Why do alot of EMTs go into nursing?

JPINFV said:
Nursing can also be completed with relatively minimal pre-reqs, guaranteed admission (how many nursing programs have wait lists?) and you can get in and out in 2-3 years.
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Guaranteed admission? Not here. It's pretty damn tough to get into a nursing program here.
 
nwhitney said:
Guaranteed admission? Not here. It's pretty damn tough to get into a nursing program here.
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...maybe massive wait lists is a California thing. Often in California it's not a question of "if," but "how long do I have to wait?"
 
JPINFV said:
...maybe massive wait lists is a California thing. Often in California it's not a question of "if," but "how long do I have to wait?"
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I think it's a bit of both across the united states. As nursing is moving away from employing ADN nurses in favor of BSN nurses there is a growing number of applicants to BSN programs, which allows them to be more selective.
I know here in CO getting into CU pretty much requires a 3.5+ GPA to get in, same with CSU and Regis. There are some ADN programs that have wait lists but it's getting harder for ADNs to find a job with so many BSNs and RNs with experience running around.

As far as why medics go to RN school, as others have said, money. Becoming an RN takes 2-4 years, becoming a PA takes 2-3 years in addition to a BS/BA, MD is 4 plus a BS/BA and a residency of at least 3 years, often more. RN is a quick way to stay in a medical field and make a livable wage.
 
Medic to RN bridge makes it a pretty quick and easy transition. More money, controlled environment, and a 3 day a week schedule. If I didn't mind cleaning pts or being in one spot for more than 10min I would do it.
 
I only browsed this thread. Not sure if its been mentioned but in addition to a higher salary, there are just more jobs in nursing. Every nurse I know landed a job shortly after school, but I know quite a few unemployed medics. People get frustrated and eventually take the 'safer' career route.
 
Chief Complaint said:
I only browsed this thread. Not sure if its been mentioned but in addition to a higher salary, there are just more jobs in nursing. Every nurse I know landed a job shortly after school, but I know quite a few unemployed medics. People get frustrated and eventually take the 'safer' career route.
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That's not the case anymore. It used to be that nurses were getting multiple job offers before they graduated, however new nurses (especially ADN) are having a hard time in many states to get any job as an RN, let alone a good one at the specialty of their choice.
 
sir.shocksalot said:
That's not the case anymore. It used to be that nurses were getting multiple job offers before they graduated, however new nurses (especially ADN) are having a hard time in many states to get any job as an RN, let alone a good one at the specialty of their choice.
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I guess I can't speak for the entire country, but here in Northern VA/DC suburbs the market for nurses is still pretty good. The market for career EMS personel is still a mess.
 
sir.shocksalot said:
I know here in CO getting into CU pretty much requires a 3.5+ GPA to get in, same with CSU and Regis. There are some ADN programs that have wait lists but it's getting harder for ADNs to find a job with so many BSNs and RNs with experience running around.
.
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3.5 is the requirement on paper. I spoke to someone on their admissions board who told me they haven't taken anyone with anything under a 3.95 in years, and then there's still competition based on other factors of course.

I think a lot of people start in EMS with the intention to go to nursing school eventually. You don't see a lot of former EMT xray techs or what not because nursing is more lucrative and diverse. Xray techs don't do a lot of direct patient care stuff either.
 
firetender said:
The attraction of Nursing would have to be stability, flexibility (career paths) and compensation. EMS just isn't there yet.
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That's pretty much it for me as well. I'm mostly looking for flexibility (career and schedule) and compensation. Much of my education has been along different lines... but once I'm done with my ADN, I've got enough education that a 2nd Bachelors only takes 6 classes to earn a BSN or 4 for entry to an MSN program. Should I be able to fairly quickly get a job out of school, that makes things much better as I'd be able to earn a living while continuing my education. Around here, one option is FNP and since most of that program runs concurrent with the PA school... I could take the PA-specific courses and go that route also.

Mostly though, it's a means to an end. I have a good idea where I want to be in 20 - 30 years and Nursing is a good way to get there, if not start me down that path...
 
Im planning on going to Nursing School to get my ADN.. i have about two more semesters before i can apply..

Nursing school is cut throat in so-cal even the ADN programs here require generally a 3.5 GPA, BSN is even higher... waitlists range anywhere from 1-2 years (mira-costa college is 3 years!!!)

Southern CA is oversaturated with New Grads.. its a very cuthroat market out here.. Sure there are alot of RN positions only if you have a years exp. Hospitals dont wanna train new grads as it costs time and money.

even Nursing homes are being bombarded with new grads. (which i dont want to work at. ive heard some seriously scary horror stories. Nurses with patient ratios up to 1:35-40)

i hope to get the hell out of CA as soon as im done with school as this state is going down the drain


but the nice part of Nursing is the schedule/pay and different specialties.
 
