Muslim Femal Paramedic

[*saphire*]

Salaams, I am a 20 year old pakistani muslim female and wish to become a paramedic. My mother is strongly against this and she says it goes against Islam. I will continue to wear my hijab and the clothing is not revealing anyway. I'm currently a manager at a callcentre and took a first aid course and know this is what i want to do....save lives. There's a few worrying things about the job......i understand which my mum points out:

1) You have to work late nights - after the year/two year training i can opt out of this.

2) I must travel with a male - i'll only jump into an ambulance when we get a call and i doubt there will be a danger of anything happening when we are on the way to save someones life!

3) I may have to treat alcoholics and drug users especially at nights which can be dangerous - my response - on those kind of call outs the police are always present and i doubt that anybody will attack me when i have been called to save a life.

Please please please can anyone offer me advice. I really want to do this unless it strongly compromises with Islam.......please offer knowledge........

Thanks

[AnonymousPoster]

Salaams, I am a 20 year old pakistani muslim female and wish to become a paramedic. My mother is strongly against this and she says it goes against Islam. I will continue to wear my hijab and the clothing is not revealing anyway. I'm currently a manager at a callcentre and took a first aid course and know this is what i want to do....save lives. There's a few worrying things about the job......i understand which my mum points out:

1) You have to work late nights - after the year/two year training i can opt out of this.

2) I must travel with a male - i'll only jump into an ambulance when we get a call and i doubt there will be a danger of anything happening when we are on the way to save someones life!

3) I may have to treat alcoholics and drug users especially at nights which can be dangerous - my response - on those kind of call outs the police are always present and i doubt that anybody will attack me when i have been called to save a life.

Please please please can anyone offer me advice. I really want to do this unless it strongly compromises with Islam.......please offer knowledge........

Thanks

You already have experience in a call centre, you can become an operator (emergency dispatcher) which is related to the field you wish to work at and much more safer, there are a few stresses involved but am sure your rents would prefer you to work there =)

[barney]

Is the safety aspect a personal concern or an islamic concern?

[*saphire*]

Well safety is a personal concern for my mum, islam comes into with with having a male partner. Also having to do nights for the first 2 years as experience of all situations - means i will be exposed to alcohol and drug related situations.

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[*saphire*]

You already have experience in a call centre, you can become an operator (emergency dispatcher) which is related to the field you wish to work at and much more safer, there are a few stresses involved but am sure your rents would prefer you to work there =)

I want to be actually there doing something active in saving a persons life...you can't get that buzz on the other side of a phone.

[جوري]

you should do what you want to do. I don't see anything Haram about saving lives. During the time of the prophet Muslim women used to tend to the wounds of the soldiers!

and Allah knows best

:w:

[AnonymousPoster]

I want to be actually there doing something active in saving a persons life...you can't get that buzz on the other side of a phone.

I think you'll find that you can. But the choice is up to you, getting hands on with serious issues like emergency things is a big issue and can at times be depressing both for yourself and your family.

Tell me a few things, the answer to the following:

- Would you feel comfortable giving chest compressions to a member of the opposite gender?

- If you need to, would you give mouth to mouth?

- Working alongside male colleagues? Does that not bug you?

As a hijabi I would feel uncomfortable, wouldn't you?

As I said there are several ways to save people lives,


I know someone that wanted to become a police officer, she is a covered Muslimah like yourself, I didn't want her to become one as she will have to handle male in-mates as well as the females, she still is a police officer but she does patrols in her car, I don't think she likes it any more, think carefully about what you plan to do in the future, don't jump into anything straight away or you'll regret it.

[Trumble]

I'm afraid you'll be exposed to just about everything humanity can throw at you in that job. It's also one of the most rewarding things anyone can do and one of the most compassionate things a human being can do.

I can't speak on the subject of any Islamic objections, obviously, but those aside, go for it... you'll spend your life regretting it if you don't. Of course, your parents love you and will worry but, like all parents, sooner or later they will release their little girl has grown up - and be very, very proud of you.

[barney]

Well safety is a personal concern for my mum, islam comes into with with having a male partner. Also having to do nights for the first 2 years as experience of all situations - means i will be exposed to alcohol and drug related situations.

Just walking along a typical city centre street you will pass a dozen people with drug or alcohol problems. Isnt the only unislamic thing if you actually took drugs or alcohol?


As per the male partner question, I work in the NHS and the paramedics are historically and typically a hard drinking, hard swearing womanising group. Theyre brilliant people and save lives on a daily basis, but I think it would be a bit of a shock to you the kinds of people you will meet.
They will be singing rude songs and dodgy jokes and after a shift will all head down the pub to chat and unwind. It's what they do to deal with the things they see, the split open heads of kids in RTA's and the smashed out of their faceon drugs teenagers vomiting over them.

