# RN to Paramedic in CA



## BayEMTmaybeP (Nov 11, 2017)

Has anyone done this, or know of anyone who has? I am curious how it translate since it seems you just need to pay the fee's, complete an internship, and take the NREMT. (http://www.emsa.ca.gov/paramedic-licensure-and-testing-faqs#Initial 14    (under #14)

Would this effect getting hired somewhere? Obviously it isn't the traditional training, and I wonder how fire/ems would view this. I am getting ready to attend paramedic school, but wondering if its a better bet to go the nursing route instead, and challenge the paramedic program as stated above to have something to fall back on.

Thanks everyone


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## DesertMedic66 (Nov 11, 2017)

I’d imagine you would have an extremely hard time finding a program who would let you only take the field internship and not go through the program. Programs don’t want to send someone out into field who is associated with their program without knowing what they have been taught.


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## VFlutter (Nov 11, 2017)

Going the nursing route will give you a good education and lots of options however challenging the paramedic exam as a nurse is not something you should do right out of school. Most places have a critical care experience requirement, and if they don't then I would seriously question the quality of the program. I would assume most RNs who challenge the paramedic exam are not doing it to get hired on for Fire/EMS but rather to help them get a job in CCT/Flight.


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## Akulahawk (Nov 11, 2017)

Going straight from RN school to Paramedic isn't something I would recommend at all. What I would suggest for RNs that are considering challenging the license (or any "advanced" provider for that matter) is to take a basic EMT course because that will teach you lots of practical stuff that isn't patient care oriented that you would need to safely work the streets as a Paramedic. Seriously, RN school doesn't teach you where to park when arriving on scene. 

Once you've taken an EMT course, then you should take a Paramedic recert course. Once that's done then the fun begins because you must then find a place that will provide you the internship hours where you must do 480 hours supervised by a Paramedic FTO. Somewhere in there you'll take the NREMTP exam (written and psychomotor) and if you pass it all, including the internship, then you can be licensed as a Paramedic. 

Unless you're looking to be a flight nurse, I really wouldn't recommend challenging the Paramedic license. Yes, I'm an RN but I am also a Paramedic and I did both the "traditional" way because 17 years ago I wasn't looking to get into nursing. About 10 years ago I started down the nursing school path and 6 years ago I started nursing school. Oh, and 25 years ago I started down the path to becoming an athletic trainer, and 20 years ago I became one and also became an EMT at the end of that school process. After that, Paramedic school (and nursing school for the most part) was quite easy.


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## FK911 (Nov 13, 2017)

I don’t think it’s possible anymore due to the NREMT accreditation policy.
So I don’t think u can challenge the NRP exam Anymore.
Anyway really why why would u want to?
There is a ton more jobs as  a nurse than as a medic.
This Is the problem with EMS at the moment.
The hodge podege of rules and protoclols and requirements that very state to state
But the one constant is the national registry and they have gotten most states on board with the program and it’s usually step one to a medic cert in most states. 

The few people I have talked with that have done the RN TO medic deal say that it was too much work for the reward.
The NRP test is not like the NCLEX.
So..


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## VFlutter (Nov 13, 2017)

FK911 said:


> Anyway really why why would u want to?



Some states/counties require a Paramedic on board for HEMS to be able to do scene calls so for a Flight RN it is beneficial logistically. Also most states do not have Pre-hospital RN so if you want to work in EMS it may be easier to just bridge to paramedic.


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## Akulahawk (Nov 14, 2017)

FK911 said:


> Anyway really why why would u want to?


Some EMS systems basically have a requirement that an ambulance (air or ground) have a certain number of prehospital personnel on board in order for that vehicle to be legally considered an ambulance. When the RN is also licensed/certified as a Paramedic (or even an EMT in certain cases) and the driver is an EMT or higher, then that meets the requirement with a minimum of personnel that must be on payroll. Some systems require that a paramedic be on board to allow that ambulance to do scene calls. When a nurse is also a Paramedic, it is possible to dual-staff the ambulance with another RN and still be able to run scene calls if necessary. 

Also, being a Paramedic brings a different skillset and mindset to the game than someone that's just an RN. As an RN, there isn't a Paramedic skill that I cannot be credentialed to perform. As a Paramedic, I'm already credentialed to use those skills and I already have the knowledge about when _not_ to use those skills. Therefore I don't need to re-learn those skills, I can instead focus on those skills that I need to.


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## joshrunkle35 (Nov 14, 2017)

I would take EMT then recert ACLS, ASLS and PALS and take ITLS or PHTLS. Then, I’d challenge the Paramedic test. No reason to spend $10k on school to learn 90% of what you already know.


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## DesertMedic66 (Nov 15, 2017)

joshrunkle35 said:


> I would take EMT then recert ACLS, ASLS and PALS and take ITLS or PHTLS. Then, I’d challenge the Paramedic test. No reason to spend $10k on school to learn 90% of what you already know.


You would still have to do a paramedic field internship.


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