CNA/SurgTech/Paramedic?

RunBabyRN · Jun 16, 2014

CNA would be your best bet. It won't give you credits, but it'll give you good and applicable experience with a focus that's nursing-related, rather than pre-hospital related like paramedics.

Were you an Army medic, or in a non-medical area of the Army? If you were, you can potentially work as a medical assistant of CNA without bothering with the class.

Also, when checking out RN and LPN programs, contact them to find out if they offer any kind of veteran's preference, and if so, what it is. They vary, and are not generally listed on their websites, but some programs offer them. I was lucky enough to get in this way.

You can apply, even if you aren't yet out of the Army. As long as you'll have discharged before school starts, you'll be fine.

Good luck!

InfantryVet2014 · Jun 16, 2014

CNA would be your best bet. It won't give you credits, but it'll give you good and applicable experience with a focus that's nursing-related, rather than pre-hospital related like paramedics.
Were you an Army medic, or in a non-medical area of the Army? If you were, you can potentially work as a medical assistant of CNA without bothering with the class.
Also, when checking out RN and LPN programs, contact them to find out if they offer any kind of veteran's preference, and if so, what it is. They vary, and are not generally listed on their websites, but some programs offer them. I was lucky enough to get in this way.
You can apply, even if you aren't yet out of the Army. As long as you'll have discharged before school starts, you'll be fine.
Good luck!

I actually was not a medic or 68 series, at all. My only experience relating to the field--pre-military--was an EMT-B course I took and volunteering at a nursing home.

From my research, I can see that the CNA certification should probably be my first stop, and I agree with your line of reasoning on that.

Does work performed in a CNA position count toward the experience requirement for nursing graduate school?

RunBabyRN · Jun 16, 2014

I actually was not a medic or 68 series, at all. My only experience relating to the field--pre-military--was an EMT-B course I took and volunteering at a nursing home.
From my research, I can see that the CNA certification should probably be my first stop, and I agree with your line of reasoning on that.
Does work performed in a CNA position count toward the experience requirement for nursing graduate school?

CNA experience doesn't count for much on paper once you get into nursing school and beyond, but again, the experience itself does help. When you are looking for nursing jobs or applying to master's programs, it won't matter at all, really.

While in school, you'll remember stuff from your EMT course as well. Have you kept the cert current? You could always work as an EMT until you get your CNA cert.

BusyBee91 · Jun 16, 2014

If you're still certified as a EMTB, you might be able to bridge to CNA. You can in Maryland. Also, I've seen job postings for CNAs with EMT certs in places where high acuity patients are common (shock trauma).. And I'd bet they make more than your regular CNAs.

InfantryVet2014 · Jun 16, 2014

CNA experience doesn't count for much on paper once you get into nursing school and beyond, but again, the experience itself does help. When you are looking for nursing jobs or applying to master's programs, it won't matter at all, really.
While in school, you'll remember stuff from your EMT course as well. Have you kept the cert current? You could always work as an EMT until you get your CNA cert.

I have not kept my EMT cert current, at all.

Another angle I was thinking of, was applying to an LPN adult education night program. During the freshman year, and first semester of my sophomore year. It would take 13 months, but I would be able to work part-time in a full nursing role during the rest of my BSN.

The drawbacks are that I would be strapped for time during the first 1.5 years of my BSN and some of the coursework would probably become redundant.

The positives are that I would be a real, live working nurse with some experience upon graduating.

Is this ill-advised? Am I overreaching? I just really want to get my feet wet (or simply immerse myself) in this field as soon as possible. :-\

RunBabyRN · Jun 16, 2014

Is there an LPN-BSN bridge program in your area? I've heard that they exist in the world, though I'm not familiar with any. It might be a good way to skip having to go through some of the same material in a BSN program. Do a little research.

Working during a BSN program is TOUGH. I tried it in the beginning, but my boss wasn't very understanding, and I really had no choice but to quit. People do it (plenty are CNAs), so it can be done, but it's definitely not easy. Also, be aware that even LPN time is not counted as nurse experience when you're looking for an RN position, though I would have to imagine you'd get some leg up for LPN experience.

Look at the long-term costs of going the LPN route then the BSN route. It may cost you more time and money in the long run. Also, look into veteran programs (GI Bill and the VA's vocational rehab program, if you're 30% disabled or more).

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2014

Well, I would not go the paramedic route because that will be at least another year and a few weeks on top of nursing school. This is assuming that you find an EMT program that is less than 1 month long The average EMT program one seems to range 6 weeks to eighteen weeks depending on whether it's at a vocational school or through a community college. It is possible to find 2 week classes but I don't recommend that. Depending your Army background and state rules, you may be able to challenge the test. Some let them challenge paramedic tests but those are fewer and far between.

Then after you complete your EMT class, you need to find a paramedic program to take you. Some will take students right away before they even pass the test whereas others require experience. Sometimes a year of EMT experience before they will consider you. Not to mention a lot of paramedic schools require anatomy although many will consider accepting nursing anatomy classes.

I don't really recommend doing the paramedic route. I did it because I was able to complete my EMT during nursing school and I was supposed to have a year off between the waiting list start date. Unfortunately, my school moved my start date up because they decided to do away with the waiting list. I would focus on your grades instead of worrying about your paramedic tests and clinicals.

The EMT route with experience on a fire department that did primary 911 transport allowed me to get into the ER as a patient care tech and then work as a paramedic in an ER after I had my license. This opened up the door to being an inside hire for an ICU and then I quit and was hired in at an ER.

Paramedic can be good but it can be bad. It can be a waste of time if you don't have any desire to do anything with it. It can also be hard to transition from the paramedic mode to RN mode. A lot of people also struggle in paramedic school and it's not a cake walk. It's easier than nursing school but it's not easy. I do not recommend doing the programs at the same time or doing pre-reqs while attempting a program.

Paramedic clinicals are also different. You have to have so many hours set by the state and so many case studies set by the school. Like I had to do X number of IV sticks, assess x amount of OB patients, X amount of peds, etc. You keep on going till you complete all the requirements whereas in nursing you meet once a week. Most of us ended up going twice a week for close to a year to get in all the hours and the amount of experience. Then my state had an externship at the end which required more hours and I had to do close to 3 or 4 days a week to get the hours in the time frame. A lot of people had to pay extra to extend their time frame due to personal commitments.

That's not a guarantee of a job though. Surgical tech may be beneficial if you want to work in an OR but only if you can get into a program before you start nursing clinicals.