Which Way To Go ?

[mellowdnb]

I'm going to start as an EMT Basic with a private ambulance service within the next two weeks in Chicago. I will not be running any 911 calls, and the majority of calls I will be getting will just be hospital and nursing home transports.
I have a chance to become a paid on call FF with my neighborhood department, if I pass the oral interview. When I get done with the academy I will have my FF 2 and my Haz-Mat tech. If I stay for a year they will pay for medic school. I'll also get a bunch of knowledge that will be great :)
I talked to a paramedic, and he would suggest going through with the paid on call, but he's worried that I'll forget most of my BLS skills when I go through the academy.
I'd figure that I can go 8 weeks to the academy, and since it is only a PT paid on call program, I can go back to working for the private company.
Maybe I'm counting my chickens before they hatch. Is it that "easy" to loose your BLS skills when you are going to the academy ?

[mcaldwell]

If you think you want to take the POC job, don't let the limited BLS practice be your reason for rejecting it. You may get rusty, but they'll come back once you start using them again.

Whether its your BLS skills, or your fire skills, one or the other are always going to be on the back burner. If you go back to paramedic F/T, you can always freshen up and get some extra practice if you think you need it. You can always try to take a few ride alongs while in school to keep fresh as well.

[thebigcheese]

Nah, BLS is like riding a bike, you never forget it.

That being said: CE CE CE CE CE CE. Continuing education will help you keep fresh (although not as much as running calls), and you may learn something along the way.

[Ridryder911]

Like the others, review every so often.. just remember the ABC's. Good luck .....

Be safe...
_______________________
Ridryder911
R.N.,CCRN,CEN,CCEMT/P,NREMT/P & all the other vowels

[chicagoambo]

Constanly go to con ed, is the best advice. We forget alot if we do not train and refresh.Don't become a couch potatoe and always chip in doing dishes and cleaning the station.

[btroutm]

Ditto... Besides, you can always hop on an ambulance as a third rider if you feel your skills are getting a bit rusty. You can also jump on a private part time after you finish the academy if it doesn't interfere with your schedule.

[ufmedic]

You can always ride third person to keep your skills up. EMS skills, like all other skills are "use them or lose them", that's why we do so much continuing ed. However, I don't think that you'll lose that much in only eight weeks.