EMT/EMS to Registered Nursing

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I'm currently a Senior in High School, and I have gotten accepeted into Wayne State University. I am currently looking in the profession I'd like to pursue and preparing for college education. My mother was an EMT member, and I always loved her work and passion into it. I have also looked into it as well. I was wondering if I pursue a career in EMT, could I still also become an RN afterwards?

I wouldl like to pursue EMT and then after I have done what I wanted to do, could I still finish my Degree in RN?

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The EMT cert is very short (110 hours or a few weeks) and actually not really considered a career or at least not for the long term. It usually pays just above minimum wage and EMTs may do only routine transports in some areas. A volunteer EMT will probably see more "emergency" action than a paid EMT. You might have to get hired with a fire department to work 911 depending on your area. Fire Departments also would prefer a Paramedic cert.

There is no reason you can not get the EMT cert. You might be able to do volunteer work or find a part time transport job while in nursing school or whatever degree you get. But, being an EMT won't matter one way or another for becoming an RN. Being a CNA might give you a better idea about what nurses do and patient.

Just don't screw up your chance to get a college degree at Wayne State. You can easily get an EMT cert during the summer before college or after. Keep your college classes as the priority.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

Being an EMT will give you insight into one of the most difficult issues that I have dealing with as a nurse - patients known as "frequent flyers." Mostly indigent people with chronic health problems taking advantage of the system. In my locale they comprise the majority of EMT transports.

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Being an EMT will give you insight into one of the most difficult issues that I have dealing with as a nurse - patients known as "frequent flyers." Mostly indigent people with chronic health problems taking advantage of the system. In my locale they comprise the majority of EMT transports.

Your comment makes no sense since you stated "health problems". A problem needs to be addressed.

People who are homeless or do not have health insurance or inadequate health insurance are left with very few choices. Unfortunately as an EMT, the limited education provided will lead only to attitudes about these patient just being bullcrap and not worthy of an EMT and an ambulance. While there are people who abuse the EMS system, those with chronic health problems need alternative forms of care to meet their health needs rather than the typical EMS attitude towards a frequent flier. Many of these patients are no less important than the cool trauma. You also need to deal with the patient you have in front of you rather than the "what if" I get a cool code or trauma call which may or may not happen.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

yes, you can go from EMT to RN. Some nursing schools offer a special degree program for that purpose. As for pay - all the Fire Dept personnel in my city are either EMT or Paramedics and they get good pay as Firemen/women

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

It depends on the program. The one I attend has a Paramedic-to-RN bridge. EMT only counts as patient care experience points when applying to the other tracks of the program. Do your research and make sure your EMT certification will be applicable.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

OP: Are you aware that EMS personnel have more than one level? EMT can be Basic or Intermediate and then Paramedic is a higher level. Sometimes people use the terms interchangeably. Like the previous poster said, investigate

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My advice to anyone who is going into healthcare and wants to try out EMS work; do it. I have been a paramedic for 10 years and now teach EMS at our local community college. As someone else pointed out, the EMT class is pretty short, so the stakes are low. It gives you an opportunity to try out medicine without a huge investment of time and money. In my experience, providers (this includes all levels, even physicians!) who started out in EMS have better patient rapport and assessment skills, are more creative and compassionate and seem to be in their current position because they love the job.

My one word of caution, do not be surprised if a little taste of EMS completely derails your plans. It is one of those "toughest jobs you'll ever love," type of careers. This happened to me in 2002, when I got my EMT-Basic cert. I had been placed on a waitlist for an ADN program and just wanted to fill some credits with an EMT class. 2 years later I had completely forgotton about nursing school and was having a blast working on an ambulance. I'm now returning to my pursuit of nursing, not because I am dissatisfied with my current line of work, but because the combination of paramedic-nurse-educator will make me a pretty marketable triple threat.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Feel free to message me if you have specific questions about the EMT course or EMS in general.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Good for you, saraCOS!!

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It is one of those "toughest jobs you'll ever love," type of careers. This happened to me in 2002, when I got my EMT-Basic cert. I had been placed on a waitlist for an ADN program and just wanted to fill some credits with an EMT class. 2 years later I had completely forgotton about nursing school and was having a blast working on an ambulance.

