please advise

[bolenchy]

please does anyone know if the EMT-Basic (Emergency Medical Technician) certificate can get one a job, i live in memphis, Tennessee, am looking at a quick certificate program of 3-4months to get me into the medical field then to apply for my RN afterwards. please kindly advise or if you know a promising entry level job to gain entrance into medical field except phlebOtomy. thank you

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

Apply for RN as in apply for nursing school?

EMTs are usually in demand for private ambulance companies because a lot of privates will treat you like crap. It's the honest truth and it sucks. We joke about how we travel the ambulance company circuit because people go around and around. Someone may work for X company one day and then suddenly work for Y company the next week. The hours are long and most do not want to work with you. I do not miss it. The patients are heavy and it can be hard to move them. A lot of times you will be denied assistance.

If you can get onto a fire department, they pay a lot better although you will also have to get your fire certificates. I made 18 bucks per call as a volunteer and if 3 calls came in, then I was paid for all of them plus an additional 18 for going to the hospital. However, it sucked for a fire because then you were paid just a few bucks per hour. Most of fire department calls are EMS though.

The highest I made as a private EMT was 10 bucks an hour. As a PCT in an ER that I was hired into because of my EMT and fire experience, I made 12.50 and later as a paramedic in privates, I made 11 bucks but in the ER I made 16.50 plus a shift differential of an extra 1 dollar per hour. It doesn't take much to figure out why I left privates.

Getting into a private ambulance company can be a pain though. No one wants to hire EMTs initially but once you have a job under your belt, it's easy to find another. Sometimes EMTs have to work a wheelchair van which is an easy job of where you pick up people who do not need medical assistance or monitoring and drive them in a big van.

Look at the hospitals in your area. Usually they will post for unit clerks and nursing assistants or sometimes patient care techs. Find out what they are looking for since sometimes completing one semester of nursing school will qualify you.

[bolenchy]

Thanks alot,applesxorange,may be will look around for that instead. My goal is to be an RN but looking for entry level medical jobs to do while I school for the RN Program. Well appreciated your advice