Does this make sense (paramedic while taking RN pre-reqs)?

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Specializes in Community Health.

I'm currently a LPN student and I'm seriously considering leaving after this first Mod...I'm doing really well in the program grade-wise, but it is incredibly expensive and the quality of education is pretty bad, especially considering the pricetag ($31,000!!) Aside from that, my end-goal is to be a flight nurse, or an ER nurse. I did the LPN route because I didn't want to sit on a waiting list and do my pre-reqs for 2 years, but I never considered the paramedic thing untill recently because I honestly thought you had to do it through the fire dept. I'm taking my EMT-B classes starting May 27th, and I've applied to a paramedic program at a college that also has an RN program. My plan is to take my pre-reqs for nursing while I'm doing the paramedic program because the paramedic program is in the evening...that way, by the time I'm done my pre-reqs should be out of the way and I can start the nursing program part-time while working as a paramedic.

Has anyone here done this before? Or, if you are just taking pre-reqs, do you think this is doable? How time consuming is it to take your pre-req courses? I don't have a job right now, but I'm hoping to get one as an EMT-B when I'm finished with that program...I am living with my parents right now so I don't have to work full time (I know, I'm lucky!) but I do have a 2 year old daughter, so I don't want to go too crazy and never see her.

If I were to take, say, 1 pre-req per semester, how long would it take to finish them? Under 2 years or more than that?

And finally, do you think this is a good idea, or will I be better off sticking with the LPN program (as far as getting employment...I know that EMT is very different from nursing)

Any feedback is appreciated!!

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Do you have any college? If not taking prereqs full time takes about two yrs. In that same amount of time you could be finished with you LPN program. Then you could to an LPN to RN.

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Specializes in ICU/UM.

I'd stick out the LPN program. It'll be so much faster than taking prereqs part-time and then still having a two year RN program to do.

Some programs have more pre-reqs than others. I had four, but many colleges will require A&P II, english, micro,etc (coreqs for me that I elected to finish before nursing classes start).

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Specializes in Community Health.

But don't you have to take the pre-reqs anyways if you bridge? :confused:

The admissions counselor did say something about 2 years of pre-reqs but then when I looked on the website it only listed a Chem101, A&P I&II and BioI&II...does that really take 2 years full time to complete?

I just figured...if I have to do them anyways I should get them out of the way now, you know?

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Specializes in ICU.
The admissions counselor did say something about 2 years of pre-reqs but then when I looked on the website it only listed a Chem101, A&P I&II and BioI&II...does that really take 2 years full time to complete?

Are there any other pre-reqs you must complete before you can enroll into the above mentioned classes? For example, at my school they won't let you take Anatomy until you have taken biology. So maybe your first semester would be something like Bio I and Chem 101, second would be A&P I and Bio II and third semester would be A&P II, and so on...

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Specializes in Community Health.

Yes there are pre-reqs to the pre-reqs...lol! This is why I went the LPN route...I didn't want to sit around doing all of the darn pre-reqs, I am more of a "hands-on" learner, and I thought that if I bridged I wouldn't have to but apparently I was wrong.

I guess I need someone to just lay it out for me...what are ALL the pre-reqs you have to take to get into an RN program? I swear I've been looking this up for like a year and can't find a straight answer! Is it just the sciences, or do you have to take electives and humanities, and all that other stuff? And again, if anyone can tell me what kind of a time commitment it is, that would be awesome!

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Specializes in ICU.

I can only tell you what I have experienced for myself. The program I am applying for requires 10 pre-reqs total:

Bio 1010

Eng 1010

Nutrition

Human Development

Human Anatomy

Eng 2020

Microbiology

Chemistry

College Algebra

Nursing Professions

Ideally, one could finish this in 2 semesters, but most take more. It has taken me 3 full term semesters and I'm finishing up the last two this summer. Once accepted, the ADN takes 4 semesters and the BSN is an additional 2. I have seen other programs in my area that require more pre-reqs, but once in the program you stay in for a shorter amount of time. In the end its usually the same amount of time overall.

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