It's a very worthwhile job, but you need to be prepared to enter that culture without condemming it to them.

[*saphire*]

I think you'll find that you can. But the choice is up to you, getting hands on with serious issues like emergency things is a big issue and can at times be depressing both for yourself and your family.

Tell me a few things, the answer to the following:

- Would you feel comfortable giving chest compressions to a member of the opposite gender?

- If you need to, would you give mouth to mouth?

- Working alongside male colleagues? Does that not bug you?

As a hijabi I would feel uncomfortable, wouldn't you?

As I said there are several ways to save people lives,


I know someone that wanted to become a police officer, she is a covered Muslimah like yourself, I didn't want her to become one as she will have to handle male in-mates as well as the females, she still is a police officer but she does patrols in her car, I don't think she likes it any more, think carefully about what you plan to do in the future, don't jump into anything straight away or you'll regret it.

- Yeah i would give chest compressions

- I wouldnt need to give mouth to mouth as both parameds tend to do cpr - one person giving mouth to mouth - even then they ALWAYS use a pocket mask due to safety and hygiene purposes.

- I have to work with male collegues as a manager - pretty annoying species- but you remain professional

- I'm very very comfortable with my hijab

- yeah you're right there are other ways of saving lives but if i'mm honest its 3 of 4 years of further studying then you actually start on the job training. Before being a paramedic you can be a ambulance technician and learn on the job hands on doing pretty much the same thing.

[جوري]

- If you need to, would you give mouth to mouth?



.

mouth to mouth is no longer required for the new guidelines of BCLS or ACLS..and even if it applied, paramedics always have equipments to do so, if for nothing else at all not to endanger their own lives..

:w:

[barney]

- Yeah i would give chest compressions

- I wouldnt need to give mouth to mouth as both parameds tend to do cpr - one person giving mouth to mouth - even then they ALWAYS use a pocket mask due to safety and hygiene purposes.

- I have to work with male collegues as a manager - pretty annoying species- but you remain professional

- I'm very very comfortable with my hijab

- yeah you're right there are other ways of saving lives but if i'mm honest its 3 of 4 years of further studying then you actually start on the job training. Before being a paramedic you can be a ambulance technician and learn on the job hands on doing pretty much the same thing.

You swap between the two of you with the mouth to mouth after prolonged periods. Yes you will use a leadral facemask, but that isnt always possible either.

[*saphire*]

If its a male paramedic and female is not breathing.......is he allowed to give mouth to mouth if its the only thing thats going to save har? What does islam say about that?

[جوري]

Islam says that necessity overrides prohibition --

and Allah knows best

:w:

[*saphire*]

So if i have no choice but to give mouth to mouth to save a life.......it would overide the prohibitation?

I'm not being difficult honest, i just really want to understand and see if i can do something like this without compromising islam. If its wrong its wrong...i get it.

[AnonymousPoster]

So if i have no choice but to give mouth to mouth to save a life.......it would overide the prohibitation?

I'm not being difficult honest, i just really want to understand and see if i can do something like this without compromising islam. If its wrong its wrong...i get it.

I just wanted to know a few things,

Thanks Barn =)

And skye =)

I learnt a few things from your thread also,

I hope you get to do the things you want to do. :thumbs_up

[barney]

I think you have to inject a bit of rationality into the situations.

If you let someone die because of religious prohibitions, you'd lose your job, and frankly you shouldnt consider the job. (you also might be procecuted)

[*saphire*]

by the way when i said something like this i meant being a paramedic...not giving mouth to mouth!!!!

[*saphire*]

I think you have to inject a bit of rationality into the situations.

If you let someone die because of religious prohibitions, you'd lose your job, and frankly you shouldnt consider the job. (you also might be procecuted)

yeah exactly i get that. but a muslim wouldn't give a **** if they were given mouth to mouth if it saved their life, and it wouldn't be forbidden either. so why is it sooo wrong for muslim to think like that and save another life? also......i know many muslim females would appreciate a female paramedic rushing to their aid and treating them. so wouldn't that be benefiting the islamic community?

[barney]

I have given mouth to mouth twice without the facemask. Once to a 70 year old woman once to a 25 year old woman.
On both occassions I was concentrating on them living rather than wether I fancied them. Funnily enough, that was back in my theist days and I was also praying.

[AnonymousPoster]

I have given mouth to mouth twice without the facemask. Once to a 70 year old woman once to a 25 year old woman.
On both occassions I was concentrating on them living rather than wether I fancied them. Funnily enough, that was back in my theist days and I was also praying.

