Paramedic Students in Southwest Missouri Break Gender Stereotypes

It’s no surprise that women predominate many health care professions. In fact, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 92 percent of nurses are female. However, that’s not exactly the case in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) field, where women make up only 21 percent of licensed paramedics. Six students at the OTC Waynesville Center are working against that trend. The group makes up the college’s first all-female paramedic cohort. Some of the women have years of experience as emergency medical technicians, while others are fresh out of EMT school. A few are even stationed as medics at the nearby military base.   Kylea Traughber and her classmate, Samantha Gordineer, are combat medic specialists at Fort Leonard Wood. Onsite, they’re more often referred to as 68Ws (pronounced sixty-eight whiskeys). Kylea says she and her classmates have helped each other grow in the field.      “Everyone brings something different to the table,” Kylea explained. “We’ve done a great job taking turns at lifting up or encouraging those who might not be as experienced as some in a particular area.” Kelly Johnson, the cohort’s instructor, also spoke to the students’ strengths.   “They're a dynamic group. They're diverse with multiple different skill sets coming into the class, but they work and build off of each other,” she said.   In Missouri, EMS students must earn their EMT certification and licensure before applying to param...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Training News Source Type: news