[Toph McGee]

Hello all,

So heres the deal. I'm a new grad and I have I got at least another 9mos of Med/Surg experience before I consider going down to the ED cause I want to build my skills and knowledge and work on time management . At the moment I have a friend going through Paramedic training and he says I should do that too if I plan on going to the ED. Now I've read that you'll get great experience and skills but since I am already an RN is it worth getting the cert? I love learning what I'm asking is would it be a waste of my time or a great experience? If not Paramedic, is there some other "prep" I can do before starting ED work?

[bill4745]

You might volunteer to be pulled to the ER when they are short staffed.That way you could see what it's like.

[nc4986]

also you could volenteer for your local FD ask around, i personally would, but i do not know where your goals are aimed.
much love
good luck
mose-

[Halinja]

I have a friend who went straight from school into the ED. She loves it. You can learn time management skills in the ED as well as learning them on a med surg floor. I see no reason why you'd need the paramedic training. You're an RN. You've already had more training than they will get. If you want to get extra training, take an EKG class, or get your ACLS and PALS. Those would never be a waste of knowledge.

[EMTSNA]

Now this is just not true "You've already had more training than they will get".

Paramedics and nurses operate in very different environments and thier training reflects this. A paramedic's focus is very interventional and based on what can kill a patient now. Nurses are more geared towards promoting continued healing. Nurses are not Paramedics and vice versa.

Becoming a Paramedic is great and will make you stronger in the ER, but unless you actually want to practice as paramedic, you are probably better off taking TNCC, ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, ect...

Peace

[APNgonnabe]

Second EMTSNA post.

Merry Christmas

[SDS_RN]

I worked on the surgical and pediatrics floor right out of school and I have just recently transfered down to the ED. I am glad that I got my experience on surgical first but it is still really different working in the ED than on surg. It's a whole different pace and mind set.
I am going to be getting my ACLS in Feb then my TNCC in Mar. Since I've started studying for the ACLS already I feel like I've already gained a lot of importanat knowledge I will need for the ED. I don't think that you would need to get your EMS unless it's something you plan to do part time otherwise I really don't see a benefit to it. I think it would be more beneficial for you to do the ACLS and TNCC. You could also talk to some of the nurses in your ED and get some tips from them. I have already found out that it is going be experience in the ED that I'm going to benefit from the most.

[sfsn]

I think getting your EMT/medic cert would help to familiarize you with 1st responder and code situations, but it is true that medics and RNs have different roles and responsibilities. In many instances, medics' knowledge and skill base goes beyond that of RNs, and vice versa. They overlap and complement each other. My advice would be to take courses that address the nurse role, such as TNCC, ENPC, EKG and dysrhythmia interpretation, etc. These would probably prepare you better and you can get a better feel for what to expect as an RN in the ED.