EMS to Nursing. Any regrets?

adamNYC

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I'm a nursing assistant currently and almost done with EMT school. I'm going to make a similar amount of money if not a tiny cut in pay. I've been working indoors in hospitals for almost 4 years and am just tired of the monotony and boredom of being inside and doing bedside nursing, which is what lead me to EMS.

For my long term goals I'm considering Medic or RN. My fear of getting into medic is the lack of advancement (except being a FDNY LT) and pay being not nearly as much as RN. With RN, I fear I'll be doing it just for the money. Working in an ED would be great, but it would still be indoors and I wouldn't be outdoors driving around and doing 911 calls.

Anyone that has worked EMS and got into nursing and regret it? I can see how one could get stuck in nursing because of the pay.
 

Carlos Danger

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Are you trying to decide on a new hobby, or a career that allows for many options and a solid income?
 

Akulahawk

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So far, I do not regret getting into nursing at all. I don't think that nurses can easily do field work without a solid orientation. A Paramedic with much of the same prerequisite preparation as an RN gets would be able to do much the same thing with a longer orientation to the floors. That being said, Paramedics are specialists from the beginning and nurses are generalists that specialize in something.

At this particular juncture, I would say that if you're considering going into nursing, do it. Don't stop at paramedic, bypass it instead and do nursing. If you're happy with being a Paramedic (I was and am) then go for it and still prepare for a future off the ambulance. Another career to consider, especially if you do well in your collegiate career (you're going for a Bachelors, right?) is PA or do as some of our members have done... and go physician!

Nursing is one way that I choose to express who I am. Paramedic is too. I really enjoyed Paramedic work and one day I'll return to it but the pay is low enough that it'll likely never be more than a part-time gig for me from now own. Paramedic is an infectious disease that (fortunately) doesn't kill you. ;)
 
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adamNYC

adamNYC

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Minimum for PA is bachlors and RN is associates right? I think I'd like to get away with the minimum amount of education. In this case, an ASN in nursing. I think another thing that will influence my decision is actually working 911 for a year to get a real taste of EMS work.
 

OnceAnEMT

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Minimum for PA is bachlors and RN is associates right? I think I'd like to get away with the minimum amount of education. In this case, an ASN in nursing. I think another thing that will influence my decision is actually working 911 for a year to get a real taste of EMS work.

For what its worth, hospitals around where I'm at (Austin area) are starting to move away from hiring any nurse without a BSN. Just a quality thing I guess. They're not laying off ADNs, just not hiring new ones.
 

Tigger

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While it's obviously possible to find a nursing job with an ASN, those with a BSN often have a much easier time finding a job in specialty that they want to be in. Sometimes this can be location dependent but in urban areas I imagine it's a more often than not scenario.

Why the minimum?
 

WTEngel

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If I was interested in entering a profession, I feel like I would be doing a disservice to myself and my patients if I had the attitude of wanting to practice with the lowest amount of education necessary. I would not someone with that attitude treating my family member.
 

Carlos Danger

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To expand on my reply to the original question:

Nursing and paramedicine complement each other very well, and with both lines of work typically having plenty of part time or PRN employment options available, it's usually easy to do both if you want to.

My advice to people in this situation is always the same:
  • Get your EMT
  • Go to nursing school
  • Work part time as an EMT while in school
  • After you are done with nursing school, pursue paramedic if you are still interested
Of course, don't forget to consider PA or medical school, but also keep in mind that nurses have the option of graduate school for advanced practice as well.


While it's obviously possible to find a nursing job with an ASN, those with a BSN often have a much easier time finding a job in specialty that they want to be in. Sometimes this can be location dependent but in urban areas I imagine it's a more often than not scenario.

Why the minimum?

That is generally true and becoming more the case all the time, as the shortage of RN's that existed a few years ago is almost no more. That said however, if one happens to be in an area where the hospitals are still hiring ASN's, getting an ASN may make good sense. Do the ASN, go to work and start gaining experience and earning money sooner, then get your BSN part time and let your employer pay for it.

On the other hand, ASN programs usually aren't really 2-year degrees (most people take at least 2.5, if not 3), and they tend to be actually harder to get into than BSN programs. Some community college nursing programs take several years just to get into. I have known of people who looked into their options and found they could enroll in and graduate from a BSN program sooner than they could an ASN program, because they could start the BSN almost immediately but the ASN programs that were available wanted a year's worth of pre-requisites just to go on a waiting list that was a year or more long.
 

