EMT or RN

[ostomyrn2b09]

Help! I am a prenursing student right now...I have been in college for 4 yrs b/c it has taken this long to actually get into my prereqs...this summer I will be completely done with all of my prereqs...I am so excited. But now I am having second thoughts...Should I become an EMT or a nurse...I love kids, I don't get grossed out by blood...I am also volunteering at a hospital all summer so that I can really know if this is for me...I know it is but I don't know which career...Maybe I can become an EMT-basic now so that if I don't get into nursing school the first time I can do that..I don't know...I guess I need some reassurance...has anyone else thought about becoming an RN and decided to become an EMT or vice versa...Please let me know what I should do...Any advice, comments, suggestions, experiences, are greatly appreciated...THANKS SO MUCH

Jackie

[traumahawk99]

you're gonna make a lot more $ as a nurse instead of a paramedic. have you considered what it's like to sit in a truck waiting for calls? is sucks!.

i'd become a nurse. you've got a lot more flexibility than a paramedic. so many more jobs, and different types of jobs than a medic can do.

i'm both a rn and a paramedic, by the way. if you didn't live in california, i'd recommend becoming a paramedic and doing excelsior to become a rn.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

I know some EMTs. They are either trying to get into Nursing School with me or they have already been accepted. I think you can probably do both if you are looking at a long wait (2 years) for acceptance. To me it is no different then people who make the decision to work as a CNA or tech while waiting for Nursing School or attending Nursing School. Good luck.

[rockytopRN2b]

But now I am having second thoughts...Should I become an EMT or a nurse...I love kids, I don't get grossed out by blood...I am also volunteering at a hospital all summer so that I can really know if this is for me...I know it is but I don't know which career...Maybe I can become an EMT-basic now so that if I don't get into nursing school the first time I can do that..I don't know...

I'm an EMT-B and it's good interim experience while waiting to get into the nursing program, but I definitely don't believe I'd choose it over a career in nursing. EMT-B's have a pretty limited scope of practice and the pay isn't always the greatest. Pursuing EMT-P will give you an extended scope of practice and more opportunities, but you'll invest about as much time as you would for an ADN program, and probably still make less money in the end (not that money is the be-all, end-all reason for pursuing a given career...but just something to think about). Nursing has a lot more specialties you can branch into as well.

That said, if you *are* interested in EMS, there are accelerated programs as short as four weeks to get your EMT-B, so you could try it out without substantial investment and see how you like it. Only you know what you're best suited for. :)

Good luck! :)

[WannaBeMaleRN]

Why would anyone go through the pain and aggervation with the pre-reqs and not continue on? I mean do what you want but you are half way there! In a few years you will be glad you did. Good luck in your decision.