FirefighterDoug

ER tech at a level 3 in So Cal. Started at 14.50 plus 2.00 NOC. Most new hires will start out lower it all depends on experience. At the level 1 I worked at in Portland,OR I started of at 11.25 plus 1.00 evening and 2.00 NOC. When I left after 6 years I was at 16.25 plus diffs.

How did you come up with the idea that working on the road as an EMT is nothing like the ER? I have been working as a tech for seven years and some of the best ER techs and RN's I work with all have prior or current field experience. Many ER managers look for tech as well as RN candidates with thier EMT (basic or medic) and field experience. The reason is that EMT's and RN's with field experience tend to have better critical thinking skills and have the ability to multi task effeciently when it gets busy. At the level one I worked at I helped train the CNA's that came down to the ER from the floors. I noticed that most were very hard workers but just by the nature of thier CNA education and training they think differently than people I trained with thier EMT and field experience. Rather than trying to think ahead or act alone during traumas and codes they rely on being directed by an RN or other provider.

Just started a new position here in So Cal pay is 14.50 plus 2.00 for night shift.

Apply and apply often,know the department and facility your interested in. Your education will help but it all comes down to the interview,are you ready to set yourself apart from the pack. Remember its somewhere around 200 applicants for each position at least in the ER.

Portland OR level one adult ER and seperate level two peds ER.16.50 plus differentials 1.00 evenings 2.00 nights. That was after 5 years,started in 2005 at 13.50. I think the current starting pay is 14.00 plus differentials.

Just checking you know there are some ER folks that look down on the out side providers. Might have even been a thread or two on the whole rivalry thing. No worries.

Of course you do not have to work as tech to get hired in the ER but it sure cant hurt. I know several ER nurses that were techs prior to being hired as nurses and they without a doubt are among the best nurses I have worked with. Having experience and knowing how the ER works will get you noticed when it comes time to wade thru the yearly conga line of freshly minted nurses with the goal of joining the ER team. As you know most ER managers are looking for at least one year of experience for a new hire. Having the proven abilty to function and perform in the ER is going to always help not hurt."The ones EMT's miss"....not cocky but Im thinking just possibly a little shot at our hard working brothers and sisters in the field. Feel the need to share a negative experience you have had with one of your field providers...having supervised many field providers over the years I might be able to help you out.

Great advice but before you take on the additional burden of an EMT class let me offer the following. One thing that will help you the most in the ED is the abilty to develop and use critical thinking skills. CNA's and other non emergency trained providers are not taught this skill but field providers if they are good will develop it over time. Over the years I have seen some very competent RN's wash out of the ER because they just could not develop this skill. They were very educated but could not function in the fast paced setting. CNA's make great techs if they can be taught to think like an ER nurse or an EMT. Having trained CNA's from the floors I can tell you some will never be able to learn the skill of multi tasking in an often hectic and fast paced environment. Many ER managers when looking to fill tech positions will look for applicants with field experience because they know they have the abilty to apply critical thinking skills. Being able to stay two steps ahead of your nurses is a skill that will be greatly appreciated and is an example of critical thinking. Anticipating a need and being able to follow thru is another example. Being a nursing student is great and may work in your favor but many managers would rather have someone that can jump in and help the department than someone who really wants to work in the ER but might be more student than provider. The best advice for you is to concentrate on doing well in school this is your job for now and should be your number one focus. Get your face known in your ER,as an employee you have a huge advantage and should be able to get by on a regular basis and talk to the techs and RN's. Do not dissapper from your current assignment to hang in the ER but get by on your lunch or after work. If your interested in working as an RN you should be networking and learning the culture of your ER anyway and as an employee you have a great opprutunity to make contacts that may be helpful in the future.

Here in Portland where I work the tech pay range is 13.00-21.00 per hour. There is differential pay for evenings (1.25) and nights (2.25). With six years in I make 16.41 plus differential pay.

I have to respectfully disagree with you. Granted we don't know the whole situation and because things can vary greatly from facility to facility its hard to know what would be expected of a tech at the OP's facility. With that said may I point out that its up to each person to work within their designated scope of practice and to know their boundaries. In my case I can do more in the field setting as an EMT-IV Tech than I can in the ER. On the other hand I find myself doing things in the ER as a tech that I could never do in the field even at the paramedic level. Most of the nurses I work with know I can start lines but only in the field and I could never see anyone I work with asking me to cross the line and I know it would never be suggested by a charge or someone in management that I step outside of my scope of practice even in the worst of situations. I know it confuses some of the MD's and resource RN's that I can draw labs but am not able to start a line but thats the way my employer and the state of Oregons nursing board want it. Its crucial that we as providers especially new ones keep up our skills and stay in the game so to speak this includes providers in both the clinical and field settings. Anytime you can be in the position of getting patient contacts it can only help you especially if ER nursing is in your future. I have seen a few of our RN's pick up tech shifts over the years and have never heard of there being any problems with respecting boundaries,of course these were former techs which could make a difference. I would encourage the OP to pursue the tech position and learn as much as they can. It always helps to have an RN with a tech perspective on the floor when it gets crazy.