Well, I still intend on going to nursing school. I've gotten all the pre-reqs done but here in NY its getting harder and harder to get into school on a part time status if you work full-time. Bachelor degree holders can now mostly only enter 2nd Degree ACCELERATED pathways...I have to work. And the community colleges for the most part are more competitive than the four-year public schools.

Honestly, I just felt it was the next logical step. While working for an IFT company, I got to talk to alot of nurses and shadow them. I couldn't get hold of a PA or an MD. Probably too busy. Given my circumstances, yeah I don't think I can take out a big loan to go to PA school and not work. Finances are bad right now too. There's always Nurse Practitioner (practically the same thing as PA)
 
I come to this forum mostly to learn. An added benefit though, it has to be said, is that when I get down about some of the problems in our system, reading threads like this make me a feel a little better.

-We get paid more than nurses. Our working conditions are better in general (penalties for OT, spoilt meals etc)

-Our education requirements are arguably higher than nursing. The entry scores for paramedics degrees are considerably higher than nursing (A lot of the students in my degree just missed out on medicine so they did paramedics instead). Both degrees are three years. You register as a nurse after three years. You qualify as a paramedic after four (a graded internship in the forth year). Intensive care nursing requires a crit care cert and can sometimes be done straight out of undergrad. Intensive care paramedics are required to have at least (usually more) three years qualified experience on road before they do a graduate diploma in intensive care, a higher qualification than the crit care cert.

-I would subjectively say that paramedics are held in higher regard than nurses, in a professional sense.

-And here's the kicker: So many nurses are lining up to become paramedics here that unis have specially designed courses for nurses crossing over (ranging between 1-2 years). Where as you don't often find paramedics here who wanna be nurses (I've only met one, and he wanted to be a doctor, but was building up his GPA).

I'm not saying all this to be a d1ck. Other than the fact that I like to put another opinion across, I find it vaguely offensive that people might feel that nursing is necessarily ABOVE paramedic practice, so I like to present a case study, if you like, of a system where that is not the case.
 
Melclin said:
I come to this forum mostly to learn. An added benefit though, it has to be said, is that when I get down about some of the problems in our system, reading threads like this make me a feel a little better.

-We get paid more than nurses. Our working conditions are better in general (penalties for OT, spoilt meals etc)

-Our education requirements are arguably higher than nursing. The entry scores for paramedics degrees are considerably higher than nursing (A lot of the students in my degree just missed out on medicine so they did paramedics instead). Both degrees are three years. You register as a nurse after three years. You qualify as a paramedic after four (a graded internship in the forth year). Intensive care nursing requires a crit care cert and can sometimes be done straight out of undergrad. Intensive care paramedics are required to have at least (usually more) three years qualified experience on road before they do a graduate diploma in intensive care, a higher qualification than the crit care cert.

-I would subjectively say that paramedics are held in higher regard than nurses, in a professional sense.

-And here's the kicker: So many nurses are lining up to become paramedics here that unis have specially designed courses for nurses crossing over (ranging between 1-2 years). Where as you don't often find paramedics here who wanna be nurses (I've only met one, and he wanted to be a doctor, but was building up his GPA).

I'm not saying all this to be a d1ck. Other than the fact that I like to put another opinion across, I find it vaguely offensive that people might feel that nursing is necessarily ABOVE paramedic practice, so I like to present a case study, if you like, of a system where that is not the case.
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Very interesting! I still am considering paramedic as a backup plan (not to take anything away from being a paramedic), but I'd like to go into nursing, as I had an interest prior to taking my EMT course.


Also, does anyone on here know if there's a paramedic challenge exam for nurses? If anything I'd like to do both!
 
Melclin said:
I come to this forum mostly to learn. An added benefit though, it has to be said, is that when I get down about some of the problems in our system, reading threads like this make me a feel a little better.

-We get paid more than nurses. Our working conditions are better in general (penalties for OT, spoilt meals etc)

-Our education requirements are arguably higher than nursing. The entry scores for paramedics degrees are considerably higher than nursing (A lot of the students in my degree just missed out on medicine so they did paramedics instead). Both degrees are three years. You register as a nurse after three years. You qualify as a paramedic after four (a graded internship in the forth year). Intensive care nursing requires a crit care cert and can sometimes be done straight out of undergrad. Intensive care paramedics are required to have at least (usually more) three years qualified experience on road before they do a graduate diploma in intensive care, a higher qualification than the crit care cert.

-I would subjectively say that paramedics are held in higher regard than nurses, in a professional sense.

-And here's the kicker: So many nurses are lining up to become paramedics here that unis have specially designed courses for nurses crossing over (ranging between 1-2 years). Where as you don't often find paramedics here who wanna be nurses (I've only met one, and he wanted to be a doctor, but was building up his GPA).

