Why is Army medic experience not valued for New Grads applying for ER jobs?

[armyemtbsn]

I am a recent graduate from a BSN program and have been trying desperately to find an ER job in Central Ohio. I have been an Army medic for over six years including a tour in Iraq as a flight medic. I also have worked the past three years as an aid on a med-surg floor. I have done 2 interviews for ER jobs but the result was the same, "you have no nursing experience".While I'm not saying that veterans deserve special treatment, I am frustrated because I feel some of my experiences may outweigh those of any other nurse. Please let me know how to sell my army medic experience and get my career started on the right path.

[sauconyrunner]

It is hard to know, but your service experience may have actually gotten you the interviews, since there are many many new grads right now who are not even able to secure an interview at a LTAC. So, you got an interview (And at that point the managers KNEW that you had no nursing experience). Since they knew about the no nursing experience,and chose to interview you anyway, I am guessing that maybe it was something else in the interview that made them decide not to hire you, despite what they told you.

I think your experience is a plus, one of my favoritest Nurses to work with was a Dude who had done the Medic, LPN RN route. I hope you find something that is satisfactory for you.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

I think the last few posts are on target. Make sure your resume is highlighting your experience in the right way. Make sure you come across as you've got skills, but you realize you've got a lot to learn. You might be coming across as, "well I was a medic, so I already know it all" without realizing it, and that may be turning off your future employers. Job hunting is a tight rope walk. You have to come across as confident yet humble.

And the job market sucks right now, so you likely may have to start out in a specialty that's not your first choice.

Thanks for your service! And good luck in your job hunt. :)

[PMFB-RN, RN]

In too was an army medic who recieved advanced placement in nursing school cause it it and was also given priority whe applying for a job as a result of my years of hands on patient care experience in the army. I have worked in 4 states as an RN and I find it really matters. Some states, like Wisconsin, seem to place a high value on military medical experience. Right across the border in MN they don't, neither in nursing schools or in getting hired. California alos seemed to value military experience as well. Oregon not so much. Those are the states I have worked in as an RN. In talking with my many friends who are former medics and now RNs I have gotten an idea of some other state very friendly to vets. You might consider relocating.

[paularnc]

A suggestion I have is to start your description of yourself with that experience. Also, providing a typed, small list of the top skills utilized as a medic in Iraq will help the interviewer understand what a medic is and does. Good luck to you and thank you for all you do!!

[billyboblewis]

I am sorry that your career is not getting off the way you want.. I was a hospital corpsman and .went into nursing soon after my discharge. I received help from many people in getting where I got in nursing.. The er is a choice that many people desire and the ones chosen were able to show why they should have a chance to work there or they just happened to be there when there was a vacancy. I worked in ER because I had training experience in critical care and I was there when needed. I was able to meet the scheduling needs of the hospital. I worked med surg and step down before that. I have to think that you may not be able to present yourself in a way that makes people want to put you on their staff..Perhaps you have an atitude problem. You have to prove your value to your co-workers and supervisors.. When you show you have what it takes to get the job done you will be offered more than you can imagine..Your previous history in combat is somewhat mythical to your new employers and that is life...Keep trying to do your best and you will get more than you can imagine and be nice to everyone you work with

I am a recent graduate from a BSN program and have been trying desperately to find an ER job in Central Ohio. I have been an Army medic for over six years including a tour in Iraq as a flight medic. I also have worked the past three years as an aid on a med-surg floor. I have done 2 interviews for ER jobs but the result was the same, "you have no nursing experience".While I'm not saying that veterans deserve special treatment, I am frustrated because I feel some of my experiences may outweigh those of any other nurse. Please let me know how to sell my army medic experience and get my career started on the right path.

