# paramedic vs nursing



## lac777 (Feb 10, 2011)

hello everyone i am in that stage of my career that i don't know what path to choose, i pick the medical field because i like helping people but sometimes i ask my self what's going to be better in the long run i am kind of young 20 and i am in emt classes right now but i don't know if i should get a a.s in ems or a.s in nursing i was just wondering because i know the paramedics career is really competitive now and really hard to find a job at least here in Florida so i am looking for some advices i am going to finish emt and from there i don't know what to do if go to nursing school or just continue with my ems program what do you guys think?


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## Shishkabob (Feb 10, 2011)

Well... what are your goals in the future?


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## lac777 (Feb 10, 2011)

well i want to get a bachelor in something related to the medical field the general education and pre requisites here for paramedic school and nursing are almost the same except.that to get to nursing i would have to take micrbiology, nutrition i am missing two prerequisite for nursing  for paramedics is mostly general education and the only pre requisites are anatomy and emt i am confused i always wanted to be a paramedics but.i heard.from a lot people that is hard to get a job


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## Akulahawk (Feb 10, 2011)

Totally depends upon your future goals. In my case, I chose Paramedic for a while, and have since switched to Nursing. I'm still waiting to be chosen for RN school. In the meantime, I do what I need to for supporting the family. You're (hopefully) young enough that you won't have to worry about that for a while. 

You could say that I took a pretty non-traditional way to get to where I am... so I'm probably not exactly the best role model for which path to follow though. Choose your own.


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## Shishkabob (Feb 10, 2011)

lac777 said:


> well i want to get a bachelor in something related to the medical field the general education and pre requisites here for paramedic school and nursing are almost the same except.that to get to nursing i would have to take micrbiology, nutrition i am missing two prerequisite for nursing  for paramedics is mostly general education and the only pre requisites are anatomy and emt i am confused i always wanted to be a paramedics but.i heard.from a lot people that is hard to get a job



Ok, you didn't answer my question:  What are you future goals?  What do you want to be doing in 5, 10, 15 years?  You say medicine... cleaning someones teeth is medicine.  

Do you want to be out of the hospital, or in?  Does money matter more to you?  Do you want to be able to pick up and move on a whim?  Do you want to be able to switch from different specialties?  Etc etc etc.


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## lac777 (Feb 10, 2011)

money is no important to me i think making a decent amount money to support my family later.in life i always wanted.ti be a flight paramedic and it doesn't really matter to me if i am in a hospital or out, i can't answer the question of what i am going to.be.doin in the future because its all depends on decisions i make now,i like the adrenaline of the paramedics job but as er nurse i can get that too i know that both are really great careers


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## Veneficus (Feb 10, 2011)

If an adrenaline rush is what you seek, I doubt you will be satisfied with either EMS or nursing. 

Contrary to popular belief, a majority of the work performed is repetative and not very exciting at all.


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## lac777 (Feb 10, 2011)

maybe i should ask the question again in what field i would have more opportunities and more chances of getting a job and what are the cons and pro of both


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## Shishkabob (Feb 10, 2011)

Again, pros/cons canno tbe answered without knowing specifically what you are trying for outside of 'excitement'.

However, at the current time with how many states suck with EMS, education a lot of the time lacking in breadth, and without a solid, unified voice to fight for the issues... nursing has quite a bit more lateral movement if you want to try something new.


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## STXmedic (Feb 10, 2011)

Personally, I'd say nursing would be the "smarter" choice. Nursing pays ALOT better (with the exception of very few EMS systems), and there is much more room to move around in fields and find your niche. Don't get me wrong, I'm a paramedic and I Love my job. But, as you can see from other threads on this topic, education is lacking for EMS, the pay disparity is significant, and the options you get as an RN are tremendously more than EMS. However, the nursing shortage is BS. While the nurse to pt ratio may be far too high, that doesn't mean that hospitals are sucking nurses in left and right to fill that void. You're just as likely to have to broaden your geographic area to find a job with nursing as with paramedic (at least for a good job with either). My opinion: Forget the a.s. in EMS, forget the a.s. in nursing. Go get your BSN. You're only a few pre-reqs away, and the way things are starting to look, BSN is going to be your best employment option. If you just really want to be in the field after that, go breeze through a paramedic class and work part time somewhere, or try and get a Flight RN spot.


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## abckidsmom (Feb 10, 2011)

lac777 said:


> maybe i should ask the question again in what field i would have more opportunities and more chances of getting a job and what are the cons and pro of both




In the field of nursing alone, you can work in a courtroom, in an industrial setting, in a research lab, in a medical office, in a hospital, in people's homes, on a helicoptor, working at home, in a fire department, in a 911 communications center, on interfacility transports, etc, etc, etc.

Really, do a little research.  Your question is too broad, like asking "I like coloring, what color crayon should I use?"  It really depends on what you want to do.


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## Shishkabob (Feb 10, 2011)

abckidsmom said:


> In the field of nursing alone, you can work in a courtroom, in an industrial setting, in a research lab, in a medical office, in a hospital, in people's homes, on a helicoptor, working at home, in a fire department, in a 911 communications center, on interfacility transports, etc, etc, etc.



Technically, the exact same with Paramedic.  Only place where nursing has an "up" on that is in the hospital, and mainly because the BONs are overly protective and go out of their way to label Paramedics as 'technicians'.


