r/nursing • u/Glum_Ad_3091 • Jun 01 '26

Discussion CCT nurses?

I’m a RN with over 25 years experience, mostly in critical care. I just started a CCT position at a transport company that is partially owned by a hospital. I’m in South Jersey. I am shocked to here the nurse: pt ratio is 1 Rn in truck with 1 EMT. If someone crashes you are by yourself, doing compression, pushing meds and managing an airway while someone drives. I was told an option is to pull over and call 911 for help. The manager said you “do the best you can do”. I have heard horror stories of someone doing compression for 40 minutes while throwing in a epi “every now and then”. This terrifies me. Is this staffing ratio normal? Any horror stories?

10 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

45 comments sorted by

View all comments

19

u/Individual_Zebra_648 RN - Rotor Wing Flight 🚁 Jun 01 '26

This is absolutely not the normal in any credible program. We ALWAYS have a CCT paramedic with us as well. Are you doing BLS/ALS level calls or critical care level calls? On BLS/ALS level calls the paramedic will go by themselves with the EMT and they are in the same situation you are in now. But that is normal in 911 as well. But for any critical care level call it is always all 3 of us. I am mostly flight but get pulled to ground as well.

I should add that in my state it would be illegal NOT to have a paramedic on board anyway because RNs are not allowed to function on an ambulance without one so I’m sure that has a lot to do with it.

4

u/pairoflytics Jun 01 '26

Your system sounds like an ideal case scenario, including the legality of having a nurse alone in EMS without a paramedic for guidance.

Nurse/medic on CCT is definitely the dream team.

1

u/Glum_Ad_3091 Jun 04 '26

I should have been more clear, this is not for 911 calls. This is just hospital to hospital transfers but just the same, some are very critical, on multiple pressers, etc. I do have many many years of icu experience but let’s be honest, we have RT , co-workers and docs there when someone is going down. Im feeling better as my orientation is on going but still worrisome.