A friend of mine posted this on Facebook, and it made me scratch my head a bit. Combat medics undoubtedly serve an important and difficult role, but Stewart appears to be comparing apples and oranges. It seems that states' licensing bodies for emergency medical technicians are more to blame for the problems experienced by these two fine people than the fact that medic experience is not sufficient to qualify for the NCLEX and become a nurse. Jon Stewart correctly points out that combat medics are obviously qualified for EMT-P certification, but starts the segment reading qualifications for nursing positions. Additionally, the physician assistant position was designed to give medics from the Vietnam era an avenue to civilian employment, but that now takes six years of education rather than the two it required when the occupation was born.
I think there should be better opportunities for veterans, but I don't think that nursing is the problem here.
Specializes in Critical Care Emergency Military Nursing.
PMFB RN,
Thanks for posting this. I have encouraged many of our corpsmen to do the same. Then do a LPN-BSN type program. We also have nurses working with us who were able to test the AD program too. I believe they were E-6's and above though (IDC chiefs). Great program!
Just received this and there are some positions available with the Department of Veterans Affars where a combat vet can apply for a pilot program called Intermediate Care Tech and they would work in an Emergency Room setting under the supervison of an MD. Hope this helps.
A friend of mine posted this on Facebook, and it made me scratch my head a bit. Combat medics undoubtedly serve an important and difficult role, but Stewart appears to be comparing apples and oranges. It seems that states' licensing bodies for emergency medical technicians are more to blame for the problems experienced by these two fine people than the fact that medic experience is not sufficient to qualify for the NCLEX and become a nurse. Jon Stewart correctly points out that combat medics are obviously qualified for EMT-P certification, but starts the segment reading qualifications for nursing positions. Additionally, the physician assistant position was designed to give medics from the Vietnam era an avenue to civilian employment, but that now takes six years of education rather than the two it required when the occupation was born.
I think there should be better opportunities for veterans, but I don't think that nursing is the problem here.
Specializes in Wilderness Medicine, ICU, Adult Ed..
An important issue is that the military can do something that is not possible in civilian healthcare: they can create a medic's scope of practice as needed to suit his or her mission. As a result, military medics might have the same training and rank, but be assigned to very different missions. Some medics will serve there entire "hitch" in a military outpatient clinic, while another might be assigned as a combat medic. Most will do neither, but rather, work in some intermediate capacity where their clinical experience might vary tremendously. All will leave the military as experienced medics, but the nature of their experience will vary tremendously. That, I think, is why medics should complete a nursing education before sitting for the board exam. As for giving vets preference in enrollment and hiring, I am all for that. They have served their country, and I think that in doing so, they have earned a place at the head of the line. And no, I am not a vet, just a grateful civilian nurse.
As for giving vets preference in enrollment and hiring, I am all for that. They have served their country, and I think that in doing so, they have earned a place at the head of the line.
Nope... simply take the best, most talented applicants.
I think we have covered the standard "medic" (i.e. Army 68W, and Navy Corpsman) but if we look at the special forces medics and independent duty corpsman, they are really on a different level and about as close to a PA as you can be without actually being a PA. Not that their training translates directly to a nursing job or degree either.
Not all vets are created equal nor are all of them worthy of a step in front.
If you want to say decorated combat veteran, I'd be inclined to agree... but just being a vet is nothing special... and I'm one.
If a vet is "qualified" they should get a leg up on someone who is not a vet.
Just because you are not a "decorated combat veteran" does not mean that you have not made sacrifices for the country. Many have served in a combat zone and have not been decorated but were in harms way.
It depends on what kind of corpsman or medic they were. I tell you what I was a corpsman for 5 years and I agree. I should be given some kind of civilian certification where I got nothing. But I am so thankful for serving because I experienced some things some civilian nurses never will. Also because the military has paid for my degree. I do know that in California you can take the nclex to becone an lvn both during and after service.
navyman7
125 Posts
PMFB RN,
Thanks for posting this. I have encouraged many of our corpsmen to do the same. Then do a LPN-BSN type program. We also have nurses working with us who were able to test the AD program too. I believe they were E-6's and above though (IDC chiefs). Great program!