TransportJockey

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To expand on my reply to the original question:

Nursing and paramedicine complement each other very well, and with both lines of work typically having plenty of part time or PRN employment options available, it's usually easy to do both if you want to.

My advice to people in this situation is always the same:
  • Get your EMT
  • Go to nursing school
  • Work part time as an EMT while in school
  • After you are done with nursing school, pursue paramedic if you are still interested
Of course, don't forget to consider PA or medical school, but also keep in mind that nurses have the option of graduate school for advanced practice as well.




That is generally true and becoming more the case all the time, as the shortage of RN's that existed a few years ago is almost no more. That said however, if one happens to be in an area where the hospitals are still hiring ASN's, getting an ASN may make good sense. Do the ASN, go to work and start gaining experience and earning money sooner, then get your BSN part time and let your employer pay for it.

On the other hand, ASN programs usually aren't really 2-year degrees (most people take at least 2.5, if not 3), and they tend to be actually harder to get into than BSN programs. Some community college nursing programs take several years just to get into. I have known of people who looked into their options and found they could enroll in and graduate from a BSN program sooner than they could an ASN program, because they could start the BSN almost immediately but the ASN programs that were available wanted a year's worth of pre-requisites just to go on a waiting list that was a year or more long.
The other way to make an ADN work is if yiy happen to work for the hospital in some other capacity prior to getting your RN. The hospital I work at PRN as an ER tech hires ADNs almost exclusively from within. Outside applicants usually need a BSN
 
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adamNYC

adamNYC

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EMT & Medic experience helps in getting hired at an ED even though your a fresh RN grad? I really don't see myself wanting to work anywhere else as an RN. I've done Med/Surg & Telemetry bedside nursing as a CNA before and although it had its moments I wouldn't want to be in that position again.
 

TransportJockey

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EMT & Medic experience helps in getting hired at an ED even though your a fresh RN grad? I really don't see myself wanting to work anywhere else as an RN. I've done Med/Surg & Telemetry bedside nursing as a CNA before and although it had its moments I wouldn't want to be in that position again.
Sometimes, not not a always. I have seen that flight or critical care field time helps more than just simple EMS
 

Carlos Danger

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EMT & Medic experience helps in getting hired at an ED even though your a fresh RN grad?

Completely depends on who is interviewing you.

Don't discount the value of ICU experience. Far more educational than ED.
 

Summit

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Completely depends on who is interviewing you.

Don't discount the value of ICU experience. Far more educational than ED.
Indeed and Icu is very much its own animal.



.
0P also consider that working as an assistant has very little to offer in perspective of what it is like to be an RN particularly if all you have seen is Med Surg
 
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adamNYC

adamNYC

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Any other advantages I can use? Being male? Foreign languages? Wouldn't mind expanding my spanish or russian abit.
 

Tigger

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Any other advantages I can use? Being male? Foreign languages? Wouldn't mind expanding my spanish or russian abit.
Working hard?
 
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adamNYC

adamNYC

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Haha will do. Thank you everyone. I can definitely agree Nursing instead of Medic is the way to go. But who knows after doing EMT 911 I may not want to leave EMS :)
 

Angel

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Haha will do. Thank you everyone. I can definitely agree Nursing instead of Medic is the way to go. But who knows after doing EMT 911 I may not want to leave EMS :)

maybe. but getting run into the ground for terrible pay and benefits gets old. so you may not want to leave ems but it may be something you have to do for a better life.
 

VFlutter

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No regrets. ICU nursing is a totally different animal than floor nursing. Although you may have to put time in on a floor there are so many exciting nursing jobs such as ICU, Cath lab, OR, etc.

I could never to back to floor nursing however it was a worthwhile expereince.

Also, having worked in the ICU and then spending time in the ED the two just do not compare. Saying ED is critical care is a very long stretch.
 
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adamNYC

adamNYC

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"Saying ED is critical care is a very long stretch."

At Maimonodes Medical Center @ Brooklyn the ED has a critical care side and a non-critical care ambulance triage area. I noticed that EMS who called the hospital prior to arriving would usually go directly to the critical care side of the ED immediately upon arrival.
 

VFlutter

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To clarify I feel like in many EDs the goal is to get the critical patient to the ICU as soon as possible. There isn't much experience in actually managing a critical care patient. For example sending a septic patient up with inadequate vascular access, poorly sedated, poorly placed or secured lines, etc. I understand the goal is immediate life saving treatments and stabilization however that is just the tip of the iceburg.
 
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