difference emt and nurse

For fun here; to many nurses, EMTs are just "ambulance drivers," yet to many EMTs, nurses are just butt wipes.

What you should take will depend on what you're wanting to do. If you're just wanting to be prepared for disasters, bugging out, getting hurt out in the wilderness, etc. then go the EMT route. Last August I sat through a first responder class (was already trained at the paramedic level) and found it to be mostly crap. In short it was first aid with a few extra tools thrown in.

People always make the comparison between skill sets, and that changes slightly from state to state. Traditionally, between CNAs, LPNs, RNs, EMTs, and Paramedics, the RNs earn the most in salary.

To make it as concise as I understand it, if you took a shiney new RN and a shiney new Paramedic the RN would probably be better at managing your renal failure while the Paramedic would probably be better at managing a bullet hole in your chest. This of course assumes that both have access to the tools of their respective trades.

Basic EMTs really learn nothing more than some rudimentary anatomy, and treating traumatic injuries with bandages, splits, etc, and using oxygen and AEDs. EMT is really just a drawn out first responder course so in that added time they can go more in depth and teach some more complex spinal immobilization techniques, etc. Of course there's some assessment skills learned as well. Paramedics learn more pathophysiology about certain acute conditions and trauma, pertinent pharmacology, more assessment, and giving shots, IVs, reading heart rhythms, defibrillating, surgical and other airways, chest decompressions, etc.

I don't have a clue what LPNs actually learn, and I can't speak for RNs either because I've never been trained as one. However, I can say that there's more "science" behind what they learn, or I hope so anyway. I know the RN/BSN program I start in a couple of weeks as a second degree includes specific courses in assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology along with prerequisite anatomy and physiology courses. The pharm and patho are actually what I'm looking forward to.

Plenty of EMTs and Paramedics become nurses and plenty of nurses become EMTs and Paramedics.

Guy did a great job of explaining the differences between EMTs/Paramedics and RNs. If your question is do you need to have paramedic training to be an RN, the answer is a resounding no. Hospital patients have been stabilized in the field by medics or EMTs. If your career path involves flight nursing, you'll undergo quite a bit of training for that after you've done your time in critical care, so even then, paramedic training might be helpful, but isn't necessary.

EMT-Basic is just that, basic. You will do a lot of gopher work for your medic, take vital signs, assist with extrication, and drive. You will learn a lot on the job regarding illness and trauma and patient assessment however. Field experience in invaluable. That being said, an intelligent RN is better trained an intelligent EMT-B (I say intelligent because we all know some really bad ones of each).

Now if you want to talk about Paramedic and RN, well I am a little bias being a medic myself. The training is similar yet very different. As a medic, I am trained to treat acute AND chronic illness as well as trauma. We are trained in pharmacology and pathophysiology. In addition, we have to develop independent critical thinking skills. I am not saying RNs do not have these skills, it is just different how we utilize them. In an emergency or critical care type case, a good paramedic is worth their salt. Give me a medic over an RN any day for an emergency (except flight nurses or PHRNs, both excellent usually).

Where an RN will whoop on our butts is continuity of care and long-term management. I give any good RN all the credit in the world. They manage patients that I wouldn't want to spend five minutes with let alone five days or five weeks. They know a lot of really great medications and are amazing at assisting with the healing process. I think that is the biggest difference between us. Nursing is not medicine and medicine is not nursing, despite a good bit of overlap. I was trained to care about the psychosocial aspect but not as much as an RN.

This is just my experience and I do respect a good RN and would hope you respect a good medic.

Well I can see that the above writer has a big ego about himself. Actually, nurses, emt's, and Paramedics do a very similar job. That job is patient care. I'm a basic emt and have been for years. I enjoy my job and have never been a gopher for any medic, do we help the medic? Yes we do but without an emt a paramedic would be lost. Paramedics and emt's work as a team to take care of patients. Alot of paramedics get god complex once they get there certifications. That makes pt care harder for everyone involved. I've known alot of medics good and bad but a paramedic is only as good as his emt. Ps....I also have a business degree. And for the interested party above, in order to be a paramedic you must become an emt program. You can also use a bridge program to become a nurse.

wow... cannot believe it has been a year since that post.

i volunteered in the ER and enjoyed every minute of it... looks like i am heading that direction.

anyway, good information and thanks for the knowledge. putting it in my back pocket.