Becoming an emt as a single mom..

mlloyd91

mlloyd91

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hey there :) I've wanted to an paramedic for as long as I can remember. I've recently and unexpectedly become a single mom of three, ages 5, 3, and 3. (I know!) So my question is... Would I be crazy to think that I could be an emt and still function as a single parent. How do others do it with the hours and schedules? Thanks in advance:)
 
Sacrifice is the name of the game. Be prepared to work long hours for low pay. Also it depends on where you work. You'll need someone to babysit a lot. I have a 1 1/2 year old and it's already overwhelming. You can do it, but it's going to take a lot of work
 
To be honest if money is important id go the nursing route. CNA takes a few months, LPN takes a year, RN two years. And you dont need to become one before becoming another.
 
I don't think EMS is a smart career choice with three young kids. You have a family to take car of and bills to pay. Can you afford to raise three kids on $12-$15 an hour after two or three years of school?

I'd look at becoming an RN or something similar.
 
MMiz said:
I don't think EMS is a smart career choice with three young kids.
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Ditto. Sad to say but supporting a family on EMT wages is really difficult. Like others have said I would go the RN route. You could get your EMT cert. and work part time through nursing school. Thats a nice option, get some money and experience while working on your RN.
 
$12-15 is a very generous estimation as well.

I myself have 3 kids and would not be able to provide for my family without my spouses support and help watching our kids and allowing me to work the necessary hours in this field.
This is a big sacrifice on the part of all involved.
It's not impossible if you have a strong support group.
 
I would echo what has already been said. It's certainly been done by many others before, but it's a similar question to "Can I get a McDonalds as a single mom".

There are much better paths that will set you and your children up for better future success.
 
If you have to pay for 24 straight hours of childcare for 3 children while you work, then you will never make enough in EMS to afford a living, none the less childcare.
 
adamNYC said:
LPN takes a year, RN two years.
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That's it for nuring eduction in the USA. No wonder US hospitals, and other health care organizations come up to Canada to try and recruit our nursing students. Here in Canada RN is a Bachelors degree, and LPN has been increased to a 2 year course. My Mom was an LPN her course was 1 year.
 
fortsmithman said:
That's it for nuring eduction in the USA. No wonder US hospitals, and other health care organizations come up to Canada to try and recruit our nursing students. Here in Canada RN is a Bachelors degree, and LPN has been increased to a 2 year course. My Mom was an LPN her course was 1 year.
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That breakdown is pretty simplified. Many hospitals are moving to BSN requirements prior to hiring new grad RNs.
 
fortsmithman said:
That's it for nuring eduction in the USA. No wonder US hospitals, and other health care organizations come up to Canada to try and recruit our nursing students. Here in Canada RN is a Bachelors degree, and LPN has been increased to a 2 year course. My Mom was an LPN her course was 1 year.
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With those licenses/certs, you'd only be able to work in a nursing home and hand out pills in most places. As Chaz90 stated, many hospitals will only hire RN's with a BSN, so a full 4 year education.
 
It really depends on where you work. In Central Florida cost of living is what I would consider middle of the pack, and there's a few agencies that pay fairly well. I can't speak for anywhere else though.

I would recommend finding the providers in your area and doing some more research.
  • Do you want to work in a 911 system, or for a private company that mostly transports people around from hospitals etc? Big pay difference
  • Who runs 911 in your area? Is in the Fire Dept, a stand alone EMS service, or a private company? What are the requirements for getting hired aside from EMT/Paramedic?
  • What is their starting pay?
  • What kind of schedule do they have (mandatory 24s, 12-13 hour shifts, etc)
  • Are they willing to help pay for your schooling? (A number of places will help or pay completely, but then you owe than a certain number of years on a contract)
EMS is a not a get rich business but you don't have to starve doing it. And depending on where you work, you could earn a pension for when you retire. I would do some more research, and also find out how long it takes to become a paramedic and how much it costs.
 
CALEMT said:
Ditto. Sad to say but supporting a family on EMT wages is really difficult. Like others have said I would go the RN route. You could get your EMT cert. and work part time through nursing school. Thats a nice option, get some money and experience while working on your RN.
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It'd be tough to take care of a family on that pay. For a little perspective, my starting pay as an EMT is $11.43. Say you work 48 hours a week, that comes out to $28,500 and probably $30,000 if you figure in a little over time or the special pays. As a college student working part time, this job pays really well, but I am just paying for myself and my few expenses. CAL's idea isn't bad. Nursing would be the smarter route to take care of a family and has plenty of room to grow and move. You can still do part time EMT on the side so you can still get the chance to do it and nurses schedules are pretty sweet so you would have the chance. My mom works as an NP and while she might have some very long days, the amount of time she gets to have off is nice. Nursing with a side EMT gets my vote.
 
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