Odd I know I know. But being in the ER seeing the paramedics bring us the critical/trauma patients and proceed to present the case to us and what was done on the field really exhilarates me.
In fact when I was in my late teens (now in my early 20's) I wanted to become a paramedic, mostly because I was always glued to the discovery health channel watching trauma life in the ER and Paramedics, but nursing found me lol.
I had taken my ACLS class a few months ago and was intrigued by how knowledgeable the paramedic was and even more curious after all the stories he told.
I'm an adrenaline junkie, and relish in traumas and critical situations. I feel heroic!
Being the first on the scene, intubating.......
Am I over my head? I know many may think who goes backwards? But I really think it can be resourceful to my nursing career???
And nurse 2033, I just want to say that I have the highest respect for EMTs and paramedics. Having never been one before, I still know that you have to stabilize patients in non-ideal situations/areas, intubate them emergently, etc, and don't get paid nearly enough for what you do. I'm sorry some nurses have a "high and mighty" attitude. Frankly, it's embarrassing, since we all should have mutual respect for each other. Some of those same nurses would probably drown if they weren't in their ideal, controlled hospital environment. I must say, I do appreciate how organized our emergencies are in the ICU; being an EMT or paramedic is much more strenuous, exhausting, I would think.
I work the ER now and am fed up with the lack of options for advancing my career in nursing. So I am taking a
step back" and going to get my Paramedic to help me in the ER and to get some field experience. I loved when I was an EMT 7 or 8 years ago and I know it is what I really love. And this is one ER guy who truly appreciates what you all do in the field.
What do you mean by lack of options? There are plenty of lateral and vertical moves you can make in nursing- especially of you get more education (ie- a masters degree). If you're one of those people who wants to do something related to inpatient care, ambulatory patients or community health, then there are plenty of options around as far as education goes. If you're like me and you want to be more involved in EMS as a nurse (doing something besides flight nursing), then your options are limited and vary greatly depending on what state you're in. I plan on starting paramedic school fairly soon and then going on to graduate school- exactly for what, I don't know. I do know, however, that: 1)IfI truly want to combine my interest in EMS with nursing, I'll need to carve out a niche for myself; and 2)I'll need a graduate degree to help me do that- especially if I want to work in administration or the policy end of things.
I have zero interest in any of the masters programs nursing offers. Oh trust me I know there is plenty of places to go and things to do and I plan on exploiting that to the fullest.
And nurse 2033, I just want to say that I have the highest respect for EMTs and paramedics. Having never been one before, I still know that you have to stabilize patients in non-ideal situations/areas, intubate them emergently, etc, and don't get paid nearly enough for what you do. I'm sorry some nurses have a "high and mighty" attitude. Frankly, it's embarrassing, since we all should have mutual respect for each other. Some of those same nurses would probably drown if they weren't in their ideal, controlled hospital environment. I must say, I do appreciate how organized our emergencies are in the ICU; being an EMT or paramedic is much more strenuous, exhausting, I would think.
There were plenty of times that, after rolling my pt into the local ER, I felt like pulling out a flare pistol & launching a big red ball of fire up into the ceiling to get some attention...ANY attention for my pt in distress. This was, of course, AFTER calling in a full report on the BLS radio (remember those?) or cell phone. Some ERs were consistently better than others. Some were basically useless, yet had decent snacks in their EMS rooms.
I agree with Flying Scot. Flight nursing was not all that glamorous and did not pay well comparatively speaking. Most of it was picking up gomers in podunk hospitals and taking them to the med center. Very little heroics. Every once in a while there was some big catastrophe that made things interesting, but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view ) those didn't come along that often.
I quit flying when 3 of my friends/coworkers and their patient were killed. I was off that day to go to the dentist, or I'd have been on that chopper.
I took my first EMT class in the 80's. Fast forward to being an LPN, and just completed my EMT-B class (again, a LOT has changed!!) to mix it up a bit. Some states will allow an RN to "comp" the EMT-B exam, I would look on your state's website. Then. you can begin taking EMT-P (Paramedic) classes. I would most definetely see if you could practice as an EMT-B (on call, perhaps) to get used to pre-hospital care, as it is really different. There's also an EMT-I designation, which is an EMT intermediate, who can start IV's and airways, but not so cardiac based as a paramedic.