I have never understood how some can think EMS is a "tough job" especially when they are having a blast.

I thought EMS was relatively easy especially with the new stretchers which made lifting a patient into the ambulance a lot easier. It was great when we got new computers, HD TV, a bigger grill and a new pool table at the station. The kitchen remodel was pretty great also. Having just one patient at a time was pretty nice. Having at least 4 Paramedics and a couple of transport EMTs show up for every call no matter how minor so you can catch up on latest gossip was great. You get to lay or sit down a lot except when you are standing at a scene gossiping. If it was a patient you didn't like because they were rude, belligerent or smelly, you just drove a little faster to dump them in the ER. If the patient was really sick or dead, you drove faster to the ER. The protocols were also pretty straight forward since there were not many diagnostics for differentials to deal with. For ALS they still also started with oxygen, monitor and IV. Any of those could be optional. If you weren't sure of something you called med control and drove a little faster to the ER.

Maybe not all EMS ambulances are like there. Some might be busier than others and some may not have a really nice station. Some don't know how nice their stations are to appreciate how great they really have it. Some might run 12 calls in a 24 hour shift but most of those will be "routine". The life saving stuff is sold like soda by EMS instructors who build up their students with the notion they are just like doctors but do what they do at 60 mph.

A nurse will have to deal with that rude, belligerent and smelly patient for hours and maybe even every shift for the next few days. They will be on their feet for most of their 8 or 12 hour shift sometimes having 8 - 10 patients at the same time trying to sort through numerous orders and keep over a 100 meds straight just for that shift.

Difficult is working a pediatric burn unit and seeing a child's life being changed forever. Helping a child deal with an amputation when all efforts to save an extremity has failed. Watching children go through chemo every day and still have a bad prognosis is also difficult but with its rewards also. Preparing a family of a child for the organ procurement process or termination of life support is not a blast either. There is no place to drive fast to and drop off the patients you don't want to care for or see them suffering. You are in it for 12 hours. But, all of this is rewarding in so many ways.

I really "enjoyed" working in EMS. It was a blast as stated. But, I also wanted to spend a little more time to see what happens after I passed through the ER doors. Many are content not knowing what happens to patients after the ER doors which is why EMS is easier in some ways. It was frustrating working with those who didn't care what happened to the patient beyond the ER doors or who thought street medicine was all you needed to know and A&P, pharmacology, pathophysiology, ethics and legal stuff was all fluff just so the schools can make money.

I do not advise the "transition" programs from Paramedic to RN. First, they really aren't much shorter and they are ADN degrees. If anyone has read anything on this forum, it is hard to miss the future of nursing is with the BSN degree.

Maybe if some EMS instructors would lay off preaching the hero stuff in classes and provide more education for reality, there might be less burn out and disillusionment for those going into EMS when they learn it is not like you see on TV or the few cool instructor stories used as a filler for much of some Paramedic classes. The comment about being a better doctor is also not always true since med school and residency are very, very different than being a Paramedic.

As I said before, the OP can easily get the EMT cert and maybe join a volunteer company, part time transport ambulance or even work for a campus EMT/First Responder program. But, if there is an opportunity to get a college education, that should be a priority. You don't want to be that person who is saying something about hindsight later. A degree in anything can only help later in life for promotions and maybe career changes. It can be a cool experience for a college student but keep your priorities straight. Even if you do want to join the Fire Department later and be a Firefighter/Paramedic, a Bachelors degree will be nice for a promotion someday.

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I do know some schools offer Paramedic to RN programs. However, I don't know of any that have a basic EMT to RN bridge.

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I do know some schools offer Paramedic to RN programs. However, I don't know of any that have a basic EMT to RN bridge.

There is not much difference. All must take the same prerequisites. The only diffence might be minus one class. The Paramedic to RN has basically been a marketing gimmick from the 1980s when there was a nursing shortage. Only a few schools still do this. Only those with military medical training are recognized for a significant placement in nursing programs.

So, an EMT will basically be starting at the same place as a Paramedic with the exception of maybe one class.

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