Paramedic School before i start my BSN?

RescueNinjaKy · Feb 26, 2016

Thank you all for your input, it is much appreciated. I would become a paramedic just to do it, ive always wanted to better understand emergency medicine and the critical thinking skills from being a paramedic are amazing (from what ive heard). My long term goal is to become an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.

If that is your goal I don't see the point in doing paramedic. You can learn critical thinking in nursing school and you can get more valuable experience that is pertinent to your goal by becoming a nurse and practicing emergency nursing. Going to paramedic school is a derail from your ultimate goal and a money cost for sure.

Something less expensive would be try to get a part time or full time job as a technician in the ER while you wait for your nursing decision. Heck you do prn or part time during school as well. You will be exposed to some skills and you can always ask the nurses and doctors questions to gain more knowledge. I tend to grab the aides who are nursing students to come help assist me or to teach them stuff when I'm doing some sort of skill.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Feb 26, 2016

As someone who is both a paramedic and nurse like my other colleagues here, I wouldn't become a paramedic unless you want to be a paramedic.

What are your chances of being accepted to nursing school? I know the schools in Cali are very full, but how do you stack up against other applicants? If there is real doubt as to whether you would be accepted, then the paramedic program might be a good idea.

As a side note, I spent the day with my EMS peeps yesterday because they needed an impartial paramedic to help evaluate skills at the station, and then I ran a call... I miss EMS! Lol. I haven't been 911 since 2011, I really miss it. Sometimes I would like to chuck the nursing gig in favor of riding the truck again. :)

Socal_EMT · Feb 26, 2016

I truly believe I will get accepted into at least one program. I've applied to some really competitive nursing schools though. To name a few : UCLA, UCI, and Loma Linda. In the emergency setting being a paramedic hasn't given you any edge? I feel like in the ED they would encourage RN's to have a medic too. But I can also see a counter argument of an RN who is a medic that may step on toes and possibly exceed his "role" as an RN. I'm a seeker of knowledge and love constantly testing my capabilities. I feel dumbfounded when people describe any sort of education as a "waste", am I the only one sees it that way?

I'm from the outside looking in so take everything i say please take with fractions of a grain of salt.

Thank you!

sara567 · Feb 26, 2016

I truly believe I will get accepted into at least one program. I've applied to some really competitive nursing schools though. To name a few : UCLA, UCI, and Loma Linda. In the emergency setting being a paramedic hasn't given you any edge? I feel like in the ED they would encourage RN's to have a medic too. But I can also see a counter argument of an RN who is a medic that may step on toes and possibly exceed his "role" as an RN. I'm a seeker of knowledge and love constantly testing my capabilities. I feel dumbfounded when people describe any sort of education as a "waste", am I the only one sees it that way?
I'm from the outside looking in so take everything i say please take with fractions of a grain of salt.
Thank you!

The life knowledge that I had as a paramedic certainly helped me. I admittedly had to read and study a significant amount less than my classmates. I wouldn't say that was due to what I learned in paramedic school, but due to the 13 years of experience in a busy, urban setting and having all sorts of patients that I would ask questions about, and do research on, any topics/illnesses that I didn't understand.

The ED, at least where I am, doesn't care if a RN has an EMT-P, unless they are a flight nurse. You won't be switching roles, if you are hired as a nurse, you will work as a nurse.

I don't believe anyone said education, in and of itself, is a waste. We have all said that it is a waste of time and money to get your medic if you are looking to be a nurse.

At this stage, get a job in an ED with your emt (assuming you are one from your name) and get the experience that will be very beneficial no matter which of the 2 paths you choose.

MedicFireRN · Feb 26, 2016

As someone who is both a paramedic and nurse like my other colleagues here, I wouldn't become a paramedic unless you want to be a paramedic.
What are your chances of being accepted to nursing school? I know the schools in Cali are very full, but how do you stack up against other applicants? If there is real doubt as to whether you would be accepted, then the paramedic program might be a good idea.
As a side note, I spent the day with my EMS peeps yesterday because they needed an impartial paramedic to help evaluate skills at the station, and then I ran a call... I miss EMS! Lol. I haven't been 911 since 2011, I really miss it. Sometimes I would like to chuck the nursing gig in favor of riding the truck again. :)

