Will EMT-B help get me into Critical Care

[mrrabbit]

My ultimate goal is to become a nurse anesthesiologist and to apply for the program I need one year of critical care experience. My question is will having a EMT-B certificate help at all in speeding up that process? I am not looking to jump right into CC directly after I finish school but I would like to make some progress while I am getting my BSN.

A current nurse advised me not to waste my time with the EMT but to start volunteering now preferably as a float staff and when I am done that experience will add diversity to my CV.

I will be starting my nursing program this upcoming spring semester but because I have already done all of my prereqs and non-nursing classes I am left with an empty fall schedule. After talking with a few nursing professors and counselors they recommend that I take an emergency provider class like EMT-B. Even though I will never work as an EMT they said that the skills that I learn can be carried over into all nursing fields.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can make the most of my time between now and when I am ready for graduate school?

[Medic2BSN13, BSN, RN]

Your best bet is to focus your time and energy in your studies for now to keep a competitive GPA. There are many new grad residency programs in the ICU setting which will be the quickest path to follow. An EMT-B cert will hold no weight in the nursing world especially in the ICU. Maybe if you were a paramedic, but even that is a different ball game.

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

If you were pursuing a career path in the Emergency dept, the EMT-B would be helpful.

But EMTs do not intubate so I don't see the point.

But if your long term goal is to be a CRNA, a student nurse extern or CNA position in an ICU would be more to your advantage as you would have a foot in the door when a position opens up.

I do not agree with your school advisors. For CRNA school you need a high GPA and a strong background in chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and physics and pathophysiology. Now is a good time to beef up your GPA and I want to suggest you do as many OR practicums as possible during your undergrad.

[Wile E Coyote, ASN, RN]

I'm in agreement with the above posters. I don't feel EMT B will help in your particular career goal. I don't have OR/PACU experience, but wonder if there are opportunities there (transporting pts, helping anesthesia/circulating staff setup, etc) that would be open to a volunteer with no direct experience...anyone?

[ricardoj]

You'll learn some basic A&P, basic disease processes, etc. It wouldn't be a bad thing to do, but as others said it really won't have much impact on what you are ultimately aiming towards.