MariB

Ill be nationally registered for a couple years and if I want to stay that way, ill hand to do the paperwork myself and I believe I will. My training officer says its a headache, but I believe it is worth it. Iowa will accept anyone with a NR but once it expires they usually just recertify Iowa , but it is good to know it isn't across the board.

How thick is my skin? In all.seriousness, are these still being recertified in other states? Or is this more a local thing?

Our squad allows 16 year olds to ride along, but they can only observe. We have two Highschool students. Our area wont let them test until they are 18 so our squad wont pay or send them to school until they will be of age to test, but they can observe and ride along as long as it doesn't interfere with their studies or sleep schedules. I think it is great you have such an interest in EMS, it's refreshing to see a caring trait in the youth.

I see these used a lot around here and am a bit confused. Maybe it is just my state? But I was told these were no longer in use. Iowa no longer certifies Basics, or intermediates. EMTS AEMTS and PARAMEDIC SPECIALISTS I am trying to avoid looking totally stupid when replying, Heck, maybe I already do. Wouldn't be the first time, but I have a thick skin.

Hey, you are a BSN, and an EMT, I just might. I learned long ago, helping people was a passion, whether it was organizing fundraisers for Relay for Life or joining EMS. Even though I myself am new to this forum, you could be a valuable source of info for myself and others.

I live in the corner of the state and have people in my classes from two other states, I really was unsure whether location had much to do with National registry or not. Like I said, it was more a question than a statement. My daughter is in nursing school, will be an rn and then getting her bsn. She is also an emt student on our squad and will be challenging the registry test to run paramedic as she goes for her bachelors. Questions questions questions.... Be prepared, I have a lot. Lok

That's awesome! I love when things like that happen. Our medical director also happens to be one of my TaeKwonDo instructors and is also on call a lot at the hospitals when we bring a patient in. My squad director lives not to far away and when I was having hearing issues with a cheaper stethoscope, she started having me switch mine out with hers in our second ambulance. I have a new one coming and hate to mention the name and brand because of what I found doing a search, but I will. I have a Littmann Master Cardiology stethoscope ordered, given to me as a gift, due to hearing loss I encountered as a teenager. I went through two cheaper Littmanns, one I could finally hear the pulse during blood pressures, but never could hear the breath sounds. It is not showing off, being silly or over equipped, I just can't hear well, so I bought what our ambulance has just to get me through the rest of my classes. Nothing is wasted, my daughter is a nursing student The main instructor at the college im going to is a paramedic in a town about an hour away, I can call on him for anything, and his tests involve at least 50% questions worded from National Registry type tests. It's been a great experience over all. I decided on getting my AEMT because my sqaud does offer help in paying a bit twords furthering education.. and I believe it would cover most of this. It would be another 140+ hours of classroom time which is what I am doing now. I just have to weigh the benefits of what more it has to offer. Forgive me for sounding dumb, im learning, im trying ... and even if I only remain an EMT, im still happy for offering my time to my community. Maybe someday my lifelong childhood dream of being a paramedic will come true, but for now... I will be an emt with plans for AEMT

Yes, im on my phone, apparently I can't quote with it either. I do sometimes log on with my laptop. Iowa accepts the registry, but after I test, my recertification will be Iowa state certification unless I request to remain nationally certified. Then I have to do that myself as it is a lot more work. I do not know the laws of all the states. I just knew our Emts that became nurses can challenge the registry exam and can ride as paramedics. It was more of a question than a statement.

I have been looking around this site. Look under *downloads* some useful stuff there. Also, see what books your program will be using, there are coordinating study guides avaliable.

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="paramedicmike" data-cid="292537" data-time="1356809608"><p> Welcome.<br /> <br /> Perhaps because he's in Missouri and not Iowa?</p></blockquote> Perhaps that was why I was asking, and then mentioned my state

Hi, why an Emt? A BSN in the state of Iowa anyway can run paramedic with a few signatures and a test.

Thanks for the welcome. Mike, just keep withholding, Im a volunteer in an EMT squad. I simply can not make a career out of this. Our medics are nurses who bridged over. I would still love too, but to be a paramedic and to have it pay for my schooling etc, if have to move and all that. I just thought all the time I was putting into the community as a volunteer was enough to make me proud of myself. Eh I dunno. Im in a town of 5000 people and we cover transfers for smaller surrounding towns. We respond to back up the smaller communities. I take about 72 hours of call a week, knowing I may not get a single call, or may get 10 on my shifts but im trying to learn, absorb what I can. Most is done on scene and transport time with me driving, is 3 to 5 minutes. When one of our two paramedics respond, they usually grab me and talk me through everything they are doing. One is our director and knows im eager. One time during a rapid extraction with a KED she saw me struggling to see, even though I was there to do grunt work and told me to give her my paper work and get in there nice and close to watch. We are a very close squad, like family. Proud to have paramedics, two in fact! That smaller towns call to meet for us to assist. I am set to sign up for AEMT as soon as my registry test is done. I work hard, I study hard, studying has been somewhat difficult due to being ADD, after working all day, being up at 3 am. Kids being noisy, dogs barking... I finally moved my study spot to the office at work. I work at the local community college. Convenient? Someone always willing to help. I've breezed through my skills tests thus far minus one when I supposedly did everything beautifully minus asking if the scene was safe *sigh* Mod tests are at the top of the class... So please, don't bash me for "only" being an emt.... I can't afford to put myself though school to be one on a volunteer squad. I looked into it, and seriously wanted to. I would be driving 75 miles a day, four evenings a week, after working my job, plus all day Saturdays. Im a mom of three... sports, activities, being a mom comes first. Anyway, thanks for the welcome

Ive been reading posts here for quite awhile. I joined out local ambulance team back in August, Started classes in September. I responded as a student as much as I could and very quickly learned the new ambulance (broke it in with first call) and began driving at the end of September. My National registry test is to take place in April. My whole life, my dream was to be a paramedic. Maybe it was the cool ambulance, maybe it was the TV shows, but I ended up planting my feet in a small town with a volunteer squad. We do have 2 Medics on our Squad, which is fantastic, but I really cant see me paying my way through school to go that far, in a volunteer community. As it is, our medics bridged over from a nursing program. I have decided to join this forum after searching several and being frustrated with the lack of respect the Paramedics have shown the EMTs. This one seems to not be the case here. I hope to learn a lot Our Paramedics love the EMTs and say they couldnt live without us