And be ready to seek and accept help if you need it.

Finally, thank your lucky stars you don't live in Victoria! Ambos here get paid 15% less than all other states (including SA and WA, where the service is run by a charity). They also apparently have much heavier workloads! shameful government...
Though i've never heard of bullying in Ambulance Victoria.

PS. i just asked my dad if he had anything to add and he says to be wary of getting posted to some shithole for placement, which could be 1-3 years!

Edited August 18, 2014 by Franke von Danke

[C_T]

and add 14hr night shift ontop of the stress of the job

you couldnt pay me enough to do it

for me its one of those jobs that sounds great in theory but would turn quickly into a nightmare

[AndyAmine.]

Ive been doing volunteer animal ambulance driving once a fortnight for a few months now. Trying to get my foot in the door.

I know its not the same thing but I have to admit, I have still found it a bit traumatic at times but nothing I cant square away after a few days. Its a matter of pulling yourself back a bit and seeing the forest for the trees, knowing you're doing a good job and helping rather than getting hung up on the small stuff.

Thankfully I am able to see the animals differently in that setting compared to in everyday life. Once they are on the stretcher or table they seem different, particularly once they are sedated/anesthetized. Like it goes from being poor 'fido' or 'whiskers' to being triage, science, anatomy and a job that needs to be done.

I am guessing that humans will be somewhat similar, although I dont think I could do it.

That said, I haven't done a major accident or anything like that yet or had to tell bad news to any owners which could be a lot harder.

The hardest has been dealing with animals from puppy mills and abusive homes more than the injuries..

Im also trying to get some P/T work as an emergency service phone operator but I need to try it out before I commit to it.

I think you have the kind of personality that could make a good ambo, Just try not to over think it,.

Edited August 19, 2014 by AndyAmine.

[C_T]

once a fortnight is nothing, try 12hr night shifts, 5 in a row, or 14hrs or even overtime on top of that.

[AndyAmine.]

Everyone has to start somewhere mate and its volly work so you take whats available.

I also do shifts at a vet clinic and while I look at it all as a training opportunity its still a lot of work to be doing with no pay at the end of the week

Its not something I want to do long term but it gets me the experience and contacts I need to move forward.

Edited August 19, 2014 by AndyAmine.

[C_T]

if you want real talk here it is;

if you don't have the degree, they will never treat you the same, and you will be on a far inferior wage.

yet do the same job, but probably get pushed out more.

my advice, get the cert.

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Throwing down the hammer.... LAW as spoken by C_T poooowwwwww

[rigger]

I think doing the volunteer work will help you answer a lot of your questions. In my experience if I have my heart set on something I rarely give enough weight to peoples experiences, unless they re enforce what I want to do already! Not saying your like that btw! After a bit of time in the industry you will see more than any advice people can give.

I find the grass always seems greener but rarely is. Sometimes we have to be introduced to the things we love but other times if you don't already have a strong passion for something it starts to suck pretty quick

Give it a go, you don't want regrets but if it doesn't work out it's not a big deal. You need these experiences to help define what you really want to do or find the things you despise the least !!

Edited August 19, 2014 by rigger

[zed240]

Finally, thank your lucky stars you don't live in Victoria! Ambos here get paid 15% less than all other states (including SA and WA, where the service is run by a charity). They also apparently have much heavier workloads!

SA Ambulance isn't run by a charity. http://www.saambulance.com.au/

You may be thinking of the St John's Ambulance service, which is very different to the "normal" ambulance service.

SAAS only employ people with the paramedic degree now as they are/were very heavily involved in setting up the degree in conjunction with Flinders University. I have a couple of ex-army paramedic friends who can't get in without going back and doing a 3 year degree on top of all the prior training and work experience they have. One used to work for NSW ambulance after his defense service and they both now work as paramedics on mine sites. Great pay, 2 weeks on 2 weeks off and very little work to be done. FIFO kinda sucks though.

[incognito]

CT what's ur experience with the ambulance service ?

