New EMT

[kndoug1]

Hello! I am a newly registered EMT currently looking for work. I found this website via a yahoo! search. I am 20 years old, and have been trying to get into nursing school for the last year, but found that being an EMT is much more exciting than being locked in a hospital all day! So, I am debating between actually going to nursing school or going to paramedic school first...if anyone has any thoughts on this career decision, it would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone! Have a great holiday!

[co2rescue]

Nursing school. More money. Less bs. You can always do medic later

[Lone Star]

Hello! I am a newly registered EMT currently looking for work. I found this website via a yahoo! search. I am 20 years old, and have been trying to get into nursing school for the last year, but found that being an EMT is much more exciting than being locked in a hospital all day! So, I am debating between actually going to nursing school or going to paramedic school first...if anyone has any thoughts on this career decision, it would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone! Have a great holiday!

Since you've obviously already set a goal of getting into nursing school, by all means full steam ahead.

I DO have to ask this though.....with all the people who want to become nurses (and I don't think that theres a thing wrong with that), why in the world are y'all wasting time getting an EMS education? I highly doubt that it will be of any great benefit along your path to becoming a nurse.

It's this kind of action that makes EMS look like nothing more than a 'stepping stone' to something else. It's also just another factor as to why EMS cannot get respect and recognized as a true profession!

[kndoug1]

Since you've obviously already set a goal of getting into nursing school, by all means full steam ahead.

I DO have to ask this though.....with all the people who want to become nurses (and I don't think that theres a thing wrong with that), why in the world are y'all wasting time getting an EMS education? I highly doubt that it will be of any great benefit along your path to becoming a nurse.

It's this kind of action that makes EMS look like nothing more than a 'stepping stone' to something else. It's also just another factor as to why EMS cannot get respect and recognized as a true profession!

It's not wasting time...with the average wait being 4 years to get into a nursing program, this allows those of us waiting to make a move towards our careers in medicine. I chose to start out in EMS to figure out if medicine is really where I am going to end up. Being only 20, I want to make sure that before I wait 4 years to get into an RN program that this career path is not a mistake. You learn and see a lot in EMS. It is a lot of hard work, more so physically and mentally than any nursing program that I have come across. I am finding though that the more I am out in the field, the more going to RN school seems less appealing. I grew up surrounded by EMS personnel, so to see it from their perspective now has given me a different outlook on medicine as a whole. And the education will actually be beneficial once in an RN program because we will have been exposed to the information before hand.

And EMS is definitely not a "stepping stone" into something else for most people, and EMS is recognized as a true profession and is well respected...if it wasn't, no one would spend their time getting an education in EMS. Those that use it solely as a stepping stone are missing out on the opportunity to be a part of something that is truly amazing. Don't get me wrong when I say I am considering RN school. EMS is a wonderful career choice, and that is why I am struggling with the decision of going to medic school or RN school, because I am on the waiting list for both programs in the fall...

[scmedtech421]

Paramedic school is usually much cheaper and will certainly give you great experience in the field. Some states offer a paramedic to RN bridge program if you decide to become an RN at a later date. I am currently in Paramedic school now with the eventual goal of getting my AHS and becoming certified to teach so I can remain tied to the field after my body tells me I am getting too old to pull a 350 pound body out of a cramped bathroom. You might also want to check to see if you have services in your area that put RN's on the trucks. I know of one city in NJ that does this, and would offer you a chance to make RN pay without the building closing in on you.

[Dude]

Hello there ,

Well my name is Nate and i am about to give you my 2 cents worth if its any bit of help !

I am a registered EMT for the state of Oh and wrk in an area which traumas are name and game . I absolutely love the streets and wouldnt give it up for the world though i see the point about being to old to lug 350 +lb bodys out of spaces even you and i could prob never fit in lol.. ive seen it believe me . Paramedic to bridge is prob the smartest thing to do as you can take time on truck to better your skills and still be free and not cooped up . My sister is a Nurse practitioner and we are in constant bicker as to whos jobs better , im always the one who wins essentially . being an EMT not a medic i cant say much to the training aspect but i can say from watching my fellow medics pass by to RN , they are the best RN's in my oppinion because they had an outside look at the pt's before they arrived to a H and that in my eyes will later, when your an RN to see the big picture ( the storey ) and better treat your pts .

