Nurse and Firefighter

Nicole2010 · Apr 7, 2009

This should be interesting. There is a girl who is a paramedic but not a firefighter. I was thinking about police & nursing

Christie RN2006 · Apr 7, 2009

I am a nurse/emt. There are a bunch of us on here that do both :) I really enjoy doing both because they are completely different!!

Honnête et Sérieux · Apr 7, 2009

I was a paramedic and a firefighter, and worked at the fire department (and as a flight paramedic) while completing nursing school.

I can't see any situation where I would ever go back; I can't stand fire dept. politics and the senseless waste of resources made me ill.

In the five years I worked there, I only had to pull someone from a burning building one time, and as I carried her out of the building, she was hitting me and using language toward me that would make truckers blush. Then I had to go back in and find her equally ungrateful husband.

I resigned the week I graduated from nursing school. Never looked back and don't miss it a bit.

mcknis · Apr 7, 2009

I am currently both a firefighter and an RN and love it! There are several of us on here that do both and there are two that are Cheifs in their department. I love doing what I do and would not change it for the world. I have been in burning buildings, pulled people from wreckage, pulled crispy, dead bodies from cars, and have been hit (in the heat of the moment things happen). I think the benefit of having both realms of knowledge have helped tremendously. I am not an ER RN, but have looked at going. I work closely with the EMT/Paramedics at the hospital and it really helps knowing the people you are working with if you are out on a scene. When I am outside of the hospital, i cant't do anything that I do as an RN except basic first aid, unless i go get my CFR or EMT license...good luck though!

mfisher6 · Apr 7, 2009

Where are you a firefighter at?

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Apr 7, 2009

I was a firefighter/ paramedic while I went to nursing school. I started working as a nurse about 11 months after passing the NCLEX. I had to change positions due to the family schedule. I earned my RN solely for backup.

Unlike Honnete, I loved working for the fire department and sorely miss it. I would go back to it in a heartbeat if I could!

I still carry my structural and aircraft firefighting certs.

I remember thinking..."Wow, I can't believe I get paid to do this." I've never had a job like that previously or since.

getoverit, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Apr 7, 2009

I am both as well. I work full time as an ICU RN and part time as a firefighter/paramedic. It's great! I love it and wouldn't change it for anything. Critical care nursing is my main passion, but working at a fire dept you have a lot of benefits. 1) it's a great part time job that isn't nursing so you don't have the burn-out potential, 2) you generally work with a great bunch of people who are willing to drop whatever they're doing 24 hrs/day to go out and help anyone that needs it, 3) on EMS calls, you almost get to practice field medicine and it can make your assessment skills much sharper. For example, the other day a home health nurse called 911 to check out her patient. Long story short, turns out the lady had coughed so hard she had a spontaneous pneumothorax. It wasn't a tension and it certainly wasn't a "glory call" as some people would call it, but we really did make a difference in a potentially life-threatening situation. and the home health nurse thought she was having an "allergy attack", I'm not downing on her AT ALL so please don't think I am, but we were able to arrive, assess and implement a plan quickly that got her the help she needed. Of course there are plenty of terrible situations you get into, car wrecks, violence, fires, etc that really put you to the test of what you're made of.

AS for politics, I try to stay out of it and it depends on the department. Our chief is one of the best guys I've ever worked for.

So I say to go for it. volunteer first and see what you think of it. If nothing else, you'll get a feeling of satisfaction and community service that rarely can be found elsewhere. AND...some cool stories to tell your nursing co-workers!!

Good luck!

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2009

I know two folks who are RNs and EMTs, and they have some of the sharpest skills I've ever seen.

They can also start an IV in veins I can't even palp -- I guess it comes from starting IVs in people while going 70 mph down country roads....

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2009

We've got two at our place who are both RNs and FD/EMTs, and they have some of the sharpest skills I've ever seen.

They can also start IVs in veins I can't even palp. I guess that comes from starting IVs in ambulances doing 70 mph down curvy country roads. Me, I'd :barf02:because I get motion sickness on an elevator....

rnffemtguy, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2009

As you can probably tell by my user name I'm an RN, Firefighter & EMT, the RN pays me & I volunteer as a FF/EMT. I absolutely love being a FF/EMT, it's what led me to go back to school to become a nurse, the EMT skills deff. gave me a leg up in nursing. Like getoverit said, find a department you can volunteer with, the training is usually 100% free of charge to you & it will give you a good idea of whether you like it or not.....

Best of luck to you!

Flare, ASN, BSN · Apr 8, 2009

I'm a firefighter and RN (which I suppose you could figure out from my name) I enjoy both a lot. RN pays the bills - i work as a school nurse after spend many years on a trauma floor. Firefighter is volunteer - but it's really my passion. I am chief with my department and that in and of itself is almost like a second full time job with all of the meeting and paperwork. I made strides to become a career firefighter at one point, but then the school nurse job came up. Though i always thought the career firefighting job (if it's 24's) would work out well with a per diem schedule at a hospital.

I am also an EMT, but I didn't get into that until after I became a school nurse. In a school you are by yourself and pre-hospital emergency training (which is different from nursing in many ways) is very useful for the job.