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Working As EMT With Seizure Disorder?

Sat, 09/27/2008 - 00:40

Is anyone here and EMT or Paramedic? I have some questions about how I can get a job in the field since I have partial seizures. And how or if I should disclose the info to potential employers.

I am an EMT-basic and just interviewed for a job with at a local ambulance service and it is a requirement that you know how to drive the ambulance. I was planning on just being going with BLS trucks and working in the back rather than driving, but they said they still wanted everyone to know how to drive. Problem is I have a seizure disorder and I really didn't want to disclose that to them. I stay alert and everything durning them, but feel kind of odd. Not so bad I wouldn't be able to do my job, but if I were to be driving I would have to pull over (its partial seizures, I stay aware enough to do that and can still do simple tasks during them). Should I tell them this info if they call me back to offer the job? My neuro hasn't reported me to the DMV, so I don't know how they would react or it they would then report me (can they do that?). Would that get my EMT licensing revoked? I really didn't want to drive in the first place because I get lost easily (I pretty much have directional dyslexia, so I even get lost in my city even though I have lived there for all 23 years of my life), then I panic when I get lost. I mentioned that part to them and they said that they have a few employees like that and it wasn't a problem. I was hoping that that would take care of me not driving, but apparently not. So how do I deal with this? Should I tell them about my condition or just leave it out? I've never had one while driving and they are fairly well controlled with meds. But driving the ambulance with it scares me, if I don't tell them and it happens, I could put a patient at risk because I couldn't get them to a hospital quickly due to me having to pull over and recover, I could lose the job, get my license (both EMS and drivers) revoked.

Thanks for any input! Oh, and just as a side note, I am not photosensitive or sound sensitive, so lights and sirens won't be a problem for me. I just get them whenever for unknown reasons.

Comments

Re: Working As EMT With Seizure Disorder?

Submitted by 3Hours2Live on Sun, 2008-09-28 - 04:47
After failing to get a job normally in my academic field, I tried to get a job through the state rehabilitation department (the unemployment rate was very high then). My rehab counselor wanted full knowledge of my skills, handicaps, etc.; when I described my partial seizures to him, he expressed disbelief, in that he never heard of such things before, yet he then commented that those types of things happen to everybody. He demanded me to have proof of severe disabilities to be eligible for job assistance thru rehab. When he finally had enough proof, I was the one to express concern about accommodations for jobs requiring driving (then, I had minor directional dyslexia, now, 21 years later, it is major) and for other safety concerns, since my seizures were slowly becoming worse (I was severely biting my tongue every other month in increasing intensity and frequency with the partials that messed up my voice in situational instances). Then I was told I had better stick to my speech problems and he would weigh the safety problems with jobs requiring driving and other dangers. To cut the story short, driving for dead-end jobs that paid half the minimum wage was perfectly safe, yet driving for better paying jobs with career potential was way to dangerous, and so on for other safety factors. When I got proof of my career abilities thru evidence from court cases with federal employers, and I expressed interest in more challenging jobs such as these federal jobs that were required to provide accommodation, especially with the state rehabs assistance, my disabilities that were so slight as to disqualify me for rehab became disabilities so intense as to disqualify me for rehab, and I was kicked out the door after walking in a few months before. So, it is best to err on the side of safety, but the odds are against any accommodation, especially if other individuals are vying for the job. I have stopped driving; for accommodation, the evidence requirements to prove you should not always be required to drive are just as intense as those to prove you can drive in federal and state bureaucrat land. Good Luck, Carefully consider your options, and don't let anything discourage you from making a wise choice.

Re: Working As EMT With Seizure Disorder?

Submitted by Cynthia10 on Sun, 2008-09-28 - 14:41

Thanks for the replies! I decided that I will tell the company about my problem. After thinking about it more myself and reading here and on an EMT forum, I think it would be best. I was told by another EMT that they might make some accomodations for me if I am upfront about it rather than hiding it. He said that if I hid it and had one on the job and they found out (only a matter of time before it happens) they would be pretty upset about it....more upset than if I were to just be upfront about it in the first place.

And I think I knew my answer before I even asked it, I just didn't want to admit it because I have never let my seizure disorder stand in the way of anything. But I realized I would be letting it "get in the way" less if I were to go ahead and tell them. That and I don't even want to imagine the mess it would cause if I were to have one while driving the ambulance. For one, it would delay getting the patient to where they needed to be (which wouldn't be so bad seeing as I would probably be doing non-emergency transports, but still that could create a big mess for me and the company) and second, it could cost me the job and licensing (both drivers and EMT).

Thanks for the replies! I decided that I will tell the company about my problem. After thinking about it more myself and reading here and on an EMT forum, I think it would be best. I was told by another EMT that they might make some accomodations for me if I am upfront about it rather than hiding it. He said that if I hid it and had one on the job and they found out (only a matter of time before it happens) they would be pretty upset about it....more upset than if I were to just be upfront about it in the first place.

And I think I knew my answer before I even asked it, I just didn't want to admit it because I have never let my seizure disorder stand in the way of anything. But I realized I would be letting it "get in the way" less if I were to go ahead and tell them. That and I don't even want to imagine the mess it would cause if I were to have one while driving the ambulance. For one, it would delay getting the patient to where they needed to be (which wouldn't be so bad seeing as I would probably be doing non-emergency transports, but still that could create a big mess for me and the company) and second, it could cost me the job and licensing (both drivers and EMT).

Re: Working As EMT With Seizure Disorder?

Submitted by clcsidi on Tue, 2008-10-07 - 14:35

If you are interested in health care, you might consider switching from EMT to nursing.  Most jobs for nurses don't include riding around in an ambulance, but some do.  There are lots of interesting areas to specialize, even on neuro units in some hospitals or clinics.  It would be more school, but it can be very interesting.  I am a nurse as a result of my seizures. I have had partial complex seizures at work and while talking to the MDs, funny is none of them ever noticed since they were partial seizures. 

If you are interested in health care, you might consider switching from EMT to nursing.  Most jobs for nurses don't include riding around in an ambulance, but some do.  There are lots of interesting areas to specialize, even on neuro units in some hospitals or clinics.  It would be more school, but it can be very interesting.  I am a nurse as a result of my seizures. I have had partial complex seizures at work and while talking to the MDs, funny is none of them ever noticed since they were partial seizures. 

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