Trust me, I'm a doctor

[wildchild]

Originally Posted by Smittie61984

Nah, I'm an EMT but if I do any of my skills above CPR then I can be charged with practicing medicine without a license since my skills actually belong to a doctor (our medical director). For example if I see someone have a full arrest and I'm not at work I can do CPR but if I have a Combitube (tube that goes into the lungs) and breath for them then I practiced without a license, even if I didn't charge the person. If I start IV therapy or give supplemental oxygen then I'm giving drugs.

wow that is very interesting. so essentially even though you may be there and have the equipment with you, you can't legally help someone unless you're on duty? other then normal CPR of course that anyone could do.

[Smittie61984]

Originally Posted by wildchild

wow that is very interesting. so essentially even though you may be there and have the equipment with you, you can't legally help someone unless you're on duty? other then normal CPR of course that anyone could do.

Yep. If you are a CNA, LPN, RN, EMT-B/I/P, PCT, Rad Tech, and even a physician assistan then you can't practice madicine in the feild. Only a doctor that has MD or DO behind their name can becuase they pay their own personal liability insurance. I always hear some EMTs claim they are obligated to do something if they see a wreck or whatever but those are usually fire/medics who are trying to justify the $800 jump bag they bought after they got their EMT-Basic for their pay raise.

Which every now and then we get a doctor who wants to ride on board our ambulance (Why they'd take that risk, it is beyond me). If that is the case then we call our medical director and check their credentials, but it is still up to us. If the guy is a doctor but a psychiatrist and we have a guy having a full arrest then we tell them to go fuck themselves (if they refuse to just do chest compressions). But if we get a doctor come up and they are a pediatric emergency cardiologist and we have a coding baby, then I'm going to tie him to the ambulance.

Me, you'll be lucky to get CPR out of me if I'm off duty. No way in hell I'm putting my mouth to some strangers mouth and I really don't like touching people without gloves. God knows what kind of diseases those fuckers have.