[ENanasca1]

Hey Everyone!

So let's say I am a Certified Practicing Midwife, I attended an accredited school of midwifery as a direct-entry student and I decide that I want to now also be an RN. Do I have to start from scratch to become an RN? I have taken several college accredited courses such as A&P. Isn't there some special program for people who already have medical experience? Like I heard EMTs and paramedics can become an RN in one year... Can I?

[Selke]

You need to contact the individual schools regarding which classes and life experience they will accept as credit towards your nursing degree. There is usually a time limit on acceptance of past coursework, such as A&P, micro, or statistics -- say, the class must have been taken within the past 5 years with a minimum grade. Remember the education for an RN is different from an EMT or paramedic with much more depth and breadth of knowledge. Experience as a CPM will not count towards an RN degree, and probably not for a MSN/ CNM, either, especially if you trained as an apprentice and did not have didactic coursework.

[Apgar10]

I'm a CPM and a graduate of a MEAC program. NONE of the credits earned through the program I did transfer because it is not accredited in the same system the community college/university system is. (Miami Dade's direct-entry midwifery program might be the exception) So I am finishing my last prereq for nursing school now...

[LynnetteCPM]

I am a CPM (Certified Professional Midwife) and now in nursing school (bsn program.) I took classes at the community college during my CPM training years that applied to the BSN. But, none of my apprenticeship hours apply directly for credit and I didn't "need" the cc classes for the CPM. The answer to your question is, I doubt it.

The course work you have done will count- but check with each school- they do have time limits.

My experience as a CPM does help indirectly. I know the language, and have a working knowledge of health assessment, charting, etc. So, it is not all for nothing.

[Apgar10]

Originally Posted by LynnetteCPM

The course work you have done will count- but check with each school- they do have time limits.

If any of the course work was done on the community college level it will count, but likely will not if it was all done through the accredited direct-entry program. The direct-entry schools are not on the same accreditation planes as community colleges. No equivalency. [Again with the disclaimer that Miami Dade is probably different because it IS a community college and the midwifery program is overseen by the nursing program.]

[LynnetteCPM]

Yes, frectis (my IRL friend) that is what I meant, the "real" college course work should count, but check those time limits! I barely skated in on >20 year old psych and soc classes.

Unfortunately, the MEAC school courses probably won't count for anything in the traditional college/univ schools. Maybe one day, but maybe not.

Don't know if any other states and schools would give credit for previous experience. Maybe just in terms of getting into a program, but not for skipping classes.

[ruralnurs]

"Like I heard EMTs and paramedics can become an RN in one year"

This is a common misconception. As those above have stated, if one has taken college classes at an accredited institution within a time period deemed by the accepting institution those classes may help. Usually it is in the "pre-requisite" classes. For example to get accepted into the nursing program where I teach one must have had many classes before they can even apply to nursing school, such as A&P.

Then nursing school has specific classes and course work that can only be taken while in the program. EMTs and Paramedics (I am teaching a student that was an EMT and graduated with one that was a Paramedic) have experience and knowledge and prioritization skills that help them immensely but they still have the 2 years (or 4 if in a BSN program) of nursing school. I was a vet tech prior to becoming a nurse and I use the skills I learned in that all the time. When I had to put an IV into a 32 week preemie born at our facility (we are a tiny hospital and don't do high risk L&D, we are 75 miles from a facility that does and this woman just walked into the ER, in labor at 8 cm, membranes just ruptured), you can bet I pulled on my experience of putting IVs into kittens!

Now some schools have advanced placement for LPNs that meet certain criteria. But I would encourage you to go if that is what you want. Even if you have to take the whole 2 or 4 years. That time will go by in your life anyway, and you will be learning things you never thought you would. But as an instructor and recent MSN grad, don't go into it with the attitude that you know this already and they can't teach you anything and they should just give you the degree. My current EMT student is really struggling because of this. She has lots of pre-hospital experience and doesn't think she should have to learn the other stuff, after all she is just going to be a emergency nurse, why should she learn psych, or OB or geriatrics. At this point her skills are great, she can put an IV into anything but I have my doubts that she will pass the NCLEX.

Go for it and good luck, just remember ALL learning is valuable!