So, as most of you can probably tell by the credentials on the side of my name, I am a paramedic. My overall goal was to become a nurse, and it still is. I am currently finishing up a couple prerequisites and hopefully, I will be accepted into a BSN program by the end of next semester. Here is the issue, though...
One day, I was browsing the web, looking for stories of people who were like me. People who became paramedics first and then went on to become nurses. What I found, however, was a crap load of articles, mainly from nurses, stereotyping the EMS field and limiting the skills of paramedics to nothing more than "ambulance driver". I was appalled. One, because I didn't even think that this was even an actual "thing", and two because I would figure that healthcare providers as a whole would grasp at some point that this whole idea of healthcare is a TEAM effort. There is no licensure more needed than another.
Then, I see more articles on newcomers wanting to explore another option other than CNA. People who were thinking about becoming EMT Basics, prior to their nurse education. A lot of biased nurses there, once again completely bashing the idea of becoming an EMT instead of a CNA. They cared to do no research whatsoever on what an EMT or paramedic does. They used both terms interchangeably, which is a mistake within itself because the scope of practice for both are different. But once again, both are being limited to only "ambulance drivers". Really?
So, just clearing up a few things here and there. EMTs and Paramedics are not just "ambulance drivers". People could easily stereotype nurses as "doctor assistants", I KNOW for a fact that it would very looked down upon. So, why do it to someone else? 
EMTs typically have to take a semester long program to be EMTs. As does a CNA. However, EMTs take more classes in the semester. CNAs have one course to take.
To be a paramedic now, it takes 1- 2 years, depending on what program you go into, and that's not including prereqs. That's about the same amount of time it takes to be a LPN or an RN on the Associates level. The program I did was a year and a half and I ended up with an Associate's degree. A lot of medic programs are held in colleges now. Not just EMS companies.
Paramedics are skilled in giving medications, EKG interpretations, Cardioversion, Defibrillation, Transcutaneous Pacing, IVs, IOs, Intubations, Needle Decompressions, ect... We do have to know drip rates. EMTs can not do these things, but they are still trained to handle the basic stuff like controlling the bleeding, simple airway management, CPR, simple anaphylaxis management, etc... Until the medics come and take over.
EMTs and Medics can work in the hospital. Usually, they only work in the ED, but it makes sense since they are trained in the emergency medical model. There are a few other places where EMTs and Medics can work. Options seem to open up a little more to paramedics... But all of this being said, EMTs and Medics are not just limited to working on an ambulance. I know this from personal experience, before anyone tries to invalidate this fact.
Another annoying misconception is that EMTs and Paramedics are only limited to one patient a day... This is a very stupid misconception and it proves that people do not know the purpose of EMS. EMTs and Medics are trained for emergencies. When we get on a scene, we do not have the stable environment of the hospital. We have to make due with what we have and what we know. We have to stabilize the scene and ensure scene safety. If an incident occurs when there are multiple people injured or sick, we have to know how to tend to that. Not every case is "we load and go and that's it". It has never been just that.
The bottom line is, EMTs and Medics are around for a reason. And there is a reason why the burnout rate from Medics are higher than the burnout rate from nurses. Not saying at all that nurses do not get burned out... Medics do more than they get credit for and it's unfortunate that this even has to be a topic. All I can say now is, before you go on a biased rampage on how nurses are better than medics and how medics are useless and not skilled in anything except ambulance driving, I insist that you do your research 
and learn all there is to know about the EMS field, instead of contributing to the load of bs that EMTs and Medics have to deal with from people all the time. 
P.S. I apologize if this is in the wrong place. Feel free to move it. I don't know how to change where this gets posted. 
L&D nurses freak out about chest pain. *shrug* Everybody has their weak spots. 
Msmedic68w, MSN, RN
103 Posts
I was a medic in the Army, and then I went to nursing school. Obviously, the military is another animal but when I was a medic I would intubate, push meds and do stuff any paramedic would do. As far as civilian EMT, well to be fair, they do mostly drive the ambulance and assist the paramedic. Not because they arn't clever enough to do more, but because of the laws surrounding being an EMT and what they are allowed to do, however your state may be different. I have nothing but respect for EMS, in fact to be a firefighter, it now basically a prerequisite to be a paramedic now because their knowledge and skill set is vital. I would question what kind of nurses these were in the article, my guess would probably be ER nurses, only because they deal with it every day. But if I were in cardiac arrest, I'd rather have a paramedic by my side then a psych nurse (Which I am, so hold your fire) or some other kind of nurse that doesn't deal with that every day....Like a nurse case manager or what have you.