becoming emt

Published

Specializes in none.

anyone became an emt while attending nursing school or while waiting to get into clinicals? i'm thinking about becoming an emt this summer to get some med experience for nursing and just to do it. i've always wanted to do it, but picked nursing as a career instead. i think it would help a little in some ways.

shawn

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The experience is quite different from nursing in many ways. Minimal hands on is done by the EMT, much more is done by the paramedic at the scene.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, EMS, Home Health, School Nursing.

I am a nurse in an ICU and I am currently in EMT school. All levels of EMT's are very hands on. The roles of an EMT and a nurse are very different.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I am a nurse in an ICU and I am currently in EMT school. All levels of EMT's are very hands on. The roles of an EMT and a nurse are very different.

True - I am both EMT and RN - EMT experience is good for anyone in going into the health field because you learn to assess and treat for emergencies (o2, control bleeding,splinting/traction/spinal injuries,MVA's,domestic abuse situations, .....) Of course paramedics will take over control as they should - but they are not on all calls.

It's a very good experience and you will learn alot and what to do in emergency situations. It's prehospital care - but it's important too.

good luck

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was an EMT for several years before starting Nursing school (was convinced to start Nursing school by an instructor at the nearby community college)..... began as a Basic, then upgraded to Intermediate (defib, IV, few meds), and then to Critical Care as I was doing the prerequisites for Nursing. By the time I started Nursing clinical rotations and classes, I was running codes in the field. The roles of Nurse and EMT are very different, but one can complement the other. As an EMT, you will learn to prioritize care and time, much as you will as a nurse. The skills are different, although some protocols (i.e., AHA BLS and ACLS) are quite similar.

As an EMT Instructor, I have found that the most difficult part for those who do both is separating the roles when doing the skill and written testing. As a nurse, you must think in those terms; as an EMT, you must think as an EMT. The other difference is money..... EMT's and Paramedic usually earn substantially less than RN's, although Firefighter/Paramedics make decent money and very good benefits/pensions in the larger metro areas.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

go for it. i liked the training. emergency care in the field.

try to work as an er tech though. youll see more. the reality of emt-b work wasnt quite what i thought it would be...alot of transporting elderly people to and from their nursing homes. actually alot of elderly people period. i was hoping for more drama and trauma myself. hopefully it's different where you are.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am an EMT (5 years) in a rural area. We are the only medics for a county of 15,000, so yes we are very hands on. I have to say the EMT experience benefited me greatly for the LPN program. Likewise, nursing school has made me a better EMT. However, while I was in EMT school, two LPN's quit that program because it was too hard for them. This is not a course you can just attend and pass. Just like nursing school, it is a very intense program. You have to study study study. I would not take this course if I had any other classes at the same time.

Because the pay IS crap, rural services are usually short handed. Who wants to pay that much money and that much time for so little pay. Every call is a learning experience for you (running a code, handling the ETOH, the scared child, etc.) you go home and analyze what you just did, learn from that the good and the bad. You are also providing your community with a much needed service. That's rewarding I think!

Sippy

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

I took EMT during the summer while I was in nursing school. It helped a lot because some things I didn't know and learned there. Then when I went back to school I knew the things they hadn't taught us and never really did teach the students. It was a great experience and I highly recommend it.

We were required to spend a day in the ER and a day on a ride-a-long in an ambulance. Unfortunately, in my area, EMT-B's are relegated to private company's and mostly do transport but still it was a good experience.

Now I have my EMT license and am applying to jobs in the ER as a tech. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, Prehospital.

I got my EMT in the summer of my first year of nursing school. It is something that has been very beneficial. I think being an EMT is very hands on and you learn a lot. I decided I wanted to do more than just the basic scope of practice and actually started back EMS classes this semester and will now finish my paramedic a month before my RN. I find it a really exciting field but you just wont make much money. I hope to be able to work full time as an ER nurse and prn as a medic. If you want to do anything like flight nursing I hear it can help you get a job doing that as well. I have also worked as an ER tech a few years and the places I have worked have allowed me to have a larger scope of practice with these certifications.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have to disagee with the statement that EMT's are minimal with hands on. EMT's here are 100% hands on. Even w/a paramedic on scene, the EMT's have a lot to do also. The paramedic is ultimately in charge and has more responsibility but that doesn't mean that if a medic is on scene EMTs do nothing.

I can't count how many times I've been on-scene w/a medic where I have done everything and the medic is doing nothing with the patient because the situation doesn't warrent paramedic interventions (when 911 is called around here, the volunteer EMS w/EMT-B, EMT-I's come out with the ambulance, the paid paramedic also responds in his/her fly car to the call but leaves if the situation does not warrent the expertise of a paramedic, or the medic will "supervise" but had no hands on.) I am not slamming medics and saying they all stand around and do nothing. What I am saying is many times because the situation doesn't need paramedic intervention, they will hang back in case another call comes in where the medic is actually needed for meds, etc. Many times our paid paramedics are all tied up with other calls, leaving the EMT-B or EMT-I the only people on scene to help, meaning total hands on and being the only ones with the patient during on scene care and transport.

I think becoming an EMT would help greatly. Many ER's around here want their techs to have either a PCA with X amount of years working OR being an EMT for much less time. So if you are interested in trauma/ER its a great way to get your foot in the door.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I got my EMT-B while taking nursing pre-reqs. The EMT class was free ;) for people willing to volunteer for their town. I wanted to see if I liked taking care of patients.

The real drama cases the paramedics do come for, but we're there first. In my town most of our patients are old people who need a ride to the hospital, but they still need someone taking care of them who is fully present for them, and that is what I love. Yes, the focus of care is different, but I don't think the fact of caring, or being fully present is different. I like giving back to my town too, but it doesn't pay enough for a career, that's for sure.

The hospitals around here like to hire EMT-Bs with some experience as ER techs.

And I've already learned how not to take too much home with me - it's kind of scary how mostly that switch flips when we've dropped off the patient.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There is an EMT in my first semester RN program and he is light years ahead of everyone else. It seems like a really great idea.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion