EMT and LPN questions!

U.S.A. Tennessee

Published

Hello wonderful allnurses community! I am a pre-nursing student currently trying to wrap a couple of classes up so I can persue nursing school. I'm a junior but I have changed my majors several times, luckly I have a B or better in my sciences, english, ext ext. I have 2 1/2 years of sales experience so I have been working sales jobs and the like however recently am I wanted to actaully get some hands on action. The two options I have found are either an LPN or EMT program until I can get into nursing school. I was hoping to get some input on what path I should take or if they even make sense. My GPA is not the best but all my prereqs are Bs or higher. I am tired of sales, and at this point I don't care about money as I just want to be enjoying what I have wanted to do since I was five (medical field). I don't care how hard it is or how many hours of sleep I lose or if I have to work two jobs to get through everything, I decided that I was going to do this and aside from God directly intefering I am going to become an RN and then get my MSN. Also I mentioned that money isn't a major factor, I do have bills to pay and I am hoping to get married eventually so I do need to make enough to live on (I halved my salary with my current job an I am still managing). I was selling used cars and althought the money was great I did poorly that semester because I would skip class to finish a deal and never studied...ever. So I left car sales and got into banking (good timing I guess haha).

For people who don't want to read all my nonsense:

1) Are there any EMT to RN programs (EMT not Paramedic)

2) What do other people think who were in a similar situation

3) LPN pay is around $13.00 from what I gather, is this correct? Is there a depend for LPNs? Will this help me with Nursing at all?

4) EMT pay is around $10.00 from what I gather? Correct?

*ohh my God...I can't use the spell check function at work....I apologize in advance....there will be millions of silly spelling errors....**

nananurse3

16 Posts

Specializes in ICU, ER, Nursery, L&D, Med-Surg, Skilled.

There is not an EMT to RN program. These are totaly different fields in health care. There are however several LPN to RN programs out there. The pay for EMT maybe close depending on where you work. The pay for a new LPN that you listed may be a little high again depends on where you live. I think at one time Excelsior offered to let EMTs take the course but it is more restricted and a night mare even for nurses. I went from LPN to RN with Excelsior, passed the 1st time, but boy that was the hardest clinical and I would not want to ever do that again. My daughter is currently in an LPN program and will continue on and get her RN. My son is getting ready to start EMT school and will continue on to get his RN. They both want to get their nursing degrees and practice in different areas and I feel each will do well with the path that they have chosen. My daughter wants to have her FNP and my son wants to become a flight nurse. What you want out of nursing just depends on you and how you get there just depends on you there is no one way to get there. But YEAH for you hang in there commit to a path and you will get there.:yeah:

flightnurse2b, LPN

1 Article; 1,496 Posts

Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

my responses are in red :)

for people who don't want to read all my nonsense:

1) are there any emt to rn programs (emt not paramedic)

no. there are, in some areas, emt-p (paramedic) to rn programs. however, i have never seen an emt-b or emt-i to rn program. an emt training is an awesome thing to have under your belt. i love ems and have been a paramedic for 6 yrs.

3) lpn pay is around $13.00 from what i gather, is this correct? is there a depend for lpns? will this help me with nursing at all?

first, and pls don't take this the wrong way... when you are an lpn, you are a licensed nurse.... so you will be nursing. your post kinda implied you thought otherwise. so the answer to your question is yes, you will already be a nurse, so your transition to an rn will be a smooth one.

secondly, i am an lpn and i make $20/hr. depending on your area of the country and where you work, your pay would range upwards of $14/hr.

thirdly, there is a limited scope for lpn's in some areas of the country and others they are widely utilized (and so they should be!). but the job market includes hospitals, nursing homes, physicians offices, clinics, etc.

4) emt pay is around $10.00 from what i gather? correct?

when i was working as a paramedic, i made $12 and change plus shift differential. for an emt-b i am not sure what the pay is but i would assume depending on your area of the country $10-$15 is correct.

*ohh my god...i can't use the spell check function at work....i apologize in advance....there will be millions of silly spelling errors....**

hope that helped answer some questions. i wish you the best of luck. :)

DIVA_NURSE405

16 Posts

Specializes in MED-SURG,CARDIO/PULM, Home Health.

If your ultimate goal is to become a nurse then go the LPN way. Trust me u wont regret it I was an LPN for 1.5 yrs before going to RN school and please believe me I learned majority of my skills in LPN school it actually has made RN school much much easier. RN school is more critical thinking but if you are a good nurse you utilize critical thinking in every aspect of your work LPN or RN is doesn't matter. There are currently 2 paramedics in my class(it's an LPN-RN) program and they struggled with med-surg and mental health, but excel in critical care nursing where the LPN's are struggling so do your research and I wish u well.:p

STOWNTN

7 Posts

hope that helped answer some questions. i wish you the best of luck. :)

i'm sorry i ment to say "nursing school" i in no way ment to undermine lpns.

flightnurse2b, LPN

1 Article; 1,496 Posts

Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
I'm sorry I ment to say "nursing school" I in no way ment to undermine LPNs.

it's ok, i know you weren't! just remember that LPN's have to go to nursing school, too. :)

STOWNTN

7 Posts

yeah I have some friends who are LPNs and they were suprised at how hard nursing school was. How would you be able to go to nursing school while working as an emt? They work 24/48s here.

flightnurse2b, LPN

1 Article; 1,496 Posts

Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
yeah I have some friends who are LPNs and they were suprised at how hard nursing school was. How would you be able to go to nursing school while working as an emt? They work 24/48s here.

i worked 8 hr day shifts for the duration of the program in an outpt part of the hospital. it's a lower stress area than the ER and the hours worked well with my school schedule.

i am not sure about your state, but i know many places will hire an EMT or paramedic as a tech in the hospital, 8 or 12 hour shifts, and the pay is better than working for the county. :)

STOWNTN

7 Posts

Awesome information! Sorry about the earlier posts I was either typing them via my cell phone or on my lunch break. I'm not sure what type of work I would be most interested in. I enjoy adrenalin rushes and I enjoy something that is new everyday. I job shadowed on several occasions I never got to actually observe the operating room or an emergency room but I did get to witness how fast paced and hectic everything was and I knew from that moment I wanted to do something relating to emergencies. I know short term I want to work in the ER, long term I don't know but I am not worried about it right now, I just need to take things one step at a time. The reason I this is so important is that both the night LPN and EMT classes start sometime in September and I want to make the best possible decision for my career. I am also interesting in volunteer work in places where there is no or little health care (poor parts of the USA, third world countries ext). AHHHHHH the choices! It's scary yet exciting! I just want to actaully help people instead of convincing them that they need to go into debt to have something that they don't need. From what some of the EMT guys here have told me is that I should not have too much trouble with the EMT program as long as I study, I know with the LPN nursing school, it is tough to get into and it is a very demanding but rewarding program.

ms_orion

102 Posts

Why is it that you are using the company computer for personal E-mail? (refering to your 'spell-check option).....:uhoh21::nono::nono:

carlamac

4 Posts

I live in the Nashville area and have never made 13.00 even as a new grad. I have always made min of 15.75. Now however I was in corrections which is higher pay. I do hear that the local hospitals pay very low.

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