emt-basic good idea to get it before i apply to an ER/ED?

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Hi there,

Here is my life dream, flight nurse, from what i have read and seen online... i would put that at a 6 year goal. (as in 6 years from now)

Currently I am a level 3/4 student in an ADN program. I recently certified for ACLS and PALS.

I am trying like mad to get into an ER/ED as a tech, for the next 9 months of school, so that I can pre-orient to the ER. There is only one hospital in austin that hires GNs. They don't have room for me as a tech right now.

My scheme is to do an online EMT-B course (it's self paced with a 2 week clinical / skills session at the end of your coursework) The cost is only $750 and i could do the online portion concurrently with my last semester of RN school. This would land me in the position to graduate in May of 09 and then a few weeks later certify for my EMT-B, before i start applying to hospitals.

It will take 30 days before they will let me take my NCLEX anyway, so this is just dead time that i can fill.

Do you think that this would make me a more attractive candidate having the EMT-B and being an GN (or an RN with no otj experience after i take the NCLEX)??

I plan on taking a btls/itls class if i can get into one in my area and i also have contacts at the heart hospital who will let me sit in on TNCC, EKG, other nursing education classes.

Is this a logical pathway that i am taking? Honestly... i just can't get a job as a med/surg nurse, that isn't the kind of care giver i am. its just not for me. I could see myself taking a spot in ICU, CCU, but in my heart i know that ER is where i am supposed to be right now. It suits my personality and my desire for intensity.

Any advice? I'm all ears!

Is it a bad idea to take this online course? It prepares you for the National Registry. Is it important to take the national? or is it acceptable to just get a state license?

thanks for your time!

jimi

here is a link to the website http://www.trainingdivision.com/

EMT training does not emphasize any in hospital modalities nor do you learn any techniques that you do not already know as a nurse (or should know), with the exception of EMS operations.

I have to disagree.

In working in the ER- it may help you to take the EMTB course because this will give you a working knowledge of some of the equipment that patients are brought in with (I never saw a traction splint in NS!).

You also learn how to insert combitubes and other basic airway adjuncts that aren't covered in nursing courses (aside from maybe fleetingly speaking of them in lecture).

The EMTB course also helps to reiterate some helpful emergency information that would coincide with your nursing care (shock, burns, basic trauma care, etc.). It also provided knowledge of first aid care for emergency patients.

Although simply having the certification may not help you as much as having actual EMTB experience, it is another cert. (and set of knowledge) that you could have over your peers- and this could get your resume to the top of the stack.

Good luck and remember to focus on the RN first and foremost and that the EMTB cert. will require study time as well.

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May learn about combitubes. Advanced airway adjuncts are not part of the core curriculum for the EMT-B. Many states may allow Basic EMT's to place advanced airway devices; however, this is not a requirement of the NTSB NSC. In addition, the OP has taken both an ACLS and PALS course. Basic airway management and advanced airway adjuncts should have been touched in these courses. Both the Conbitube and LMA are recognized by AHA as alternatives to ET intubation, so these devices should be covered in an ACLS course. I find that most of us lack the ability to successfully manage an airway with basic adjuncts and BLS procedures. EMT-B training or not. This is one of the reasons courses such as SLAM are very popular and highly recommended IMHO.

I stand by my statement. Basic EMT courses really do not emphasize in hospital modalities and techniques. The focus really is on advanced first aid and learning the basic concepts of EMS operations.

Again, I am not against EMT-B training for nurses. It is a good way to at least have a basic understanding of EMS operations. This knowledge will help you when you deal with EMS providers and some types of EMS equipment; however, I still say the emphasis should be on nursing school, passing NCLEX, and obtaining solid nursing experience.

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Specializes in Trauma/ED.

Funny, I always thought you had to have your RN before you could take PALS or ACLS? Learn something every day. I love the OP's ambition...I'm sure you will do great in the ED. FYI...I just had two friends who recently left our dept to work for Lifeflight neither one had CCRN or prehosp experience (or even ICU experience for that matter).

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Specializes in med/surg---long term---pvt duty.

Here's MHO.....IF you can do it...go for it. It never hurts to get more knowledge. I don't think it will help you much in getting an ER job but what it will do is help you to understand what an EMT/Paramedic does.