Moral to this miscombobulation of words : Work your way up slowly , take your time and experience every aspect of ems as you can then bridge over or whatever you chose and watch as you are rockn the ED with your skills !!

best of luck to you ,

PS :

Youll find work , its always hard to get your first EMS position , after that , from then on consider yourself hired everytime .

Nate

[kndoug1]

Hello there ,

Well my name is Nate and i am about to give you my 2 cents worth if its any bit of help !

I am a registered EMT for the state of Oh and wrk in an area which traumas are name and game . I absolutely love the streets and wouldnt give it up for the world though i see the point about being to old to lug 350 +lb bodys out of spaces even you and i could prob never fit in lol.. ive seen it believe me . Paramedic to bridge is prob the smartest thing to do as you can take time on truck to better your skills and still be free and not cooped up . My sister is a Nurse practitioner and we are in constant bicker as to whos jobs better , im always the one who wins essentially . being an EMT not a medic i cant say much to the training aspect but i can say from watching my fellow medics pass by to RN , they are the best RN's in my oppinion because they had an outside look at the pt's before they arrived to a H and that in my eyes will later, when your an RN to see the big picture ( the storey ) and better treat your pts .

Moral to this miscombobulation of words : Work your way up slowly , take your time and experience every aspect of ems as you can then bridge over or whatever you chose and watch as you are rockn the ED with your skills !!

best of luck to you ,

PS :

Youll find work , its always hard to get your first EMS position , after that , from then on consider yourself hired everytime .

Nate

Nate,

Well thank you for that bit of advice! What you said definitely makes a lot of sense and has been the big debate for me the whole time. It does make more sense to do a medic to RN bridge, that way, as you said, I will have that experience to take with me and rock that ED! And I appreciate your kind words of encouragement as well about the job!

Kristina

[rat115]

I'll add my 2 cents worth.

I think that working your way up is not a bad thing. It gives you the chance to get field experience and on the job training/knowledge.

Now, to help you understand my stance. I work on a rural volly service. We had a gal who went through class and got her EMT-B at 18. She worked here through her senior year of high school (the school would actually let her leave class for runs). She graduated and went to college for her RN. She got a position with a major ER right out of college due to her experience on the ambulance and within a year and a half she was hired as a RN for a flight crew.

Hope that helps you.

[TylerHastings]

Welcome and Stay Safe...nough said.

[DwayneEMTP]

Hey man, welcome to the City!

Working your way up is a ridiculous idea from the point of view of career development. Nealy everything that you need to become an RN will also apply towards becoming a paramedic, though very little of what you learn to become a paramedic will apply to nursing.

I'm not confident that you really came looking for advice, so much as validation, as it sounds as if you've got your mind made up. Nursing offers a much stronger education, many, many more career paths than paramedic, much better pay, benefits and retirement. Also, the bridges that everyone is crowing about? Very uncommon to find a good one, and when you do failure rates tend to be high, and if you try the online bridges that most are so excited about, not all states will accept them.

God bless Nate, but do you really want to base the next several years of your education on the advice of someone that is unable to spell, punctuate or develop halfway proper sentences and paragraphs? You sound smarter than that.

Working on an ambulance can be a lot of fun. But EMT jobs can be hard to get and very, very few of them pay enough to even make it worth getting out of bed in the morning. If you're looking to get a hardon running around lights and sirens in the middle of the night, most often for no reason, then go the EMS rout first. But if you're truly looking for the sound career advice you've mentioned above? There really is no debate here. Hands down the smart money is on nursing.

Dwayne

Welcome and Stay Safe...nough said.

How do you figure?

Dwayne