Paramedic discrimination?

Sour Lemon · Apr 9, 2018

I've been a part-time Certified NYS Paramedic for 25 years. I'm retired from the military (22 years) I graduate in 4 weeks and interviewed at the local medical center. there are 25 GN positions and I didn't get one. (no problem...so I thought) Called an ER doc friend and she asked an upper tier RN her opinion..it wasn't in my favor. Many nurse managers I learned wont hire a RN with EMS experience calling it 'dangerous' because we may preform outside our scope. I'm older and a male which may not help either. With 98 RN positions open in the hospital you would think I'd get in. Any thoughts?

I've never heard that. I don't doubt that there are a few managers who feel that way, but I wouldn't expect it to be the norm. The biggest thing working against you (potentially) may be that you're perceived as being set in your ways and not open to taking direction. Your experience is valuable, just make sure that it's balanced with knowing that you're starting at "the bottom" when it comes to nursing.

Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B · Apr 9, 2018

Yea. I dotntl is that discrimination is the right word here but i understand your issue.

Frankly "that guy" has ruined it for you. You know "that Guy" the one who speaks poorly of nurses, thinks CNAs are to stupid to breathe, has a bad back, bad knees, bad disposition. Goes to nursing school, leave feeling like he knew everything going in. That's the guy who in orientation as a new nurse elbows in on a code that's not his, hip checks an RT to intubate, and doesn't understand why he's in trouble.

So you have to not look like or act like that guy. Be humble, downplay your past experience. Stress you are coming at this job to learn about being a good nurse, which is new to you. There will be some bias to overcome, because others have ruined it for you and that sucks. Just keep plugging.

Estateboy, RN, EMT-P · May 9, 2018

Never got as call from "that" hospital. Did get offers at two others and accepted one of them. BUT Don"t mention your EMS experience!!!!

JWEMT · May 16, 2018

Maybe they had BSN?

Estateboy, RN, EMT-P · May 17, 2018

"So you have to not look like or act like that guy. Be humble, downplay your past experience. Stress you are coming at this job to learn about being a good nurse, which is new to you. There will be some bias to overcome, because others have ruined it for you and that sucks. Just keep plugging."

Great advise!

belliott, BSN, EMT-P · May 18, 2018

This does exist. There is an unknown what a paramedics does and knows. There is also a fear that a paramedic may not understand the new flow of things. There is ignorance on each side of this argument. I wouldn't want to work for a place that has a "fear" ie: ignorance of medical experience. Find a different place that value's what you bring to the table, also this thought goes both ways.

I have been part of this before. I have 5 year military flight paramedic experience, 3 years civilian flight..

(RN, CFRN, NRP, CCP-C, FP-C) plus I am a 31 year old male for what that is worth...

I actually had this come up in job interviews before.

"how do you think you would work as a RN compared to your past as a paramedic"... be honest, open and humble..

Estateboy, RN, EMT-P · May 19, 2018

Two paramedics I work with part time, applied to the local RN school and never got a call back. Both educated and qualified. The director of local hospital ER (M.D.) has investigated this recently and thinks it rediculas and vowed to hire me after I have a year experience ( one yr experience required for ER placement) 13 travel nurses in ER there Nd many in the hospital yet they turn people away?

keca2360 · May 23, 2018

Flight paramedic to DNP after working in a Level II as a nurse (with few restrictions, mostly a few meds and enemas for some reason, yet full patient load).

I haven't experienced these problems as I have moved into nursing. I got into every nursing program I applied for and the feedback from each included some form of "it will be good to have someone with your experience here"

Estateboy, RN, EMT-P · Oct 14, 2018

So. I'm the only male nurse on a 25 bed med-surg ward and I get along with almost everyone except ONE nurse. I've only been a RN for 11 weeks and she was my preceptor. She has no patients and while she was precepting me, she'd often lose her patients and treat me like an idiot. (I've been in health care for 27 years prior to coming to nursing and have a BA in business) I have been told not to quit by two other RNs when they recognized the tension and frustration she was causing me. I'm off orientation and have received accolades for my performance from other nurses but she is also the charge nurse and I'm afraid she is just waiting for me to make a mistake. Anyone else experience this? Any advise?

popopopo · Oct 16, 2018

So. I'm the only male nurse on a 25 bed med-surg ward and I get along with almost everyone except ONE nurse. I've only been a RN for 11 weeks and she was my preceptor. She has no patients and while she was precepting me, she'd often lose her patients and treat me like an idiot. (I've been in health care for 27 years prior to coming to nursing and have a BA in business) I have been told not to quit by two other RNs when they recognized the tension and frustration she was causing me. I'm off orientation and have received accolades for my performance from other nurses but she is also the charge nurse and I'm afraid she is just waiting for me to make a mistake. Anyone else experience this? Any advise?

Been in a similar situation. I had a group of nurses teamed up and basically bullied me until I quit (I left by choice since I know I'm valuable and got immediate offers).

For your situation, I think you should stay or talk to management privately about her. They might be able to arrange a formal meeting to hash it out. If that nurse starts gaining allies against you (like my situation), I would run and not look back. Remember, you know your worth!

911nurs · Jan 31, 2019

That sounds crazy ! i to am well experienced working for a 911 service for 15yrs now an LVN and have found that i am hired on the spot above anyone coming out of school barley knowing how to take a b/p . I have even been given options in any position like anesthesiology tech because of my knowledge in airway adjuncts/intubation skills . It is frustrating for me as a matter of fact working with RNs that have little to very poor skills beyond taking a b/p no offense to anyone. I think that the BON should make it mandatory for nurses to have emergency skills at least a year in any 911 EMS service to have a well rounded patient care experience instead of giving continued useless college classes that you never use or very soon forget . Keep your head up they are probably jealous or intimidated of your knowledge and skills .