Could you imagine what it's like for a new grad that comes into the ER with zero experience. You had a tremendous advantage coming in with an intimate knowledge of the department. There is nothing like having the tech perspective when you move into the nursing role. We have several former techs that went your route and they all survived and have turned out to be great nurses. Some of the best nurses I have had the pleasure to work alongside over the years started as techs. Don't give up ever and always remember tomorrow brings a fresh start and a whole new set of challenges. You know you like the challenges or you would not have stayed on in the ED after graduation. Remember us ER people are different and you must feel at home or you would have been gone as soon as you had the chance.

You should without a doubt apply but be aware these are very competitive positions and you will be up against some very well qualified people. Our last on call tech position in the peds ED brought in 200 applications before they took the position down and many more came in after that. Most ER managers will want to see some type of experience preferably some time in a prehospital 911 setting,but I have seen people come into the ED as nursing students with zero experience. Don't be surprised if you don't get in on the first try,it took me three times before I got in and I had years of experience in Fire/EMS. The good news is that most techs move on to bigger and better things so the turn over rate is high. On call is different at every hospital,where I work they have supplemental,on-call and per diem. Per diem and on call will usually require a commitment to cover a set number of shifts per month. Supplemental offere no guarantee to either party and works well for people like me who have full time jobs or who are still in school. Most ER schedulers are used to students schedules and will work hard to let you know in advance when shifts are open. You will also get sick calls but most of the time you will be covering holes in the schedule and should know well in advance what is available. I think you might be looking at my ED we get students in from all the nursing programs in Portland. We have had several techs over the years move into RN spots after they finish school its not a given but if you work hard and fit the culture you have a very good chance. Regardless you will pick up alot of valuable experience and will have a good insight onto ER nursing,you might even find that its not for you. You need to be ready to smoke your interview so do your home work and let me know if I can be of any assistance. Good luck!

You should call and ask the ER manager exactly what if anything you will need to apply for the position. The people in HR may not be on the same page as the ER manager so your better off knowing for sure what is required for the job. Most of the skills like preforming EKG's, straight stick phlebotomy, tele monitoring and others are taught either during your unit orientation or shortly after your hired when a class is offered by the hospital. Be very careful about shelling out big dollars for programs or classes that teach skills like the ones mentioned above. You may be out of luck when you find that the hospital wants you trained their way and wont accept your outside training. If your serious about the ER tech position you should be working very hard to be prepared and should know that hospitals ER and how they do things. You will have alot of very well qualified applicants to compete with if the tech job is as popular in NJ as it is in most parts of the country. Our last on call peds tech position brought in 200 applications before they pulled the posting and many more came in after that. Everyone from EMT's to RN students to PA and MD students are after that job because of the great deal of experience it offers. You will need to give the interview of your life so be prepared, if you get an interview I can share some things that might help push you to the front of the line. Good luck!

You may want to try asking the same question over at emtlife.com for a different set of opinions and suggestions. Try the education and training forum,I'm sure you will get all the information you need as well as opinions from all sides. There are several RN/EMT-P's that contribute to the site as well as regular RN's and of course thousands of EMT-B's,I's and P's. On a side note I would like to see as many RN's as possible posting on that site because your education and experience are very helpful to the new crop of young people looking to enter the health care field. Since a large majority of these folks start out in prehospital EMS its a benefit to all of us in the ER when they get people with a solid grasp of emergency medicine answering questions. If you spend any time over there you will realize quickly that people with very little experience and training are offering up answers to questions that are well beyond their level of education. If a few of you would pop in once and a while you would be doing a great service to those coming up behind us. Another side benefit is that it helps show the new folks that we in the ER are on their side and that we value our prehospital providers and that they need not feel intimidated by the ER staff. Those of us with prehospital field experience have all heard the stories of horrific treatment by ER staff, I must say I have never seen such treatment but the stories are out there.

In our peds ER we have a mix including EMT-B's,I's and P's and CNA's that work as ER techs. On the adult side the mix is the same but there are also med,nursing and PA students that float through from time to time. Our duties are much the same in both units they include EKG's (preforming not interpreting),straight stick phlebotomy,splinting,assisting with procedures,wound cleaning and prepping for sutures,recording and circulating on traumas,CPR on codes,rooming patients,getting vitals,getting patients on monitors,transporting to other units,covering the desk and stocking,stocking and more stocking. Much of what you can do relies on the trust you have earned and of course what your charge RN feels you are able to do. As an EMT-I have done things that are above what many paramedics do in the field but it has always been after I have demonstrated that I can be trusted. For those that are looking to work in the ER as techs,PCT's or whatever the position is called in your neck of the woods I can offer a little advice. In most ER's the position is very competitive and there are usually many more qualified applicants than there are positions. Our last on call ER tech position in the peds ED brought in over 200 applications before they removed the post and many more continued to come in after that. On the adult side the odds are about the same. Knowing how to smoke your interview is what will put you ahead of the other applicants. Having a good package means nothing if you don't know how to sell it, you may only have one shot so you need to be ready. Most ER managers want to see that you have some experience preferably in prehospital EMS. You don't need to have alot of time under your belt but its nice to know that you can function well in the hectic environment that is the norm in most ER's. It also is very beneficial to have the critical thinking skills that are developed after some time in the field. Being able to stay two steps ahead of the action is a skill that will be well appreciated by your over worked RN's.