Nursing is without a doubt one of the most important jobs a person can undertake. I have personally been blessed by many wonderful nurses. Unfortunately there is a problem....
As we all know, there is a major nursing shortage which is expected to get much worse over the next several years. I have come up with an idea that will help alleviate this problem, especially benefitting underserved areas, particularly in primary care. I would love to collect your support and send a petition to congress and various medical organizations - please "sign" via your positive reply to my post.
My idea is the creation of the EMT-Practitioner program. Many of you are already aware that many EMTs function as Techs at Emergency Departments around the country. EMTs are already allowed to do many "nursing functions" including but not limited to: wound care, EKGs, IVs and lab draws, foley catheter insertions and removals, splinting, BLS, providing patient care and comfort, and so on. Techs are not allowed to administer medications, give shots, or do nursing assessments. They also do not have ACLS/PALS etc. However, I think with a little additional training, EMTs could do most of these things in 99.9999% of cases within the primary care setting.
Following is my proposed 1 semester, 15 credit hour program allowing EMT-Basics to become EMT-Practitioners and work essentially as "nurses" - with all nursing privileges - in any primary care setting. (NOTE: PRIMARY CARE SETTING ONLY!!!!)
EMT-Prac 100: Basics of Chemistry (2 credits)
EMT-Prac 102: Administering Meds as Ordered (2 credits)
EMT-Prac 103: Knowing if a Med Order Looks Wrong (1 credit)
EMT-Prac 105: Fundamentals of Nursing Assessment for Primary Care
(3 credits)
EMT-Prac 110: ACLS/PALS Certification (2 credits)
EMT-Prac 200: EMT-Practitioner Clinical (5 credits - 225 hours of experience in a primary care clinical setting)
Please show your support! This may be the answer we're looking for in terms of solving the primary care nursing shortage. I've worked with many, many good EMTs and I know they could probably do just as well as primary care nurses in 99.999% of cases with just a little bit of additional training. Plus they'll probably cost a couple bucks an hour less than an RN, saving money for practices and for patients! Everyone wins!!!!
Specializes in CNA - starting LPN school January 2009!!.
I guess it must not be too hard to be pre-med after all! OP sure does seem to have a lot of free time to come to a nursing board and create such an elaborate, well-thought out post for the sole purpose of bashing NPs!
oh this fella's a pre-med flunky boy... son wait a few yrs until you actually have taken sole responsibilty of caring for a sick patient before posting on any nursing board. this site is for folks who work for a livin and take care of real patients.
In case you haven't critically thought through this yet ...
DNP is to MD as EMT-B is to RN
Don't make me laugh.
I am an EMT with a bachelors degree and I'm currently enrolled in an Accelerated BSN program and working my ass off to stay on top of all the work. There is no possible way to go from EMT to RN in one semester. Such a person would have to have a massive amount of on the job training, which other nurses don't have the time to deal with.
On the other hand...my NP and my PA both took way better care of me than any of my doctors ever did. They knew how to assess and evaluate a human being with symptoms instead of merely trying to fit me into a well-defined little diagnosis and ship me out the door.
I am an EMT with a bachelors degree and I'm currently enrolled in an accelerated BSN program and working my ass off to stay on top of all the work. There is no possible way to go from EMT to RN in one semester. Such a person would have to have a massive amount of on the job training, which other nurses don't have the time to deal with.
On the other hand...my NP and my PA both took way better care of me than any of my doctors ever did. They knew how to assess and evaluate a human being with symptoms instead of merely trying to fit me into a well-defined little diagnosis and ship me out the door.
n=1. Nice. Works for me. Actually, this is a free country and you should have a right to see whoever you want to see for your medical care. As long as they represent themselves as what they are, which is an NP or a PA, then I see no problem with it. It's when they try to convince the public they are doctors - that's when I have a problem.
You want to see DNPs exclusively, fine by me. Leaves more real doctors for the rest of us.
One of the problems I have with this concept is the fact that the foundational level of education is quite limited. The foundation is based on the DOT NSC EMT-B curriculum. We are talking about a 110 hour training class.
I could see letting a paramedic take on more responsibilities within the hospital. However, we are also talking about a curriculum that calls for more than 1,000 hours. I could even see paramedics transitioning to RN's with a similar type of course. However, the paramedic has a much more solid foundation of knowledge to work from.
Oh yeah well my mom takes better care of my emotional response to illness and other needs better then any RN, PA, NREMT-P, DNP and MD ever would. But I'm pretty sure I will still need a Doctor of Medicine when I need to find out whats wrong and what needs to be done to get better.
i think the OP is trying to propose not a shortcut to RN, but a way to use the EMT foundation to help provide many of the nursing functions in underserved areas. An EMT doesn't equal an RN, and the one semester program wouldn't produce an RN. He is making a parallel to the RN to NP. an NP doesn't equal an MD/DO, but is a way for APNs to provide functions that MD/DOs usually provide in various medical settings. It's also interesting that the responses to this program parallel the responses of physicians to the DNP and the few NPs that see themselves as physician replacements or equivalent in knowledge and wanting equivalence in scope of practice with physicians. Basically, there are no shortcuts.
i think the OP is trying to propose not a shortcut to RN, but a way to use the EMT foundation to help provide many of the nursing functions in underserved areas. An EMT doesn't equal an RN, and the one semester program wouldn't produce an RN. He is making a parallel to the RN to NP. an NP doesn't equal an MD/DO, but is a way for APNs to provide functions that MD/DOs usually provide in various medical settings. It's also interesting that the responses to this program parallel the responses of physicians to the DNP and the few NPs that see themselves as physician replacements or equivalent in knowledge and wanting equivalence in scope of practice with physicians. Basically, there are no shortcuts.
The OP isn't trying to propose anything. He and his friend (check their post counts) are merely trolling for reactions by using a poorly constructed parable illustrating that EMT-B:RN :: DNP:MD.
They waited for a couple of clearly "That's absurd!" responses and then pointed out the supposed hypocrisy of our stance, as if protectionism of one's profession is somehow unjustifiable in this case.
I agree 100% w/ physicians when they don't want to accept graduates of programs such as the DNP with open arms. The only reason these programs even exist is because of the nursing masses and their supporters.
I agree 100% w/ physicians when they don't want to accept graduates of programs such as the DNP with open arms. The only reason these programs even exist is because of the nursing masses and their supporters.
well the idea of dnp is not supported in masses. i know of plenty np students who are very thankful they wont have to take extra nurse theory courses for the dnp title. beside you med students should be more concerned about whats going to be on the next a&p exam then this.
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The kind thats sitting at thier computer thinking; Hook line and sinker.