Did You Know?
allnurses is the largest community for nurses on the web. We now have over 388,052 members! Join today to network with other nurses, laugh, share, and much more.
| No. 10 | 
May 01, 2005, 12:04 PM
I work as an RN both on a medical floor and in an emergency department. I've also worked on an ambulance since...um...not going to admit my age. :-) Though you've probably long since had your questions answered, I thought I'd throw my two cents in anyway... In California, as an RN, you can challenge the Paramedic license. Though the exact requirements can vary from school to school, as I understand it at a minimum the candidate must A) Be affiliated with a paramedic program (i.e. have an endorsing school), B) Must pass the skills test(s) and written examination(s), C) Must successfully complete a field internship, and D) Must successfully pass the national registry exam. At this point you will be indistinguishable from the paramedics who went through the full paramedic program, but you aren't done yet... The county in which you intend to work will have a few more hoops for you to jump through as well...usually written test, fees, letter of intent from a prospective employer, etc. (unlike many states, in CA the paramedic protocols and certification is a county-by-county thing rather than a full state thing). Having said all this I must caution you (and any other RN intending to become a paramedic) that working as a paramedic is NOT the same as working as a nurse. I would VERY STRONGLY enourage anyone considering this jump to at least have their EMT and a good year of experience of working on an ambulance or they may find the internship on the ambulance to be something of a disaster.
 | | Advertisement Sponsored Links | | | | No. 11 |
May 04, 2005, 12:00 AM
Just my 2 cents, but I must comment, RN to paramedic. There is a vast difference between and RN and an paramedic, or if you are in such a state, a phrn/hp (prehospital rn-who has challenged the nat reg testing and has the approp skills, or paramedic. If you are thinking of challenging any prehospital course, you better get some field experience. The world of an RN, and the world of a PHRN/HP are completely different. When you get that patient in the ED, they are packaged for you, meaning they are immobilized, splinted, bleeding is controlled, intubated, defib, etc. In the field you are the one who is doing the packaging. you are the one making the decisions. There is a vast difference intubating in a lab vs the back seat of vehicle which is crushed under an tractor trailer, let alone the IV start. You have you to rely on. Make sure that you have the experience to work in the prehospital world. I do both, and I have the greatest respect for fiedl medics and the few PHRN/HP;s that are out there. Most of us, atleast in PA, actually started as EMT's. Good luck to those who join us, but make sure you are ready. cause you cannot yell, start over. at 2am on the interstate. Just my 2 cents
Peg :hatparty:
| | No. 12 |
Jun 27, 2005, 02:46 AM
I totally agree with you that pre-hosital treatment is totally different than regular hospital nursing, and everyone going into it needs field experience before being the paramedic in charge of the scene. But, with all due respect, even in a hospital at 0200, you can't yell "start over" and expect results!!! Originally Posted by Peg804 Just my 2 cents, but I must comment, RN to paramedic. There is a vast difference between and RN and an paramedic, or if you are in such a state, a phrn/hp (prehospital rn-who has challenged the nat reg testing and has the approp skills, or paramedic. If you are thinking of challenging any prehospital course, you better get some field experience. The world of an RN, and the world of a PHRN/HP are completely different. When you get that patient in the ED, they are packaged for you, meaning they are immobilized, splinted, bleeding is controlled, intubated, defib, etc. In the field you are the one who is doing the packaging. you are the one making the decisions. There is a vast difference intubating in a lab vs the back seat of vehicle which is crushed under an tractor trailer, let alone the IV start. You have you to rely on. Make sure that you have the experience to work in the prehospital world. I do both, and I have the greatest respect for fiedl medics and the few PHRN/HP;s that are out there. Most of us, atleast in PA, actually started as EMT's. Good luck to those who join us, but make sure you are ready. cause you cannot yell, start over. at 2am on the interstate. Just my 2 cents
Peg :hatparty: | | No. 13 |
Jan 27, 2006, 03:09 PM
Updated
Jan 27, 2006 at 03:23 PM by mrdevo
 Re: paramedic nursing
As a critical care paramedic with over 12 years of experience and a nursing student I would recommend that you receive training as a paramedic before you work as one, even if you can legally challange the exam. The jobs are not the same. Nursing education isn't more advanced than a good paramedic education. There are many skills that are shared by both occupations, but the job is different. The training I received in nursing school doesn't match my paramedic training in running codes, 12 lead EKG interpretation, emergency pharmacology, airway management, surgical airways, central access, ventilator management, trauma assessment or any prehospital skills (spinal immobilization, traction splint, vehicle extrication). The paramedic training didn't cover the holistic care approach, long term care of patients with chronic conditions, nutrition, hygeine, or providing emotional support to patients or their families. Both are very important but different jobs with some different priorities and required knowledge. Most nurses would scoff at a paramedic challanging a nursing program. How can some feel as if their nursing training makes them competent as a medic? All the nurses I know that have challenged the exam and not taken a paramedic program do not make very good medics.
