EMT in Nursing School

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Jan 14, 2012

i'm starting my nursing classes on 1/23/12 and this is a career change for me. i have been a volunteer emt for 25 years so the medical field is not foreign to me. i'm coming over from a field that is non-medical.
my questions are as follows:
1. i've been told not to mention to the instructors that i'm an emt. apparently they hold that against you and make it harder for you.
2. what pitfalls should i be aware of and avoid as an emt-rn student? over confidence in my medical knowledge seems to be an obvious one.
3. what benefits will this experience bring me?
thanks!

1. only talk about it if asked. dont be one of those people who sit in class who say "well since im an emt blah blah blah blah blah" is all anyone will hear. ems has its similarities to nursing but they are different. there is a girl in our class who lets just say runs her mouth constantly about being an emt and..its just not cute. dont be that person :)

2. the thinking is a bit different. where in the field you are used to doing things "quick and dirty" to get the patient the care they need, nursing is a bit more thought out so to speak. there are things you know , and know well. just dont get discouraged when u come across something that you thought you knew but didnt. thats why your in school right? to learn ! :)

3. benefits- your patient assessment skills will be top notch, vital signs should be a breeze, charting should be familiar, but every place does it differently, you get your bearings. over all i think you'll be fine, you have a solid medical base and it will benefit you as you go thru school and get some of the "finer" patients that some of your classmates have never been exposed to

be proud of your prior accomplishments. a few limited emts get into trouble because they act arrogant and know it all. you don't sound like you will have that problem. most nurses appreciate what you will bring to the mix

couldnt agree more! :)

♑ Capricorn ♑ · Jan 14, 2012

I'm starting my nursing classes on 1/23/12 and this is a career change for me. I have been a volunteer EMT for 25 years so the medical field is not foreign to me. I'm coming over from a field that is non-medical.
My questions are as follows:
1. I've been told not to mention to the instructors that I'm an EMT. Apparently they hold that against you and make it harder for you.
2. What pitfalls should I be aware of and avoid as an EMT-RN student? Over confidence in my medical knowledge seems to be an obvious one.
3. What benefits will this experience bring me?
Thanks!

My husband is a Paramedic/firefighter for over 20+ years now, and is stubborn as a bull but has a heart of a lion! :lol2: Although, he has no intentions of going to nursing school. He's great at what he does and knows his stuff, and knows what he is doing every second when he's working. With that much experience, you learn more than what you've been trained for, as you may know. Experience trumps education, in his case. He's seen alot, done alot and has experienced ALOT while working. This goes without saying because you are living it each and every day, so you do know how it is. With that said...

It would be wise to admit that you DON'T know everything. You'll need to align your thinking to that of a NURSE, and not an EMT. Nursing school will teach you to think and act like a nurse. In nursing, your scope of practice will broaden and you will learn much more than what you already do know. Allowing yourself to be humble and open-minded during your nursing school experience will allow to learn much, much more. You may get a new or different perspective on what you already do know.

Q&A 1. This is a personal choice. I wouldn't say ALL instructors will treat you any differently. If that was the case, then they would also have to treat LPNs differently, as well. You'd have to determine who to share this information with, with your own judgement of your instructor.

Q&A 2. Confidence and being assertive is acceptable. Being a know-it-all, isn't. You do already know alot, that goes without saying. Civility and respect will get you far.

Q&A 3. LOTS! Your EMT experience and knowledge is NOT disposable. No one can take that away from you. You already are familiar with nurses and doctors, and how they work. You see what they do each day you work. You are at an advantage by how much you know and who you know. Keep in touch with those who can help you in school and after graduation.

One of my husband's friends first started as an EMT, then went on to be a paramedic. Eventually, he went to nursing school and graduated and became a nurse. He still does work for an ambulance service part-time as an RN, and still runs the calls just as a paramedic would. Although, he does work full-time in the ER as an RN and enjoys that too. So, don't think you'll have to give up EMS completely, unless if thats what you want.

I wish you the best of luck in school. :)

Deredain · Jan 14, 2012

Thank you all for your comments. All of these thoughts were bouncing around in my head, but it is nice to hear someone else say them and validate them.