I took Paramedic training many years ago before I became an RN and let me tell you...they are 2 TOTALLY DIFFERENT WORLDS!!! Any nurse that says he/she can do what a EMT/P can do and any EMT/P that says he/she can do what a nurse can do are fooling themselves. To expect a nurse to perform duties while kneeling in the driving rain or snow on the side of the road with 20+ people screaming "HELP HIM--DO SOMETHING" while praying that the fire dept puts out the fire or notices the gas running toward you leg is a bit much.....just as it isn't realistic to expect a medic to walk onto a med/surg floor and take over doing patient care. I AM NOT putting down either one..it is just a different way to go about patient care. I have heard many nurses say "He's just a paramedic" or a medic say "stupid nurses" (and that's being nice!!). They each specialize in what they do and most are great at it.

I think that every EMT/P and nurse should trade roles at least one time in their career..they would have a whole new repect for each other and their role in taking care of the patient....

Since it seems that you are a "trauma junkie" (absolutely no offense intented) you may find you enjoy EMT/P and could become a medic for you local fire dept/ambulance service if available as a PT job. My state of PA has a Pre-Hospital RN position where you are a RN certified in pre-hospital care. Most of our fight nurses take that training.

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Hi there,

I recently obtained my RN licensure and I am in a similar position as you. I currently volunteer for a fire department and work for an ambulance. I am a first responder which in my state is called the EMT part 1. You take the second part and obtain licensure as an EMT-B. I asked if I could challenge the EMT test but in my state you can't challenge it. As the guy that i talked to at the DOH said "Jesus Christ can't challenge this test so you definately can't". If you are able to challenge the test I would suggest NOT challenging it. There is alot of stuff in EMS that varies from nursing. The trauma would be the big difference (treating/assessing/stabalizing/etc.). Also just little things that may hang you up like when you need to call medical command and when you don't. National licensure is always a good idea with any EMS class. I would focus on nursing school right now but the classes you were talking about are all good classes. I have taken the BTLS and Peds BTLS courses. My state also allows for people to challenge and become a PHRN (prehospital RN). The requirements in my state are EMT for a couple of years, ACLS, PALS, BTLS, PHTLS, and a couple others.

First off I would focus on nursing school but that's my opinion. Don't challenge EMT-B. I have heard (at least in my area) that being part of EMS (whether first responder, EMT-B, or EMT-P) increases your chances significantly of being hired immediately over other new RN's.

Hope this helps.

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Specializes in Flight RN, Trauma1 CVICU STICU MICU CCU.

Well thank you all for the replies.

I registered and am awaiting my book from trainingdivision.com

I talked with the EMS director and it sounded like a great program. Good luck to all and thanks again!

hopefully I can finish this course by December... which will give me a few months to be applying and interviewing for an ER tech position, until i graduate!

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Here's MHO.....IF you can do it...go for it. It never hurts to get more knowledge. I don't think it will help you much in getting an ER job but what it will do is help you to understand what an EMT/Paramedic does.

I took Paramedic training many years ago before I became an RN and let me tell you...they are 2 TOTALLY DIFFERENT WORLDS!!! Any nurse that says he/she can do what a EMT/P can do and any EMT/P that says he/she can do what a nurse can do are fooling themselves. To expect a nurse to perform duties while kneeling in the driving rain or snow on the side of the road with 20+ people screaming "HELP HIM--DO SOMETHING" while praying that the fire dept puts out the fire or notices the gas running toward you leg is a bit much.....just as it isn't realistic to expect a medic to walk onto a med/surg floor and take over doing patient care. I AM NOT putting down either one..it is just a different way to go about patient care. I have heard many nurses say "He's just a paramedic" or a medic say "stupid nurses" (and that's being nice!!). They each specialize in what they do and most are great at it.

I think that every EMT/P and nurse should trade roles at least one time in their career..they would have a whole new repect for each other and their role in taking care of the patient....

Since it seems that you are a "trauma junkie" (absolutely no offense intented) you may find you enjoy EMT/P and could become a medic for you local fire dept/ambulance service if available as a PT job. My state of PA has a Pre-Hospital RN position where you are a RN certified in pre-hospital care. Most of our fight nurses take that training.

I do have to point out that you did not compare a EDRN with a paramedic (which by the way I agree is different) but to compare a paramedic to a med-surg nurse is a no brainer that they are different.

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Specializes in med/surg---long term---pvt duty.

