Ambulance Drivers, Why This Term Is Offensive To Paramedics

Many people equate the term ambulance driver to the people that come to their home and help them in their time of need. I don't want to upset people, but this term to Paramedics, EMT"s and EMR's across the medical industry is offensive. The term driver implies that the only thing we do is drive. The focus of pre-hospital professionals goes far beyond driving. Every level of our medical training provides us the skill to breathe for you, compress your chest to ensure perfusion until a defibrillator can be attached to you, and then the ability to use electricity to restart your heart. As each level increases these skills also increase. At the paramedic level we can provide breathing tubes, apply Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), or Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP). We can also open up a surgical airway in your trachea to breathe for you as well. These are just the invasive things we can do to help you breathe. Each of these skills requires many hours of training and demonstrated practice to become proficient.

When it comes to the rest of your body we can perform skills like Trans cutaneous pacing, synchronized cardioversion, manual defibrillation, and we can also perform chest decompressions. In the abdominal cavity we can listen to bowel sounds, diagnose inflammatory diseases like cholecystitis or appendicitis. We can take care of nausea and vomiting, perform nasogastric tubes, or orogastric tubes to prevent vomiting or to prevent abdominal distension due to air from artificial respiration.

A paramedic is able to do all of these things, and these are the skills that make up the title Paramedic. Sound redundant? It's meant to. We have earned our title, just like a police officer, or a fire fighter. You don't call Police officers police car drivers do you? When was the last time you referred to a fire fighter as a fire truck driver? You haven't because you understand that those positions are earned, as are the titles. A Paramedic has also earned their title. From beginning to end a Paramedic undergoes almost 4 total years of education. We are inundated with medical knowledge, practical training and we have to  undergo 4 hospital practicums. One in pediatrics, one in labor and delivery. We also spend time in an Operating room as well as the emergency department. Add to that the 2 to 3 400 plus hour ambulance practicums we are required to do before we are considered ready to perform our duties on our own. The training is extensive and it is important as we deal with people in life and death situations at times.

As you read this article you may have seen some terms that you didn't understand, unless you work in our industry. This was also done intentionally, to show what is meant by the fact that a driver is just a driver. I have used very basic terms above, but the skills mentioned are highly technical and invasive. My point is when you see us driving in our ambulance be aware that we are far more than ambulance drivers. We bring professionalism and high quality care as well as respect into your homes when we are there. All we are asking is that you understand we far more than drivers and we would appreciate the respect we deserve.