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Discussion

Does Medic Experience Count?

Hey there,

I'm new to the forum but love the blogs/educational opportunities and discussions and hope to offer as much help as I received here during nursing school.

I just had a question. I've been a medic for about 8 years. Has anyone had any experience with going from medic to RN and whether they will compensate you for your time as a medic or not?? Like when I start applying for a nursing job is that something they will take into consideration you think? Any ideas on the best negotiation strategies in this situation. I'm having a hard time understanding why I'm fixing to get a huge pay cut going from medic to nursing after I just busted my tail for a year. I understand it's a completely different beast, however much of my knowledge and skill set will be much more evident vs a traditional grad. I really love my job as a medic but just want to go home to the fam every night instead of working 24 hr shifts. Plus nursing is much more stable and lobbied?? hope i spelled that right. lol.

Thoughts?

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    It really just depends on the field. Obviously in an acute setting such as ER, urgent care, occ health clinic, you would be sought after highly, in my opinion. But as someone else stated, don't try to make your new nursing career fit into your role as a medic. You have to leave it at the door and develop the cognitive side of assessment. Not that medics don't use that also, but honestly, being a really good medic does not make you a decent nurse. If you have trouble separating the two, you will implode.

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    I just had a question. I've been a medic for about 8 years. Has anyone had any experience with going from medic to RN and whether they will compensate you for your time as a medic or not?? Like when I start applying for a nursing job is that something they will take into consideration you think?

    Is it healthcare experience? Yes.

    Is it RN experience? No. When you graduate, you're as much of a new grad as the rest of them because you have zero RN experience. That being said, as I tell the LVN-RNs, you can use your prior healthcare experience to sell yourself as the better choice over new grads without any healthcare experience.

    Will hospitals compensate you for your time as a medic? IMO, I wouldn't bank on it, not in this economy. If they do end up giving you credit for it, consider it a pleasant surprise.

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    I'm an RN with 18 years EMS experience (as an AEMT). There are very distinct differences between the 2 "worlds".

    There are some things from EMS which have definitely contributed to my success as an RN...

    • Scene size-up and scene safety - and my "scene" can be room with the patient and/or family members. Learning to look at the whole picture and not just see/ hear the patient. Identifying hazards to myself or my co-workers. Positioning myself with an "escape route".
    • The ability to remain calm and think clearly no matter what is presented to me. The speciality I work has very few "true" emergencies from my perspective, but to the patients and their families this may be the biggest "emergency" they have ever faced. This skill cannot be taught in the classroom, it is learned through experience.
    • People skills or how to play well with others... In EMS, having good people skills can make the difference between a safe scene and a not so safe scene. It also allows me to work with people to get the information I need to effectively care for them.
    • The ability to adapt to whatever is presented with me. I have to consider available resources and how to best use them. And if I don't have what I think I need, I have to be able to figure out what I can improvise with my scope of practice, protocols and what is appropriate for that patient.

    These are just a few of things that come to my mind. It all depends on how you approach nursing (as with anything), but EMS experience can be an asset in nursing.

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