EMT or CNA while waiting for nursing program

[amanda_leigh0221]

Hello, I want to go into a nursing program in my area but I have a lot of prereq's that I need to take before I can apply to the nursing program. I know once you apply to the nursing program it can take two years to actually get in so I was thinking about either getting my CNA or becoming a EMT. I can get my prereq's done, work and get some experience while waiting to get into the nursing program. But I am not sure if I should get my CNA or go the EMT route. Any advice on which way I should go would be very helpful.

Thanks!

[WorkinTheStreets]

Since I'm an EMT, I'll say EMT. Depends on where you want to be after graduation...I like EMT because I get to handle many type of patients from GSW to psych...sometimes with paramedics, sometimes without. I work outside and am always somewhere different doing something different. If you have a volly EMS organization in your area, you could go there as well. EMS jobs may be limited in your area...on a trip near a local hospital, see what ambulances are going into the ER. EMT jobs can be broken into two basic catagories, EMS and Transport. EMS usually requires some level of experience and transport usually not. Some systems are busy, some are not. By me, CNA jobs seem to be limited to nursing homes...as the hospitals haven't been hiring them. Working EMS I triage/treat/transport about 11-15 patients in a 12 hour shift, don't have to change diapers, and don't have to deal with **s*oles more then about 20 minutes. The down side is that the biggest pts are never on the ground floor, the deepest puddle is always the one you don't see and if something can go wrong...chances are it will. Good luck.