Best route into the ER

[NoPrisoners]

After a couple of decades running my own high-stress, high-physical activity businesses, I'm a pre-nursing student who's end goal is ER nurse. I'm finishing up my pre-reqs this fall and will be applying to a bunch of ADN cc schools for a Fall 2011 start. Are there any extras I can add to help me get an ER job as a new grad? I have completed an NA course but haven't done the exam. It's not too late for me to send in the paperwork to do it. I do have a family member working for the main healthcare system in my area who's said they'll get me in to wherever I want to be, but that makes me feel a little

I've been thinking about taking an EMT-B course this fall, but it'll bump me up to 22 credits, plus money's tight so I don't want to add class expenses unless they're going to be beneficial. A few of the classes I'm taking are pre-reqs that will help me eventually move on to a BSN so they could wait. How much will working as an EMT-B help (IF I can get a job!) while I'm in school? Will it be considered more than just volunteering and completing the ACLS?

[CrazyCatLadyRN, BSN, RN]

I am kind of in the same spot you are in, except I already did the EMT-B class and I am going into my last year of a BSN program in FL. At first I wasn't really sure if I wanted to do EMT school because I wanted to spend my summer working as a nurse tech or something but I amd SOOO glad that I did it. There is so much that you don't learn in Nursing school that they teach you in EMT. Now I know that being an ER nurse is for me. There is so much basic stuff that just gets fluffed over in nursing. EMT really helped me with the basics and getting a good assessment down as well as fast charting. Sometimes after you've taken all the classes from peds, adult, to patho in nursing you forget the basics......ABC's! If you can I would definitely do EMT, you'll definitely realize if that is what you wanna do.