I'm not in a position to pay for a degree, nor can I afford not to work full time. Nearest uni that does paramedicine is 2 hrs drive away, it's a course u HAVE to attend due to it's practical nature. I simply couldn't work my job and get all the bills paid and attend uni.

I really see it as a great opportunity, I'll know if I have what it takes once I start doing jobs as a volunteer (coming up very quickly) if it don't work out I can stay in my comfy, brainless well paid job and shovel shit the rest of my life. But at the moment I'm enjoying learning and it feels like a positive thing

From what I've heard from the ambos that have been in the job 20plus years, the ambos who have been through the traineeship and internship are very respected, and are considered to be superior ambos than someone straight out of uni.

I'm unsure what your saying regarding pay rates once u have completed your internship, which a degree holder must do as well, your a paramedic level one, same as a degree holder. Pay rates go up then with time served and Inhouse competencies achieved. There's no difference in pay for a paramedic with a degree or a paramedic who's completed a traineeship and internship, trust me I've had this discussion at length with my station supervisor (who has been in the game for close to 40 years- absolute champion who is bustin his nuts to get me in, I guess it's a small town thing he and my mum worked at the hospital together etc- but still- I have to prove myself competent and worthy of his belief in me. I did seek it out though I went out to his place and said I was keen to learn, most peeps in this town ain't that interested and he and the other vol ambo are close to retorement)

As a sneaky aside, if I do take the trainee ship on the second year as an intern I can do paramedicine part time PAID, saving me whatever a paramedicine course is worth.

I reckon it's a great thing your doing andy, experience at the end of the day is worth more than any qual (IMO) and australia needs more volunteers who's hearts are in the right place.

Good on you mate.

[incognito]

From what I understand it's really only these little rural towns that find it hard to get uni qualified ambos that do the traineeship. If I was to follow this path I'd eventually wanna go to queensland ambulance that only accept degree qualifieds now. HOWEVER- rural trainees as I've said are highly desirable and considered better than uni quals in the industry (apparently) I think a good ambo would have no problem getting a job degree or not.

Anyways I'm at not even the first step who knows where it will take me, I mighten take a second or I might climb the whole case who knows there's gotta be something in life I have a knack for, and so far this is all coming together easily touch wood.

[incognito]

Rigger - awesome advice cuz

[C_T]

my experience is 14-15yrs in the hospital setting, 10+ of those 12hr night shifts.

Shift work, and think the negative health problems are not worth it! If theres no other choice sure go for it, but to choose 12-14hr permanent night work is just crazy!!!

one or two late nights is cool, try doing 5 in a row! every week. for years...

It totally ruins your life! and forget about having a partner and seeing friends, you'll be asleep.

Edited August 19, 2014 by C_T

[incognito]

I do 4 months of 12hr plus nightshift as it is, I'm ised to shift work.

That's interesting ct, what did u do in the hospital setting?

All the women in my family are nurses.

Edited August 20, 2014 by incognito

[C_T]

this threads yours not mine

you asked for clarification of my experience and why i advised so

and ill leave it at that

[incognito]

Okay cranky pants. I was genuinely interested.

[C_T]

not mad bro, just don't see the point declaring my job and pretty much making myself a spotlight in the process. not only job wise but future employment wise. mose well post my address and phone number online for everyone to see...

edit: plus your obviously lying somewhere, your working full time job, but your volunteering 12hr nights? exactly how many of those can you do while working full time? and is that a decent indication of what permanent 12hr nights does to a person?

Edited August 21, 2014 by C_T

[incognito]

Where did I say I'm volunteering 12 hr nights? I do nightshift in my job over harvest!!!

Anyways....

Edited August 21, 2014 by incognito

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Lol and another thread goes to the bitches forums!

[C_T]

haha, walking into work recently i realised why you wanted to be an ambo so much!

god damn every ambo chick is so fine! its like, THE only profession ive seen with extremely good looking, fit and healthy subculture.

perhaps the same trend i can say for the young doctors in my region.. but not to the scale of ambo's.

but be warned, ambo's and nurses and cops have gatherings, like big parties. they become their own group.

Edited August 28, 2014 by C_T