Very true...you bring up a good point....

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, ICU.
Yeah; however, we are talking about a nursing student who wants to look at EMT-B as a way to give him an advantage at nailing a job in the ER as a new grad or working as an ER tech to gain a bit of ER experience. The said courses and credentials are unreasonable expectations for a new grad RN. You cannot even send in an application to take the CCRN without documented critical care experience. Taking a paramedic course while finishing nursing school is an unreasonable expectation and quite frankly, a recipe for disaster IMHO. NRP may be a course to consider and CEN as a new grad is a bit unrealistic without some ER experience.

Yeah sorry, he said he wanted to be a flight nurse, I was just giving a more flight nurse reccomendation

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

8flood8 how are things going? I must have missed this thread that you started in September because I am a nurse and and EMT and I did work in the ER as a tech for 6 months until I got a job on a med/surg floor so I just want to chime in on this subject.

I think it is very important to your career if you want to work in an ER to get your EMT-B and become a tech. I learned so much there even though I had already gone thru an LVN program. And the EMT class taught me much too. It was a breeze for me to do that class because I already had a year of nursing school under my belt but there were new things there that I hadn't learned in nursing school. And when I became an ER tech I got plenty of practice at CPR and wound care and dressing changes. It was great experience for me for going on to med/surge where I would have to do wound care and dressing changes.

I spoke with another nurse in our ER and he said that he's talked to many a nurse who said they were sorry to have given up their EMT once they became a nurse so don't let it go.

I am really proud to have both and the big plus is that I am on the county disaster list for the fires when they come again. ;) (because they surely will in So Cal)

I hope you can stop by and give us all an update on your situation. I encourage you to go for it! :)

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

I vote try to work at a tech (CNA 2) instead.

My experience- an EMT-basic is a driver, unless it is a simple case that will go to triage when rolling in the door, or unless they need someone to do compressions. Paramedics will do the rest.

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Specializes in Flight RN, Trauma1 CVICU STICU MICU CCU.

Thanks for checking in :) I am currently about 8 chapters away from turning in all my paperwork. Currently I'm studying for 4th exam for nursing school, Then its gonna be hitting the EMT book hard to finish and turn it all in. I have a 2 week "skills boot camp" scheduled for the end of december. After I finish that, I just have to pass the national registry. I feel pretty confident. I've maintained well above the required averages (and compared to the previous averages - i'm covering them by at least a full letter grade on each exam). I can't tell if these tests are in any way indicative of what I will see on the national registry, but I know that my school has a 95% first time pass rate for EMT-Bs on the national exam. Hopefully, i'm fully prepared and I'll be holding my cert in january sometime! :) Since doing research and networking i've decided that I should focus more on heading towards ICU/CCU or possibly start out in Trauma Med/surg at the local level II trauma center (that's the biggest we have in our region). What I will probably do is try for an ambulance job while i'm finishing up my last semester of nursing school this spring. I have to say i'm pretty disappointed in the scope of practice of an EMT-B. In Texas, we can't do any of the ALS support that is in the last few chapters of the book. And i know its going to be hard to bite my tongue and call for ALS when I have a patient that I know i could help (like with an IV, 12 lead, or advanced airway) But ... oh well. I am decidedly not going to advance beyond a basic, I will concentrate on nursing and keep the ambulance job as a part time thing, aside from trying to work my way into ICU/CCU and eventually a helicopter. I started volunteering for a local fire department, just to get some hands on before i finish my EMT-b, but i have yet to go out on any calls... i just finished that training a few weeks ago. Although! I did get to participate in a fire academy "extrication class" that was pretty sweet learning how to cut those cars up to pull people out. I have definitely appreciated the indepth emphasis on advanced first aid and emergency decision making. Triaging life threats and the emphasis on recognition of shock, as well as splinting techniques. None of those things have been really covered in depth in my nursing school... which is a shock and a shame to me. It seems like everyone should know these basic skills. I feel definitely more well rounded than the "basic nursing skill set." Don't get me wrong i still need to practice, ALL of my skills, but i feel so ready now. That isn't to say that i'm some kind of expert, just that i'm level headed when things get thick and calm... and now i'm armed with a wide skill set. I feel so bad cause its like i'm just waiting for someone to drop in front of me... i really don't wish for anyone to get sick or hurt... i just wish i could be there when it happens!

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