[scubatim]

I'll post an introduction in the intro forum, but here's basically my dilemma. I'm an EMT, I've been working for about a year as one, and I am about to start at UC Davis in the Fall to get my bachelor degree in Managerial Economics. I have no interest in an office job, I primarily am getting the degree to have one so doors will be open and for the knowledge of business and economics, and I am content with health care for the most part so I would like to keep a job in it.

I've looked extensively at becoming a paramedic but every medic I talk to has either told me to look at ER, OR or flight nursing instead or to simply not do it due to the cost of medic school and the extremely terrible salary. I actually used to be pre-med, again with the intention of either doing surgery, emergency medicine or anesthesiology, but I decided that the amount of debt that doctors have to go in for a steadily decreasing salary is simply not worth the sacrifice as far as time and money. I understand that a health care job shouldn't be about money, but since money is what keeps me fed and keeps a roof over my head, I care about making a decent amount of it. As a result, I'm interested in a profession that's protected by unions. I'm also interested in nursing due to the freedom of switching specialties that you guys have, the varied shifts, and the fact that I can get a job anywhere in the country so I can live precisely where I want to. I would like to stay in emergency medicine, and I'm aware there are CCT nurses that work on ambulances, however I figure if I am going to go through the trouble of going to nursing school then I may want to try working in a hospital. I think prior ER experience is required to be a CCT nurse anyway.

My dilemma is that I'm an adrenaline junkie in the sense that I like to have a wide scope of practice (hence why I looked at medic), I want to be able to do a good amount of procedures, start lines, administer meds, have a good amount of medical knowledge as far as anatomy, physiology, etc., however I understand that nursing is not the same as EMS. Would I be satisfied doing ER nursing or perhaps OR nursing or does it sound like they wouldn't be a good fit for me? I don't mind doing the normal stuff during nursing school, since I understand you need to be exposed to every facet of the profession to be good at it, but while I think it's an excellent profession, I would prefer to stay where the action is.

As far as specifics on what college courses I've completed that may be applicable to nursing, as a result of being pre-med, I have completed one year of general chemistry, I have taken sociology, psychology, mathematics, english and the other GE stuff already, and so far my GPA is 3.92. I'm not sure if it will stay that high at Davis, it's a hard school and I try not to be arrogant, but anyway that's where I stand right now. Any advice, comments, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks!