The Life of an Everyday Hero: What the Front Lines of Emergency Medicine Are Like
For most people, some of the scariest moments of their lives are only made bearable by the emergency medical staff who come to help. From paramedics to emergency doctors, these are the people that you want by your side.
Perhaps you’re thinking of changing careers within the medical field and want to learn more about what to expect, or maybe you just want to know what emergency medical professionals go through. In any case, this field comes with its upsides and downsides, as with any other job.
The medical field is crying out for more workers at the moment, so finding a job in emergency medicine shouldn’t be terribly difficult. However, this comes with its own risks. The combination of high stakes, large workloads, and constant pressure has led to high rates of burnout syndrome for emergency workers.
Burnout syndrome can affect both the work and personal lives of emergency workers, so they need to be proactive in spotting the signs of burnout as early as possible. As you’d expect, the emergency medical field is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. Most workers have to physically lift and manipulate many patients over the day.
On top of the physical demands, there’s the obvious fact that, while most patients suffer relatively minor injuries, emergency medical workers often have to deal with highly traumatic and emotional scenarios. During even these situations, these workers generally maintain an admirable sense of professionalism combined with appropriate empathy and compassion. Sometimes it pays to take a break when things get too much.
So, why do people work in this stressful, demanding field? Well, for all the difficulties that they face, emergency medical workers often find satisfaction in their work. It’s incredibly challenging, but many people consider that an upside, as these are highly active roles. It’s also exciting, as because the stakes are so high, you have to be on top of your game.
Emergency medical workers have to be involved in many different cases, so they get a very well-rounded experience when working with patients. Yes, most of the cases will be relatively simple injuries, but some of them will keep a good doctor or paramedic challenged. Every case like this is an opportunity to learn.
Remember, you aren’t tied down to a specific job within this field. There’s so much room to move around, which again allows you to learn more and hone your skills. You get to work with all kinds of different people, both as a colleague and as the person helping a patient.
The patients are often one of the highlights of this work. You have the chance to save a life, which is something that very few people can claim. Also, you will truly see the depth and breadth of the community you serve, getting to know patients and helping to support and care for them. This is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
Working in the emergency medicine field isn’t for everyone, but the fast-paced, challenging work might be just the kind of thing for you.