You were a theist, what happened? :rollseyes

[barney]

You were a theist, what happened? :rollseyes

I went to war. That made me read the bible and after half an hour I was agnostic.

@ Sapphire, yup, I understand where your coming from. I would consider it carefully before applying. Best wishes.

[*saphire*]

Barney thanks for your advice mate - really insightful getting input from someone who knows about the field. Much appreciated.

[barney]

Barney thanks for your advice mate - really insightful getting input from someone who knows about the field. Much appreciated.

Nae worries. Sky knows more than me though, I'm more of the mental health side of things. I just used to go boozing with the paramedics.:-[

[جوري]

by the way when i said something like this i meant being a paramedic...not giving mouth to mouth!!!!

sis, again I tell you, I am basic life support and ACLS certified, mouth to mouth here in the states is no longer required, I don't know if you are in England? or what, but even before, the new guidelines this is what professionals out on the field use

now this job might not be for you, because it is very stressful otherwise and can sometimes be emotionally scarring. So it is something you have to battle with yourself...

and really ask, that young lady Nora that just died because a drunk driver killed her, if there were a brother paramedic on the scene would you not want him to do everything he can for her?


You need to work this out in your mind and that of your parents.. health care isn't a brothel it is people's lives~! and I personally view all of it as the most noble thing one can do with his or her life!


Allah knows best


:w:

[*saphire*]

Yes, I am from England. I think a sister can do just as well as a brother, i'm a girlie girl yeah but that doesn't mean a bad situation will scar me any more than it would a man. I might perhaps look for something else within the medical field to put my mums mind at rest and to avoid conflict that has arisen at home due to my ambition. Mum worries about the whole male partner and late night shift thing. Inshallah Allah (swa) will guide me towards what is right.

[جوري]

well personally, I think you'd do more good being a doctor or a nurse, but paramedics are the first on the scene and really the respond time makes all the difference in someone's life.
I also think EVERYBODY should at least know basic life support, by the time even the paramedics get there if within five minutes sometimes it is already too late.
Paramedics is for adrenaline junkies...

the real action is really with trauma surgeons ..

there is certainly great satisfaction to be had when you know you've actively saved someone's life..

I wish you all the best insha'Allah..

:w:

p.s as a general rule in every day practice NEVER perform CPR on anyone without at least a face mask, for your sake and theirs!

[*saphire*]

I also think EVERYBODY should at least know basic life support, by the time even the paramedics get there if within five minutes sometimes it is already too late.
Paramedics is for adrenaline junkies...

p.s as a general rule in every day practice NEVER perform CPR on anyone without at least a face mask, for your sake and theirs![/QUOTE]

I agree, i've just been on a four day first aid course, everyone should know these basics. And i am looking for a job with a buzz......im sick of the boring rubbish i've been doing so far. I'm proud to be holding a mangerial position from he age of just 19, but i wanna say be able to say "I help save lives" as opposed to "I get my staff to take as many orders as possible and have the lowest call abandon rate" Get me? lol

[جوري]

Media Tags are no longer supported

everyone should watch this

:w:

[*saphire*]

It's good that. Only difference i was taught is that for babies and infants its 5 rescue breaths first then 30 compressions as kids need the oxygen first, adults are usually still carrying some in their blood and need compressions first.....but you're the expert there!!

[جوري]

these are the guidelines as of 2008.. however, and this is a strong possibility, probably in England you do things differently...

When I was sick in England I received medications that are very frowned upon here, might even get one into a law suit for bad practice.. that is not to say I wasn't cured.. In fact I was really grateful, since if this had happened to me in the states, I'd have ended up with a $20.000 bill... in England thankfully it cost me nothing.. so I ain't complaining --
these are the guidelines set out by the American heart association.. they update it every so often..

if you do end up going into this field.. let us know how it works out for you..
I seldom use CPR, just ACLS, which is all pharmacologic to control things like Afib, VFIB, Vtach, Asystole etc etc so once you are done with this you'll know more than all of us here...


I wish you the best insha'Allah

:w:

[Zahida]

:sl: MahashAllah and congratulations on your choice of proffession. Of course in Islam females are allowed to train as doctors and nurses to treat the females as they are needed............ Look around you globally and you will find that in many islamic countries women practice and treat females, so this is permissable. Your parents however i believe their main concern is your safety which is understandable.

I have never come across a female paramedic and find this very encouraging, i have been in situations myself when i have requested for a female to treat me as i am Muslim and for a ghair mehram to touch me would be inappropriate.However i have also found that the paramedics i have come across are aware and understanding of the Muslim needs and have more empathy just recently a male and female paramedic had come to see my mother. My mother neede an ECG and whilst the female did all the appropriate stuff he left the room. I found this very touching.

