EMT to RN?

[FutureRNMichael]

What does everyone think about first becomind a EMT before pursuing Nursing school?

The reason I am considering this:

1- Maturity - EMT work would be a excellent help in gaining maturity in the workplace.

2- Experience - Experience as an EMT would be great exp. for myself if I decided to pursue a career in ER or other areas.

3- Money - I make $7 an hour now... I would make more as an EMT hopefully enough to save so I could get into a BSN program.

Amongst other things...

What type of schooling does an EMT have to take and for how long?

How is the job market for EMT's?

[Guest 360983]

I used to be an EMT-B but I let it lapse after I left the military. I couldn't find a job that paid more than $8/hr in the area I was living, so before you go to school, research salaries in your area.

For the basic EMT certification, you can probably find a 3 or 4 credit one semester class at a community college, so it's not a terribly long process.

I'm in a funny position as an EMT who mostly worked in a doctor's office and also spent some time doing CNA type work but never went in ambulances. I can tell you that being an EMT will help your assessment skills but most EMT stuff won't directly translate to nursing. Half of my training was emergency stuff and half was patient care. I used much more patient care than emergency stuff in my day to day job.

I don't think being an EMT-B before nursing school is bad, but it's not like you learn meds or IVs or anything as one. (I'm not knocking EMTs--you guys are awesome!!)

[miss_vtRN]

It's a great way to get experience and I think it is wise to let yourself mature and approach nursing school with a little bit of experience...it made nursing school SO much less stressful for me! I was an EMT-I for three years after high school and took community college classes on the side...A+P, Chem, electives...and they transferred right into my ADN program...allowing me to obtain my BSN in three years! If you take community college classes for transfer credit you can save a TON of money, too.

[Pneumothorax, BSN, RN]

i say go for it.

im doing EMT-B before i start nursing in the fall- the flight nursing program here requires u to be a paramedic on top of being a nurse so im getting some of it out of the way.

its really up to you if u want to do it, but i think it would give u great hands on experience and u can make some $$ workin in the hospital as an ER tech :)

good luck