I agree with everything Pixie said here. I became a medic first, and I worked full time while obtaining my RN. I became a medic because I wanted to be a medic. I've worked a truck for almost 8 years now. I just graduated from RN school in the fall. I'm seeking an RN job in the ER, and while I think it helped me get looked at in my interview process, I think that is largely dependent on your Nurse Manager- and it also depends on what you did as a medic and where you worked. Some nurses aren't fans of Medic/RNs unless that's a requirement for the job, because they'd rather train a brand new new grad RN without any possibility of bad habits. Others value the critical thinking skills and it can give a competitive edge over other new grads... but that all depends on who is interviewing you and what they value, and it's definitely not a necessity to have both.

I'm hoping to stay PRN and work a few days a month on a truck because I really do love being a medic, but I also was drawn to nursing from working in the ED as a medic when I realized what ER nurses really do. I wouldn't have chosen to go to school for either one if it wasn't something I knew I wanted to do. If your goal is to be an NP, I don't really see the need to become a medic. I also wouldn't want to put myself in a position where I was overloaded with work if I were you- your GPA will definitely matter later on down the line if you want to pursue an advanced practice degree.

Socal_EMT · Feb 27, 2016

Thank you all for your responses. I guess being a paramedic has just always been a dream of mine. What drew me away from being in EMS was the limited role you have in Southern California. Indeed they are on the front line of medicine but....if your not part of the frat boy fire dept out here good luck..

I have a question for all of you, as an advanced practice nurse are they utilized in the ED? how about ICU? how about in a trauma center? I fear becoming a Nurse Practitioner and working in a family practice, I enjoy the fast paced blood, guts, critical thinking decisions involved in trauma/ emergency medicine.

guest769224 · Feb 27, 2016

I have a question for all of you, as an advanced practice nurse are they utilized in the ED? how about ICU? how about in a trauma center? I fear becoming a Nurse Practitioner and working in a family practice, I enjoy the fast paced blood, guts, critical thinking decisions involved in trauma/ emergency medicine.

Yes, although regional dependent, they are utilized in both ICU and ER. My hospital trauma center uses NP's on their trauma team, who intubate, insert chest tubes, run codes, etc. I had an NP insert a chest tube while I was doing chest compressions. There is definitely opportunity to be right in the middle of the action.

You may want to look more into becoming an ACNP, specializing in critical care medicine. Some hospitals stick their NP's in fast track low acuity assignments in ER, some allow much more.

heinz57 · Feb 27, 2016

I truly believe I will get accepted into at least one program. I've applied to some really competitive nursing schools though. To name a few : UCLA, UCI, and Loma Linda. In the emergency setting being a paramedic hasn't given you any edge? I feel like in the ED they would encourage RN's to have a medic too. But I can also see a counter argument of an RN who is a medic that may step on toes and possibly exceed his "role" as an RN. I'm a seeker of knowledge and love constantly testing my capabilities. I feel dumbfounded when people describe any sort of education as a "waste", am I the only one sees it that way?
I'm from the outside looking in so take everything i say please take with fractions of a grain of salt.
Thank you!

Don't try to tell ED RNs they aren't good enough because they don't have the Paramedic cert. I also don't know how you say a Paramedic exceeds his role as an RN and that is especially true in the state of California.

If you plan on getting into UCLA, UCI or Loma Linda you may need to change your thinking a lot. There is absolutely not need for an RN to be a Paramedic in an ER and definitely not in any of the hospitals you mentioned. You need to understand there is much more than just the initial resuscitation which sometimes starts with a few of the same protocols. That can be common in both ED nursing and Paramedic. But it is after those first few steps where the different education tracks become very evident. This is why RNs are on the Critical Care Transport ambulances and flight services rather than Paramedics in California. Most of the medications used post resuscitation are out of the scope of practice of a Paramedic and aren't even discussed in their classes. This includes the medications used for intubation when it is RSI. RNs get a broad overview of many medications. RNs also have a broad scope of practice which allows them to specialize in many different areas of the hospital. If an ED RN wants to be more valuable to a hospital, they would cross train to one of the many ICUs in the hospitals you named so they can better manage a patient waiting for a bed in one of those ICUs. The more knowledge they have about the many types of patients they come in contact with and a perspective on total care which includes emergent and long term makes the RN better equipped for a fast paced environment where the patient must move on to the next level or to discharge. It can not be short sighted to just the initial steps.