I wish you every success and best of luck with yor future. Ameen. There is no harm in trying and if in the future you feel it is not right for you, then you can always move on, and the added bonus will be that you have experience.

Good Luck!!:w::bump1:

[Snowflake]

Let's not make 'muslim women helped in battle-fields' a route to work in fields where it is not necessary.

Muslim women helped MUSLIM soldiers when there was a dire need in the presence of other muslims. It was not their profession!

to the original poster..

I appreciate you wanting to help save lives sis. But if not you, there will be someone else to take your place in what is ultimately given/taken by the will of Allah.

There are other ways to help save lives. Humanitarian projects which will enable you to feed the poor send medical supplies etc.. are a worthwhile cause. How about looking into this field of work? I am sure you will get more of a buzz from feeding the starving and saving lives that way than in what you have chosen to do.


:sl:

[buddy1]

Salaams, I am a 20 year old pakistani muslim female and wish to become a paramedic. My mother is strongly against this and she says it goes against Islam. I will continue to wear my hijab and the clothing is not revealing anyway. I'm currently a manager at a callcentre and took a first aid course and know this is what i want to do....save lives. There's a few worrying things about the job......i understand which my mum points out:

1) You have to work late nights - after the year/two year training i can opt out of this.

2) I must travel with a male - i'll only jump into an ambulance when we get a call and i doubt there will be a danger of anything happening when we are on the way to save someones life!

3) I may have to treat alcoholics and drug users especially at nights which can be dangerous - my response - on those kind of call outs the police are always present and i doubt that anybody will attack me when i have been called to save a life.

Please please please can anyone offer me advice. I really want to do this unless it strongly compromises with Islam.......please offer knowledge........

Thanks

GOOD LUCK!! you must do what is right, As far as Im concerned nobody has any business in telling you what you can and cant ddo for a job, it is your right and you have to do it for a living, nobody else! Im sure your parents are just worried, as it is their job! and mums and dads love to have a good old moan, (thats thier job too) but just explain to them, that you appreciate their input and opinions but you have to make the decision that is right for you, in 6 months time, you may decide you really dont like it and that office work is the job for you, but how will you know if you dont try it!!

sweet, you are the person that wants to do it, you are the person willing to take all sorts of risks, trying to save other peoples lives, if you were my daughter, I would be exceedingly proud of you! :D

[Malaikah]

:sl:

My honest advice, having gone through something very similar before myself. FORGET WHAT ANYONE HERE TOLD YOU and go talk to a shaykh that you know in real life and trust!

Trust me, can't go wrong inshaAllah. It's your best option,

[Snowflake]

There are lots of reasons why I feel this job is unsuitable for you sis. But since it regularly requires you to travel with a ghair mahram, I thought you'd like to see the ruling for a man and woman being alone at work.

I am a male nurse and my work is nursing men. There is a female nurse who works with me in the same department after regular hours, and that goes on until the morning. We may be completely alone together. We are afraid that we may fall into temptation. We cannot change the situation. Should we leave this job out of fear of Allaah although we do not have other jobs with which to earn provision? We hope that you will tell us what you think.


Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for those in charge of hospitals to put a male nurse and a female nurse on duty overnight on their own to keep a watch on the patients. This is wrong and is a great evil, and it is a call to evil actions. If this man is alone with this woman in one place, they are not safe from the possibility that the Shaytaan may make immoral actions and the things that lead to such actions attractive to them. It was reported in a saheeh hadeeth that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No man is alone with a (non-mahram) woman but the Shaytaan is the third one present.” So this work is not permissible and you have to leave it, because it may lead to that which Allaah has forbidden. Allaah will compensate you with something better if you leave it for the sake of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).

And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine” [al-Talaaq 65:2-3]

“and whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him” [al-Talaaq 65:4]

The female nurse also has to be cautious and resign if she cannot achieve what she wants, because both of you are responsible with regard to what Allaah has enjoined and forbidden.



Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 9, p. 430

also you are in the uk where drinking is part of life. sis, being a paramedic isnt all about resus and treating life-threatening injuries on the scene. It's not as if this job is on par with a doctors who is working in a fairly safe hospital environment You could be dealing with druggies, drunks and all other low life's on our streets. You may have to go into pubs, clubs, bookies and God knows where else? It's a fact isn't it? You could be attacked by drunkards. It's just not an ideal job for a muslim sister.


Last but by no means the least is obedience to your mother. If your mother is unhappy that should be one of the main reasons to consider something else instead.

Please forgive me if I sound harsh. I can see more harm than good about it.