emt +paramedic license good to have?

[CrazyCatLadyRN, BSN, RN]

I am currently a term 2 nursing student in a BSN program and we don't have a summer semester so I was trying to think of things that I could do then. Everyone in my school has been having a really difficult time trying to get a nurse externship/tech/assistant/anything we can get job for over the summer. The whole reason we don't have school then is so we can "Get experience" in the field, but it doesn't ssem like it's going to happen. I'm sort of interested in emergency care so I was contemplating doing EMT school this summer so that after I get my RN license I can challenge the state boards for my paramedic license. Has anyone out there done this? Did it help you at all? And where do you work now? I'm really just trying to see where all of this could take me. I figure the only way I'm going to see if I like emergency care is to dip my feet into it a bit.

Thanks!

[b0rea1is]

I think it would be a good idea considering a lot of hospitals will not even look at your resume unless you have some kind of EMT certification in addition to being an STNA, CNA, etc.

[Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I would also look into the requirements of your state regarding the paramedic rotations. Just because you can challenge the paramedic exam, many states require you to perform all the hospital and ambulance rotations. Hours may vary according to state. Many nurses who have challenged the exam in my state still had to go through the 240 hours of ambulance ride outs. The hospital rotations are important also. You have to perform so many assistance in maternal deliveries, so many pediatric and adult intubations, etc. I would research that also....

[Nrsstudent09]

I just got hired in an ER with 6 months of Tele RN experience. I have been an EMT for 8 years. They had been looking for a year med surg and told me my EMT experience gave me an extra push because of the critical thinking used. So I would for for it