paramedic to RN

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Specializes in ICU/CCU/CVICU/ED/HS.

I have been working on my RN for what seems like a million years. Actually, it has only been about 6. I will (LORD WILLING) graduate in December. I currently manage a small rural EMS squad of 16 EMT/Paramedics. I have been reading the comments made here by current RNs am starting to wonder...Is it going to be worth what I have put myself and my family through? I am currently making a little less than $12/hr, but, I enjoy what I do. I have been doing it since November 1980. IS NURSING REALLY WORTH IT!?!?!?!?!?!?:o

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... IS NURSING REALLY WORTH IT!?!?!?!?!?!?:o

Yes, it is!

I got my BSN as an "escape plan", but planned to stay a paramedic for a long time. Long story short, the ambulance contract changed hands and we all got sacked, so I went into nursing full time. It's turned out pretty well. The money's better, it's generally safer, the working conditions tend to be better (but not always!), and I know that if I get tired of bedside nursing I can always put that degree to work teaching, or consulting, or in an office, or I can pursue an advanced degree and be a nurse practitioner, or a CRNA--the options for a nurse are so much more than for a paramedic. I'm still currently licensed as a medic, but I've found that I don't miss it nearly as much as I thought I would. And I DON'T miss those 3 a.m. "too drunk to go to Detox" calls! :rotfl:

So--congratulations to you--your hard work is about to pay off. And there's no law that says you can't do both! Follow your heart, but I do think you're on the right track. Good luck!

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I envy your dual credentials. You would be great for a trauma ER or "flight nursing", both which value your experience.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Yep - come on over to Illinois and join us!

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Hi all, this looks like the place to go to get the answers I'm searching for. I currently live in TX but plan to relocate back to the Northwest (WA, OR, MT, ID - somewhere up there) in another year or so and am wondering where I can find info on paramedic to RN transition programs in that part of the country. I've done searches on google but I'm just not finding much...anyone have any ideas or know of a central location for this info?

Thanks!

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ems boss,

I think it is probably worth it. when i quit my last ems job i was making 12 an hr. i started as a nurse 10 dollars an hr more than that (and this is lousy nurse pay). I do work nights for the diff....gotta have the diff...the conditions are better, and the job in the er is the same essentially as being a paramedic, only you take care of more pts. some nurses may argue that the job is not the same, but truly er nursing is very similar.

there is a lot more pressure being a nurse though. quite often you are called to task to do several important things at once: one of your pts who is having cp needs an iv and blood draw, another of your pts having cp needs lopressor x3, another of your pts has qhr accuchecks and is on an insulin drip, while another has severe pain and is waiting on you to give his pain shot.....this is a typical night. very very very very rare do we have a good shift, ie. a slow shift. i do work in a pretty busy er, there are slower ones and smaller ones where it is not so demanding.

i lost my passion for ems long before i finished ems. i have not missed it. 14 yrs as a paramedic, 24hrs shifts, getting up in middle of night from sound sleep and needing to pee, but knowing if i do take the time to pee my response time will not measure up, so you hold it...going in smelly stinky houses, getting soaking wet at mva scenes.........ugh....

nursing can be very rough, but there are countless opportunities for nurses, not just er's...and there are easy jobs....

speaking though of paramedicine.....i think the best jobs for a paramedic are offshore. i worked 3 yrs in GOM and 1 yr overseas, i loved it and this was a low stress job!!

my current nursing gig is real stressful, but the pay is much better than paramedic, and i have plenty of opportunity to change jobs if i want. and not to mention, many nurse jobs have sign on bonuses. the town i live in, last yr there were 2 different hospitals were offering 12,000 sign on bonuses to some units for 2 yr commitments..

good luck,

emtptorn

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Please do not give up on nursing. It is a great profession, even with all of the stress and demands. Give nursing a try, especially ER nursing. You would be perfect for it. I know things here in our state are not exactly rosie, but after putting so much time into your schooling, please give it a year or so before saying nursing is not for you.

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