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## lac777 (Feb 10, 2011)

PoeticInjustice said:


> Personally, I'd say nursing would be the "smarter" choice. Nursing pays ALOT better (with the exception of very few EMS systems), and there is much more room to move around in fields and find your niche. Don't get me wrong, I'm a paramedic and I Love my job. But, as you can see from other threads on this topic, education is lacking for EMS, the pay disparity is significant, and the options you get as an RN are tremendously more than EMS. However, the nursing shortage is BS. While the nurse to pt ratio may be far too high, that doesn't mean that hospitals are sucking nurses in left and right to fill that void. You're just as likely to have to broaden your geographic area to find a job with nursing as with paramedic (at least for a good job with either). My opinion: Forget the a.s. in EMS, forget the a.s. in nursing. Go get your BSN. You're only a few pre-reqs away, and the way things are starting to look, BSN is going to be your best employment option. If you just really want to be in the field after that, go breeze through a paramedic class and work part time somewhere, or try and get a Flight RN spot.



yea i was thinking that too finish the emt and try to get a.job part time and go straight to bsn thank you all for your responses and time after i finish emt important going to take the rest of the pre requisites and apply to a bsn program


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## Veneficus (Feb 10, 2011)

Linuss said:


> Technically, the exact same with Paramedic.  Only place where nursing has an "up" on that is in the hospital, and mainly because the BONs are overly protective and go out of their way to label Paramedics as 'technicians'.



Because a considerable majority of paramedics are.

Linuss, 

It has been clearly demonstrated over time you do not fit the "technician" label given to paramedics, but you are one of the exceptions to the rule.

You see it here everyday. "I collar and LSB every patient because protocol says so..." 

That is not the mentality or behavior of licensed profesionals.


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## Shishkabob (Feb 10, 2011)

And I've had another two Paramedics tell me on Tuesday that I need to go to medical school >_<


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## Veneficus (Feb 10, 2011)

Linuss said:


> And I've had another two Paramedics tell me on Tuesday that I need to go to medical school >_<



Peer pressure.

Once the docs start telling you, quit resisting and give into it.


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## Shishkabob (Feb 10, 2011)

Now you know why I try to keep away from my medical directors whenever I go to the base hospitals.


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## 8jimi8 (Feb 10, 2011)

lac777 said:


> hello everyone i am in that stage of my career that i don't know what path to choose, i pick the medical field because i like helping people but sometimes i ask my self what's going to be better in the long run i am kind of young 20 and i am in emt classes right now but i don't know if i should get a a.s in ems or a.s in nursing i was just wondering because i know the paramedics career is really competitive now and really hard to find a job at least here in Florida so i am looking for some advices i am going to finish emt and from there i don't know what to do if go to nursing school or just continue with my ems program what do you guys think?



I found the opportunities presented by nursing have given me a very secure platform to explore the emergency specialty.  Now picking up my paramedic is just a matter of having fun at clinicals and working through paramedic modules.  Rather than learning the emergency presentation as your introduction to patients and healthcare in general.


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## medicRob (Feb 11, 2011)

Veneficus said:


> If an adrenaline rush is what you seek, I doubt you will be satisfied with either EMS or nursing.
> 
> Contrary to popular belief, a majority of the work performed is repetative and not very exciting at all.



Speaking as both a Paramedic and an RN,  you are in fact correct. Don't come into either one of these professions thinking they are what you see on TV.


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## Shishkabob (Feb 11, 2011)

medicRob said:


> Speaking as both a Paramedic and an RN,  you are in fact correct. Don't come into either one of these professions thinking they are what you see on TV.



To make a correction, those moments DO exist, but not often, and not as big a rush as time goes on.  But there still ARE the excitement times.



And don't tell me an MCI with 3x as many critical patients as providers isn't worthy of an adrenaline rush ('controlled'... obviously).  B)


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## medicRob (Feb 11, 2011)

Linuss said:


> To make a correction, those moments DO exist, but not often, and not as big a rush as time goes on.  But there still ARE the excitement times.
> 
> 
> 
> And don't tell me an MCI with 3x as many critical patients as providers isn't worthy of an adrenaline rush ('controlled'... obviously).  B)



Yes, but unlike the show trauma or ER... helicopters don't blow up on the roof, and we certainly don't go into buildings with bombs in them to get patients. 

I can see how the trauma moments as a paramedic are exciting, but if you work in a trauma unit as I do.. Trauma is a very structured thing. There is actually a map of where each team member stands on the patient, it is almost like a screen play.. They say things like:

"SN (Secondary Nurse) is to stand on the left side of the patient. Upon entrance after PGY-1 or TTL asks for EMS Report, the SN is to obtain BP. Unless the SN notices a significant change in pt status that needs to be relayed to the TTL, TNP, or PGY-1 the SN will call out BP as soon as it is obtained and take direction from PN (Primary Nurse), TNP, TTL, or PGY-1. 

Once you have been in a few traumas like this, it becomes a little bit monotonous. I think some of the best traumas I have been on were not in the trauma unit, but rather when I work event medicine at large events.


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## abckidsmom (Feb 11, 2011)

medicRob said:


> Yes, but unlike the show trauma or ER... helicopters don't blow up on the roof, and we certainly don't go into buildings with bombs in them to get patients.
> 
> I can see how the trauma moments as a paramedic are exciting, but if you work in a trauma unit as I do.. Trauma is a very structured thing. There is actually a map of where each team member stands on the patient, it is almost like a screen play.. They say things like:
> 
> ...



Although for a newer provider, there's an adrenaline rush right there.  15 people with a combined education longer than 2 lifespans, waiting to hear your complete rundown on your patient.  At full volume.  With no interaction.  

I had a preceptee once all set and ready to give report on our trauma and then balk at the door.  It's intimidating.


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