[eCCU]

Most of the advice is on par like highlight your resume and leave out things that are may look a little over the top. For example an ER Nurse manager would be a little wary of a medic who lists things like suturing patients, intubating patients and all types of invasive procedures that require a physician. Remember they do not just go to school for 14yrs for nothing there is a lot of critical thinking that goes with the procedure. List things that are within the NPA that you have been exposed to this gives them more confidence that you will not be suturing patients when the MD is running a little late :-)

Also remember if you are applying to a level 1 trauma you will not directly go to the trauma rooms. Like the previous RN stated there is more than running codes that goes with it for example head injury motor vehicle accident who has dka...how do you control the dka without increasing ICP and decreasing K+levels and bicarb levels or cardiac arrest MI whats is the treatment for inferior wall infarct vs Anterior....my advise to highlight things that are used in todays ER and possibly list the specialities you have been exposed to. Finally do not forget most hospitals like to train their graduate nurses through an internship program despite the medic status, when it comes to specialty departments. Otherwise best of luck and hope you get a position very soon.

[gypsyd8]

I would like to add that many in HR do not know what nurses do, let alone what medics do. I agree with the previous poster who is a USMC vet that you are dealing with ignorance and preconceived notions. Try highlighting specific experiences in your cover letter and on your resume. You might also want to consider the USPHS, who may give your experience more weight.

[crystalhodge]

I am finishing up an ASN program as we speak. I can personally say that through the many ER rotations I have done, some of my very best experiences have been working with both army and civilian medics. I have worked with some very experienced nurses, and they have been great. However, the medics have been trained from day one how to care for the most injured patients without the supplies and equipment offered to those in a hospital setting, and stay calm and patient centered while doing so. They are able to think outside the box, and are ready for anything. I think any hospital that would turn away that kind of experience is making a huge mistake by not hiring you.

[Txnursekristi]

I am a recent graduate from a BSN program and have been trying desperately to find an ER job in Central Ohio. I have been an Army medic for over six years including a tour in Iraq as a flight medic. I also have worked the past three years as an aid on a med-surg floor. I have done 2 interviews for ER jobs but the result was the same, "you have no nursing experience".While I'm not saying that veterans deserve special treatment, I am frustrated because I feel some of my experiences may outweigh those of any other nurse. Please let me know how to sell my army medic experience and get my career started on the right path.

All I have to say is hell yes, they do. And no, I'm not a veteran. But in my humble opinion, you deserve extra special treatment.

[mcmullenusmc]

I must ask why? Why give a blanket treatment to one extremely small portion of the population?

I understand the sentiment behind this as I go out of my way to make all my fellow veterans feel special, but I also see past the outside perspective as actually have been a part of the process for years. This may be a clique statement but you will never understand what it is like unless you yourself also served. I can attest to my experience with numerous units in multiple countries and multiple branches of service. I was stationed on all but coast guard bases and I can assure you there is a huge (not most) portion of the veteran population that are pretty much scumbags. There are also many veterans who have never served during a time of war, and if they did some of them never left the states. I want to caution you about giving a heroes treatment to anyone guilty by association of being a hero (ie military/fire/EMT/LEO) due to the risk they signed up for. Not everyone who signed up ever experienced risk, and not everyone who signed up ever really sacrificed. To think that they are special because of a previous job they held, not by the actual performance of that job, does all nurses past,present, and future a disservice and cuts their efforts short. It will mean hiring of substandard employees because they got special treatment.

[jtmarcy12, BSN, RN]

I have the utmost respect for a medic who served in our Military!!:thankya: That counts as some medical experience based on what I have learned that medics do. Yes I would hire you!! Maybe check out the bay area of California maybe you will get hired!

[bbie17]

hmm I find it strange that nurse managers would think you "have no nursing experience." Either you didn't talk enough about your experience at interviews or you just happened to be competing with a pool of experienced applicants. Like other members, I suggest you keep trying. You definitely have what it takes to work in the ER. At the ER I work in, we don't hire new grads without experience but we do hire new grads who have worked as techs in our ER or who were army medics. Goodluck on your job search!