One good thing is that going back to school will be easier if you already have the fundamentals of medicine mastered.
| | No. 14 |
Jan 27, 2006, 08:54 PM
Re: paramedic nursing Originally Posted by mrdevo As a critical care paramedic with over 12 years of experience and a nursing student I would recommend that you receive training as a paramedic before you work as one, even if you can legally challange the exam. .......The training I received in nursing school doesn't match my paramedic training in running codes, 12 lead EKG interpretation, emergency pharmacology, airway management, surgical airways, central access, ventilator management, trauma assessment or any prehospital skills (spinal immobilization, traction splint, vehicle extrication).
How many times in the past 12 years have you performed a surgical airway or central access in EMS?
| | No. 15 |
Jan 28, 2006, 06:40 AM
Re: paramedic nursing
Not to answer for mrdevo but, in the past year I have done three femoral lines. two in the field and one in the cath lab.
I've never had to do a surgical airway or a needle cric for that matter ,but I have done two of each in animal lab the past year and a half as part of maintaining competency. I also attended ATLS last year and we did all procedures on 'trauma man'.
I'm an RN, not a paramedic. We fly with a RN/Medic TEAM. We work together as equal partners whether it is a scene call or interfacility transfer. We have learned from each other because we both bring one commonality to work with us: respect.
| | No. 16 |
Jan 28, 2006, 07:04 AM
Re: paramedic nursing Originally Posted by Rio Not to answer for mrdevo but, in the past year I have done three femoral lines. two in the field and one in the cath lab.
I've never had to do a surgical airway or a needle cric for that matter ,but I have done two of each in animal lab the past year and a half as part of maintaining competency. I also attended ATLS last year and we did all procedures on 'trauma man'.
I'm an RN, not a paramedic. We fly with a RN/Medic TEAM. We work together as equal partners whether it is a scene call or interfacility transfer. We have learned from each other because we both bring one commonality to work with us: respect.
I worked as a CCEMT-P Prehospital RN on a mobile ICU also for scene and interfacility transport calls. It was just a question. Having worked with a great number of EMS providers, I have great respect for most of them.
| | No. 17 |
Mar 20, 2006, 04:28 AM
Updated
Mar 20, 2006 at 04:31 AM by 11:11
Re: paramedic nursing
Here we go again
I cant argue with the experience of the members above.
Im not an EMT-P, but having done some transport nursing and volunteering at an ALS service I can say that if you believe that as a nurse you can easily do EMT-P skills your are mistaken.
As nurses we are not taught advanced airway skills, central line placement, chest tube placement, controling scenes etc etc. There is a reason that course is at least one intense year.
That doesnt mean we cannot learn these skills with a service that will teach us on the job (and OR etc) like I started to do.
For some of us it is worth it to get this certification and apply the skills in the field. But for most of us it will be for personal reasons, not money.
Most of the flight nurses I know in my area of permenant residence end up going to CRNA school if anything-
11
| | No. 18 |
Mar 20, 2006, 05:49 AM
Re: paramedic nursing
I think we are all in agreement that the two careers are different but with the same purpose of giving excellent patient care. I have been an ER RN for almost 10 years in a level one trauma center and I'm fortunate enough to be a pre-hospital RN also who volunteers on a rural Fire/EMS squad.
Love both but whew are they different. Much much respect for folks who go to patient's homes and have no clue as to what to expect. Starting IV's in the dark, upside down of an MVA, looking for "the guy who took all his pills" outside in a cornfield (again at night), etc....
| | No. 19 |
Apr 14, 2006, 08:53 AM
Re: paramedic nursing
Could an RN sit in on a Paramedic course to observe the training/classwork for just a day? I am interested in the difference of views promoted by each area. I've worked in the ED for 4 years now & would like to take a bridge course.
|
| 299 members
2,670 guests 2,969
| 1 | | | 11 | | | 2 | | | 9 | | | 17 | | | 11 | | | 14 | | | 16 | | | 37 | | | 14 | | | 20 | | | 23 | | | 19 | | | 24 | | | 10 | |
|
Nursing News