I am posting the scope of practice for Paramedics. You will notice they list everything which a Paramedic can do. The list of medications and procedures are not that long and they are very specific. If a medical director wants a Paramedic to do something outside of that very specific list, they must get state approval.

Emergency Medical Services Authority - EMS Publications #125: GUIDELINES FOR EMT-PARAMEDIC SCOPE OF PRACTICE: REQUEST FOR ADDITIONS TO THE EMT-P SCOPE OF PRACTICE

Now if you look up the RN's scope of practice you will find it is very open for interpretation and can easily be adapted to the area the nurse is working in. If a nurse is working in transport, they can intubate if the job requires it.

Yes, if you have years of experience as a Paramedic in a busy 911 system, the experience would be of some use. But if you are only getting the cert and none of the experience in a 911 system, it is of no use. In that part of California you would have to be a firefighter to gain that experience as a Paramedic.

Don't sell the education of the RN short. The foundation we get prepares us for many different directions and more education.

I still want to know what you do as a Cardiopulmonary Tech is. At Loma Linda and some of the other hospitals that is the person who cleans the respiratory therapy equipment for the Respiratory Therapists.

waterpeace13 · Feb 27, 2016

The life knowledge that I had as a paramedic certainly helped me. I admittedly had to read and study a significant amount less than my classmates. I wouldn't say that was due to what I learned in paramedic school, but due to the 13 years of experience in a busy, urban setting and having all sorts of patients that I would ask questions about, and do research on, any topics/illnesses that I didn't understand.
The ED, at least where I am, doesn't care if a RN has an EMT-P, unless they are a flight nurse. You won't be switching roles, if you are hired as a nurse, you will work as a nurse.
I don't believe anyone said education, in and of itself, is a waste. We have all said that it is a waste of time and money to get your medic if you are looking to be a nurse.
At this stage, get a job in an ED with your emt (assuming you are one from your name) and get the experience that will be very beneficial no matter which of the 2 paths you choose.

I am also a paramedic and RN. Just finished nursing school in Dec and about 1 month in to my orientation at a level 1 trauma center.

I went to paramedic school and worked a busy commercial service for 6 years before I went to nursing school. I found medic school to be much more difficult than nursing school, but nursing school was way more stressful! I found my medic knowledge to be extremely helpful during nursing school, and it is now invaluable as a nurse in the ED. Truthfully I would be lost in the ED if I only had experience from nursing school. Right now I'm finding I'm able to keep up with what the docs are doing and I am familiar with lots of the treatment modalities etc. I also have good assessment skills and know what to look for in all different types of patients from really sick to just drug seeking.

I also want to possibly be an APRN in the ED and I feel like I am already forming good working relationships with all the different levels of providers in my department. I'm at a big teaching hospital so we have new residents, attendings, specialists, along with APRNs and PAs all treating the same patients. Its so far been an amazing place to learn. And I am learning more because I have a strong foundation in emergency medicine.

I would advise to just go with your heart, do what seems like the most interesting and fun for you right now. Both nursing and paramedic are extremely challenging jobs and if your heart isn't in it you are going to be miserable.

Good luck!

ED911 · Feb 27, 2016

SoCal,

I definitely would not do medic school and nursing school at the same time. I am a paramedic and now in nursing school (6 years later): both programs require a tremendous amount of studying and I am balancing nursing school now and a fulltime job. However, I do not study as much as many of my peers, but have been doing fine in nursing school between previous medical experience and paramedic/critical care medic school. Like others have said though, it may depend on what you prefer as an occupation. I loved being a paramedic, but decided a few years later on that I would like to pursue RN school. I will tell you that paramedic and nursing school have different thought processes to a certain extent and different learning experiences......I don't regret pursuing either occupation though.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Mar 6, 2016

I wouldn't do them simultaneously because each of them, while not being terribly challenging academically or intellectually, can be pretty labor intensive and you don't want to put a fork in your plans if you get my drift.

Kitiger, RN · Mar 7, 2016

The advantage of EMS is that it is pre-hospital care. I got my First Responder license to help me be a better nurse; our nursing program was mostly in-hospital.