Ambulance drivers and brainless butt-wipers

There was a local news story recently regarding an elderly woman who ran into an ambulance.  I happened to know the crew of that ambulance.  A couple of good medics.  The news outlet ended the story with this line, "Two ambulance drivers were uninjured." 

Reading that infuriated me.  Paramedics are highly trained (and many EMS systems now require that medics be Bachelor's prepared) and go into dangerous situations every day to save lives.  Referring to them as "ambulance drivers" demeans them.  The concept among the general public that the job of these heroes is simply to provide a ride to the hospital is probably at least part of the reason that we continue to see stories about patients and/or standers-by assaulting medics.

I actually left a comment on the online story, requesting that they correct the story and show these medics the respect they deserve.

Of course that didn't happen. 

But, as an ER nurse, I work with these folks every day and have a great deal of respect for what they do.  We are a team. 

Now, this morning, a medic friend posted this

Here's the thing.  I don't need permission.  RNs, particularly RNs in critical care areas, have a great deal of autonomy and actually, to a large extent, drive the care of our patients.  Also, the idea that medics work as total lone wolves is mistaken.  They work within protocols and actually do have to radio in occasionally for "permission" to go outside those protocols.

But, more than feeling -- initially -- anger at this dig at nurses, then disappointment at not only the medic who posted it, but other medics I know who "liked" it, I feel frustration that this ridiculous antagonism between nurses and medics helps NO ONE.  The public hears nurses berate medcs and hears medics berate nurses and they think that their disdain for both of us is justified.