List of programs for nurses who wish to become paramedics

Houston community college

2 weeks!? yikes! but I guess having critical care background and your EMT will help a lot.

I've done a lot of searching and creighton seems like the best option. I'd definitely like to hear if anyone comes up with something comparable.

Creighton University EMS in Omaha, NE has the best RN to paramedic bridge course.

OP, where are you located? In Massachusetts you can challenge the paramedic being an RN. It is a bit involved, having to affiliate with a training program, do the ride time hours and all the associated ALS skills mandated by the state, get signed off on certain skills in the lab, etc. Once that is done you can sit for the NREMT paramedic written and practical. I actually just finished the entire process a few weeks ago.

I would also like to know as I work critical care IFT's and would like to get my medic.

In NJ we have the MICN designation. Which is the following.

Any nurse who is a NJ certified EMT through training course or reciprocity who is an RN may be a MICN. Nurse MUST HAVE 1YR in the ER ICU NICU MICU CCU OR CCCU. Nurse must do 100hrs ride time and the ALS coordinator must sign off on it.

I did the RN to EMT-B course a Creighton and it was fantastic. The staff there are wonderful; very knowledgeable, helpful, and nice. I really wanted to do their paramedic program but its expensive and my state offers RN reciprocity. One of my co-workers did the paramedic program and loved it. If anyone is interested in the Creighton programs, I highly recommend them. The paramedic program has more requirements - like crit care experience and you have to be an RN or MD/DO.

If you are an experienced critical care/emergency RN and looking for a bridge program, Creighton's RN to Paramedic is considered the standard by most. Are there others? Yes. Have you heard of them? Probably not. The point is that Creighton has been doing this for awhile and is a known entity nationwide.

It is based on the premise that you are experienced and have a solid foundation in A&P, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. To say it is a 2 week program is misleading. The program starts with reading assignments and several pre-course exams. The 2 week on-site session consists of airway management on some mornings, daily didactic and practical sessions, daily ride time after class, and full shifts with Omaha Fire on the weekends. This makes for very long days.

Most people will complete ~ 50% of their ride time while in NE. Which means you will need to finish when you get home. I highly suggest having this lined up before you head out to Omaha. This way you will complete your internship and take your exams while the information is still fresh. Depending on your schedule, expect it to take roughly 6 months to complete the whole process. I know some that did it more quickly and others that never finished.

The overarching goal is to gain a beginning sense of how to operationalize your existing knowledge and experience in the pre-hospital environment.

Is it perfect? No. Will you be an experienced paramedic when you finish? Obviously not. You will have a foundation to build upon. The faculty are top-notch, highly experienced pre-hospital providers and educators.

The VAST majority of students are headed toward flight nursing or are already there and want to broaden their base or need to meet state requirements. As such, you will likely find an intelligent and driven group of people. This only adds to the experience.