I'm not saying all this to be a d1ck. Other than the fact that I like to put another opinion across, I find it vaguely offensive that people might feel that nursing is necessarily ABOVE paramedic practice, so I like to present a case study, if you like, of a system where that is not the case.
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I understand what you are saying, but not all places in the US are like the previous posts. I have the same if not more education as the nurses in the area(my service requires it) and our pay is equal to the pay for ER nurses in the area. We, unfortunitly, are the exception and not the rule.
 
BandageBrigade said:
I understand what you are saying, but not all places in the US are like the previous posts.... We, unfortunitly, are the exception and not the rule.
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Yeah I certainly got that impression. Man, I envy some US services. Linus/usalfyre. In many ways we have a lot we could learn from some of them. We're behind in many ways.

Thats why I say I just like to put the idea out there as just a single case study. We're by no means the only, or even the best.
 
Melclin said:
I come to this forum mostly to learn. An added benefit though, it has to be said, is that when I get down about some of the problems in our system, reading threads like this make me a feel a little better.

-We get paid more than nurses. Our working conditions are better in general (penalties for OT, spoilt meals etc)

-Our education requirements are arguably higher than nursing. The entry scores for paramedics degrees are considerably higher than nursing (A lot of the students in my degree just missed out on medicine so they did paramedics instead). Both degrees are three years. You register as a nurse after three years. You qualify as a paramedic after four (a graded internship in the forth year). Intensive care nursing requires a crit care cert and can sometimes be done straight out of undergrad. Intensive care paramedics are required to have at least (usually more) three years qualified experience on road before they do a graduate diploma in intensive care, a higher qualification than the crit care cert.

-I would subjectively say that paramedics are held in higher regard than nurses, in a professional sense.

-And here's the kicker: So many nurses are lining up to become paramedics here that unis have specially designed courses for nurses crossing over (ranging between 1-2 years). Where as you don't often find paramedics here who wanna be nurses (I've only met one, and he wanted to be a doctor, but was building up his GPA).

I'm not saying all this to be a d1ck. Other than the fact that I like to put another opinion across, I find it vaguely offensive that people might feel that nursing is necessarily ABOVE paramedic practice, so I like to present a case study, if you like, of a system where that is not the case.
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Indeed in Australia given the educational standards you wouldn't easily say that nurses are more educated etc than paramedics. Whether or not we are seen to be 'above' nurses is another story. I think that a freshly qualified paramedic has much more responsibility and skills than a newly degreed RN. My ex is an RN and has been for several years and cannot perform IV access without doing a special course. I remember many of her subjects at uni seemed to involve writing essays on Australia's health system etc.

I think the move to degree only will help the image and education of paramedics in Australia. I am doing a the diploma method however I already have a BSc and a Masters degree in management. Looks like I will probably have to upgrade to the degree in the future.
 
I'm the opposite, I went from nursing to EMS. What I learned from the whole experience is this. Nursing school was a lot more work. Two years of prerequisites, a two year waiting list in which priority is given to those who have a higher GPA. Not to mention the NCLEX exam which you need to pass. Going through nursing school was more demanding didactic wise, your scope of practice in nursing is a lot more than a EMT. The clinicals were hectic also, time management is key in nursing. Redundant paper work is the norm. The books we had to go through were thick, pharmacology, medsurg, OB, Peds, psych, ect. Compared to one EMS book, Emergency Care in the streets. Someone said that EMT's have a higher level of schooling than nurses, I don't think so. Not even close. I'm not bashing, just stating what I went through. It may have been easier for me since I did have prior medical training and over 5 years of nursing experience. The EMT course I went through wasn't that hard, the only prereq's were A&P and medical terminology. I'm lucky to have had a great instructor though. The skills testing was a whole different animal! Anyways, nursing is a great profession. The pay is good and your coworkers are a lot better looking. But I like being able to relax 90% of the time and then be able to help those in need when called. Better than running around like a chicken without a head as I did while being a nurse. EMS is catching up and soon will be a profession equal in status to Nursing. The ball is rolling where I'm from. Soon the EMT-P program will be Associates degree. With all or most of the same prereq's as the nursing program. It's a start.
 
Omygato said:
The books we had to go through were thick, pharmacology, medsurg, OB, Peds, psych, ect.
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:rofl:

Someone said that EMT's have a higher level of schooling than nurses, I don't think so. Not even close. I'm not bashing, just stating what I went through.
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:rolleyes:
Um, considering the fact that that poster was not talking about the US.

It may have been easier for me since I did have prior medical training and over 5 years of nursing experience.
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Nitpicky time, but "nursing" education is not "medical" education. Something most nurses are more than willing to point out, least the NP be brought under the medical board.
 
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