How useful is EMT-B cert as an RN?

[Strahd]

Hi, I'm a newly licensed RN in MA. Before I went to nursing school I got my EMT-B certification, although I never worked as an EMT. Now my EMT cert is up for renewal and unfortunately I haven't done any of my required continuing education (28 hours + 24 hour EMT-B refresher course). Stupid, I know.

I'm trying to figure out if I should go ahead and cram the ConEd into the next couple months, really the next couple weeks since I start my new RN job orientation at the end of the month. I'd probably have to do the refresher course on the weekends while I'm doing my RN orientation M-F.

How useful is it to keep up the EMT-B cert as an RN? I am planning on moving to the ER after a couple years, would it help me there? I know it would take more time to get the cert again in the future, but I could probably also get it paid for by a future employer, whereas right now I'd have to pay all my ConEd costs out of pocket. Any advice/information you could give would be greatly appreciated!

Phil

[Schatzi RN CEN]

Two points:

-I used to be a EMT-B, let it expire when I received my nursing license. Now I live in a small rural community where EMT's are in great demand and I wished I would have kept my cert up.

-Another thing is that working in the ER I sometimes hear our nurses questioning why the pre hospital providers did one thing or another, and having been an EMT I often have an idea why some things were done the way they were (example. many pt's coming in with O2 per non rebreather at 15 lpm)

[Dallas_RN, BSN, EMT-P]

Thank you for the possibility to investigate. I'm in MA, so we'll see what their policy is. i'd still have to take the emt refresher probably, but that's much more manageable given my time constraints.

Although I'm still wondering if there's any specific cases in which being an EMT-B as well as an RN helped. The only thing I've seen so far is flight nursing.

Phil

I am both a R.N. and a EMT-Paramedic, every cert. helps without a doubt. If nothing else you'll have that much more knowledge to help giude you. As far as flight nursing, the R.N./EMT-P combination is ideal 99.9% of the time because R.N.'s cannot intubate nor can EMT-Basics.

Having both certifications HAS opened doors for me no question.

Best of luck. :)

[CocoBelly]

danh3190,

Did you ever find out if they do this in PA?! Also, I was EMT-B certified in November of 2008 (I think they last 3 years?) and I'm going to nursing school (Drexel's accelerated) this march. I'm wondering if those nursing credits would count. That would be fantastic. Does getting CPR recertified count toward this as well?? Anyone know?

[Boston-RN, RN]

I am an RN in an ED in Boston....and with the difficulty of new grads in MA getting jobs....especially in the ED it would benefit you greatly to keep up the cert. Any edge is still an edge.

We have several RN's that were EMS before (and still are) and they kick butt....