I'd like to think that I'm far from cocky in my skills, abilities and knowledge and I know that I won't be the one there disagreeing with the instructor. I think the minute that any of us think we know it all, a patient has a way of coming along to show us that we don't!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Jan 14, 2012

remember that ems and nursing are not on the same ladder, so to speak-- so many people think, ems-lpn-rn-np-pa-md, and it's not a continuum at all. nursing has its own language not just because it's a separate field but because it has a separate science and culture; if you want to be a nurse, you are entering a different culture and a different scientific framework. sure, there are overlaps, largely in skills but in some assessments (which are skills too); but never, ever mistake what a nurse does for what a nurse is. you could be forgiven for thinking you know the difference (many people think they do, even nurses) but... you'd be mistaken.

you sound like an thoughtful and well-read student. i'd recommend that you get yourself a copy of the north american nursing diagnosis-international (nanda-i) and read the introductory chapters after you skim the chapters (you'll see what i mean when you flip through it). it will give you a real leg up on your nursing-naive classmates. welcome to nursing.

Cindy Samborski · Jan 15, 2012

I think you have made a great career choice. I don't think that instructors will hold it against you that you are an EMT. I think it is great experience for nursing school. What you are going to find out, is that being an EMT is completely different than being a nurse. You are going to need to separate what you know, which is most likely engrained in your mind to entirely new type of thinking. Keep things in perspective and try to learn cleanly. After you are in school for a semester this will all make better sense to you. Good luck in your endeavor. Cindy Samborski RN MSN MHA

aachavez · Jan 20, 2012

I had an EMT license a few years ago, and was soooo incredibly dissapointed I couldn't find a job without experience... BUT some of the knowlege I do still retain has been helpful, abbreviations, terminology etc. With 25 years under your belt, that's definelty a plus! I mentioned to my A&P proffesor that I had been an EMT (he asked us to tell him about ourselves) and he said Great! I have a lab assistant! lol... I'm in an RN program now, but there's alot of LPN-RN bridge students going as well. And they KNOW EVERYTHING ... :uhoh3: Just don't be that arrogant guy that everyone can't stand.. you'll do great!

CaliYoopSN · Jan 21, 2012

Deredain,

I am in my second semester and was an EMT for a couple of years in a metropolitan/major city out west before moving out of state for nursing school, and let me tell you, you will have some definite advantages over some of your less experienced classmates (exam on assessment/vital signs=CAKE FOR EMT, stress for everyone else), you will also have a few disadvantages (your first semester? demoted to CNA). Here's some answers to your questions based on a few of my own observations/experiences as an EMT-turned-SN:

1)"Why the hell am I the only one doing patient transfers in this clinical?!?"

My clinical instructor definitely was harder on me than my classmates because of my background. I definitely did a lot of the lifting simply because i knew how to do it safely, while my classmates looked like they were going to throw their backs out. My care plans looked like a first grade art project when i got them back. At the time, I was irritated, annoyed, and vented about it to my classmates while sending telepathic rage thoughts to my instructor after he singled me out during clinic. However, the reality is that the first semester is a lot of stuff you already know...my clinical instructor was attempting to help me grow as a future nurse, not give me an easy way out.

Even if you don't mention it, your skills and previous knowledge will clue them in to your background. personally, i was able to draw from my experiences and get answers to things i didn't understand in the field from real nurses.

I highly encourage you to draw from your background to maximize your potential in school. True, you could just omit your background and cruise through your first semester, but the only person you're cheating there is yourself. You're paying for it, so why not take full advantage of the edge you have and allow the professors to challenge you and push you to be better?

2) Previous medical knowledge: a double edged sword

On one hand, you already know stuff, so some parts you'll be trucking through....on the other hand, the stuff you know is woefully short of what you will need to know as a nurse, and now you have to reprogram your brain. EMS is a very specific skill set that focuses on treatments in critical situations. you drop off the patient and hope things go ok, and go on to your next call. now you are being asked to follow through and see what the long term holds in store for your patient.

there is a lot to be said about this, but basically, as an EMT I relied on protocol, training, and the directions of higher medical authorities to dictate how I got from A to B. As I progress through, it has dawned on me that one day, I WILL BE THE HIGHER MEDICAL AUTHORITY, and I will be the one who has to dictate what to do to others..and be held accountable if I dictated a poorly chosen course of action. Crap...

hope this helps!