I am an RN who is interested in prehospital training. I understand very well that EMT/Paramedics and nurses differ greatly in their training and focus, and I respect both sides as valuable members of the team. The differences are what drive my question.
I am working in a prison setting where I am the first responder, and often the only trained provider, for 1400 patients. As an RN, I have very little emergency/prehospital training, because that is not the focus of an RN's education. I am wondering if there are any courses I could take that might help me respond to trauma better. It is not unusual for us to have work injuries (i.e., major lacerations, amputations), stabbings, blunt force trauma, and fractures in this setting. I want to be able to better deal with these before transporting them out (our EMS takes as much as 30 minutes to arrive) or be able to patch them up until a PA or MD sees them the next business day.
Let me be very clear. I do not want to be a paramedic or flight nurse. If that were the case, then yes, I would go all the way and go to paramedic school. I am looking for some training, but I do not want to repeat what I already know. For example, EMT-B class is 150 hours, $750 to cover a lot of assessment and such that I already know.
I am considering BTLS class and Trauma Nurse Core Curriculum. Does anyone have any other thoughts?
Some states, IL is one, have a license called a Pre-Hospital RN. We are licensed at the BLS or ALS level. Here, PHRNs are employed in various places: EMS, both paid and volunteer, criticall care ground transports, factories.
traumarus, MSN, APN, PHRN (plus a bunch more letters)
traumaRUs, MSN, APRN
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Some states, IL is one, have a license called a Pre-Hospital RN. We are licensed at the BLS or ALS level. Here, PHRNs are employed in various places: EMS, both paid and volunteer, criticall care ground transports, factories.
traumarus, MSN, APN, PHRN (plus a bunch more letters)