ufmedic

I didn't really have to study in nursing school either. I graduated second in my class for my BSN and only bought the pathophysiology and maternal-newborn text books. As a surgical intensive care nurse my assessment, critical thinking, and emergency skills that I learned in paramedic school have been more useful than anything I leaned in nursing school. Orem's self care deficet theory doesn't do anybody much good when your septic patient needs an epi drip and a plasmalyte infusion for a pressure in the 60's. EMS and nursing 2 completely different world but a lot of the skills and knowledge overlap. I think that you will enjoy EMS if you are looking for a little bit of a change. I still work part time as a paramedic for fun.

Most hospitals have a clause in the paperwork that the patient signs before admission stating that students and other observers may be present for teaching purposes and may actually be participating in patient care. It is not a confidentiality violation because learning to practice medicine makes it necessary to have access to patients and their records. All students are required to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Annals of Emergency Medicine (OCT 1996) found that pre-hospital IVs had a lower infection rate than hospital initiated IVs. There are several studies that say differnt things; however, the technique for IV starts by paramedics is identical to the technique used in the hospital. As for statrting them in a dirty environment, it is true that occasionally EMS will start a line on someone trapped in a car, but most pre-hospital IVs are started in the ambulance and the ambulances are cleaned top to bottom with bleach/water on a daily basis.

Although several states allow RNs with EMT-B cert. to challenge the paramedic exam, there is no substitute for actually going to paramedic school and getting the experience. Just because you have RN behind your name, it doesn't mean that you can safely RSI trauma patients, read EKGs, and put in central lines. Paramedic school will also give the RN the experience of making decisions under pressure and administering treatment with limited resources (ie, just you and your partner working a code in someone's living room as opposed to an ED/ICU with three nurses, resp. therapist, and a physician). I wouldn't want a paramedic managing my 8 IV drips and IABP without having gone through nursing school and a critical care nursing course, so I certainly wouldn't want an RN that skipped medic school making the decsion to RSI, give NTG/lasix/morphine/vasopressors, and treat my decompensated CHF without a physician looking over his shoulder. CCRN,BSN,NREMT-P

Believe me, and I know others will agree with me, they are completely worlds, and I love them all. Each has different, yet the same focus. {QUOTE} I agree, most of the nurses that give prehospital providers a hard time, don't really understand what it's like in the field. Working in both worlds, I can see a HUGE difference in the way I am treated running 911 calls with only "Paramedic" on my shirt, as opposed to critical care inter-facility with RN,BSN,CCRN and "flight nurse" on my badge. But it goes both ways...sometimes the street medic that will immediately start to give report to the flight medic on a scene flight and pretty much leave the flight nurse out of the loop.EMS is focused primarily on stabilization and transport to appropriate care, while the hospital provides the definitive care.

Being both a nurse and paramedic, I don't know why there are so many nurses that look down on paramedics. Paramedics undergo extensive and rigorous training (taking about 2 years to complete when you add in the pre-requisite EMT training). Paramedics recieve in depth pathophysiology, pharmocology, patient assessment, and critical thinking. The major difference is that EMS training focuses on emergencies (imagine that) and nursing is more holistic. Paramedics are not unlicensed assistive personnel. They are licensed by there own state regulating agency (the department of human resources in GA, and the Dept. of Health in FL). Many paramedics have at least an associate degree, and many have a bachelors or graduate degree. I myself had both a bachelor's and a master of public health before I ever thought about going back for my BSN. We are all here to do the same job: provide competent, safe, and effective patient care. Not every health care provider on the planet falls under the scope of the state board of nursing. Emergency Medical Services is it's own profession, just like respiratory therapy, physician assistants, nuclear medicine technologist, and dieticians.