Having a blast, and I know you will too!! Best of luck and let us know how it goes!!
hr at the hospital i work at told me that, according to the illinois nurse practice act, a person working as an r.n. cannot work as a cna, pct, or er tech as well. is it different for emt-b and paramedics? i have read threads where people say that they work as both a r.n. and a paramedic. i live in illinois, i don't know if it varies from state to state. is this allowed by the illinois nurse practice act?
may 24 by patti_rn a member since may '09 - from 'u.s.a.'. patti_rn has '10+' year(s) of nursing experience and specializes in 'icu, ed, and pediatric rehab.'. posts: 320 likes: 593
awards:
there is a credential called a phrn (pre-hospital rn) that is a national certification for emergency medical services. you 'outrank' paramedics, so if you're on a call and the patient is critical you get to provide care and the medic has to drive the ambulance! (being somewhat facetious, but in my experience it was true). the pathway to this certification is first being an rn, then taking the emt practical test. if you pass, you then take a national certification exam. you should take acls before taking the certification test. once you're qualified, you will need to complete 9 or 10 hours of ce credits per year. it's a more expedient path to ems than going through a one or two year paramedic training--most of which is redundant for an rn. "
patti, i don't know where you work, but let there be no doubt that #1 phrn is not a national cert (as many have already stated), and many states have no phrn cert or something different (such micn in nj). and #2, the phrn (i'll talk pa here since it is only phrn cert i know first hand) does not outrank a paramedic on scene (nj micn also does not outrank a nj micp) and the medic most certainly does not have to drive you. learn the facts before you make such a loaded post.
my expeirence is 28 years as a nremt-p in pa, 22 years as an micp in nj and 10 years in critical care transport (ground & flight) as a ccemt-p, fp-c.
i want to get my paramedic after nursing school too. let me warn you though...i got my emt-b because i wanted to be on an ambulance. after doing both the er and ambulance rotations, i decided to go through the nursing first. i hated the ambulance. the company that i was with does 12 hour shifts "posting" instead of being at a station. so basically you sit in the ambulance for 12 hours waiting on a call. in the time i was with them, we transported sick patients but nothing like what you see on tv. i was so dissapointed until i started my er rotations. i loved the er. now i'm planning on going to nursing school then to paramedic school. i really want to be a flight nurse/paramedic.
I must protest. A paramedic and a nurse is like comparing a bus driver to a truck driver. Two very different jobs in the same noble field. Both have a huge amount of responsibility. One is usually paid much better because their profession is much older. I don't want to work in a hospital. I prefer the streets and meeting my patients on their terms. Most nurses would be equally unhappy in my environment. Mutual respect.
You are safer in that helicopter and have greater odds of surviving in a crash that commercial flight.
Sorry Esme: I have to disagree. Fixed wing mishaps are much more survivable that rotary. Popular Mechanics (2010) says;
"As a result of flying ill-equipped into risky conditions, medical helicopters crash at twice the rate of other air taxis and are exponentially more dangerous than commercial airliners, according to a 2009 study by Ira Blumen, medical and program director of the University of Chicago Aeromedical Network. Air ambulances have crashed 264 times between 1972 and 2008, killing 264 people. The first three months of this year kicked off with two more fatal crashes, leaving six dead (half of whom died during a military EMS simulation).
In fact, working onboard a medical helicopter is the most dangerous profession in America, Blumen found, with a higher fatality rate than that of fishermen, loggers or steelworkers."
Another source, Flying Magazine (2013), reports that "EMS helicopters experience around 2.0 fatal accidents per 100,000 hours of flying versus about 1.3 for general aviation."
) those didn't come along that often.
Good Morning, Gil
607 Posts
And nurse 2033, I just want to say that I have the highest respect for EMTs and paramedics. Having never been one before, I still know that you have to stabilize patients in non-ideal situations/areas, intubate them emergently, etc, and don't get paid nearly enough for what you do. I'm sorry some nurses have a "high and mighty" attitude. Frankly, it's embarrassing, since we all should have mutual respect for each other. Some of those same nurses would probably drown if they weren't in their ideal, controlled hospital environment. I must say, I do appreciate how organized our emergencies are in the ICU; being an EMT or paramedic is much more strenuous, exhausting, I would think.