Best Locations for Medic Students/Medics

[akflightmedic]

Mate, I asked a simple question so I could learn something new.

You quoted it as if you had actual sources from which I could read myself and use in further discussions in other realms aside from this one, so quit being contrary.

As for my statement, I said it was purely anecdotal (hence personal experience). I made no claim that it was a delegated state which is why I am requesting further information that you appeared to have knowledge about.

 

[Shishkabob]

Sorry, I read in to your comment wrong. Forgive me.



I know Texas is delegated practice due to protocols and state policies. I know the other states are simply through discussion during class and on other forums.

 

[VentMedic]

AJ, I'm going to have to disagree with you here, bro. I believe that going nurse to paramedic is putting the cart before the horse. And here's why. Granted this depends on the state in which you live, but what makes a paramedic such an essential asset for credentials to a RN/RMT-P is the prehospital experience. It's not the skills taught to a paramedic, but it's the experience they have on the butt-crack side of the county with only one partner, limited protocols, limited equipment (if working) on a pt hell bent on dying on you, and you have to keep them alive.

Now this is going to be a rather long question, so bare with me. But... what nurse is going to go through nursing school, get a job working as a nurse while going through paramedic school, take a cut in pay working as a paramedic for the 3-5 years (yes it does take a while to get good experience to be of any benefit) to get the experience needed to improve their skills as a ER/ICU nurse or what-have-you, and risk hurting their back pulling yet another swamp donkey out of a ditch at 2am in the rain after they decided to take down a 12-pack and straighten out a curve? A nurse/medic who went nurse first, is (I'm sorry if you don't agree) kinda like a buried atheist. All dressed up with nowhere to go.

Future flight nurses and FF/medics do this. In both Florida and Southern CA, FFs make more than RNs with better benefits. Often, some will go through RN school to get a decent paying job while waiting to get hired by the FD as a Paramedic. They will also have a good education out of the way. Being a Paramedic will improve their hire on chance and they will still be an RN to work in the hospital also. Already having a degree will also enable them to advance up the career ladder of the FD quicker especially if it is a 4 year degree. They can get a 2 year nursing degree and easily pick up another 2 years in something else. It definitely beats starting from scratch with just a certification from a tech school.

On the other forum, there are a few Flight RN/Paramedics that did this route. Of course, nurses rarely have to go through the entire Paramedic program so considering the short length of a Paramedic program now, it is not that many hours for a nurse if they decide to go through the program and not just do the challenge. Having the education first makes any skills based class much easier. It is not a stretch for someone with absolutely no medical experience to go from 0 to hero with just a Paramedic class so why do some think it is so difficult for a nurse to do this?

Could it also be possible that someone contemplating on being a Paramedic has looked carefully into the programs and have seen the deficiencies in the education? Maybe they just decided to get the 2 year degree as a nurse instead of EMS so they would have a broader knowledge of medicine. Some Paramedics do go back to college when they see their training is not enough. What if they actually got an education first? A foundation based on education allows opportunity for growth in many directions. Too many in EMS get their certs with all the intention of going back to school but often find some excuse not to.

BTW, your post sounds like you also believe all nurses are women. Just because the majority of nurses may still be women, it doesn't mean all of them are weak, helpless and afraid to get a little dirty. Nor are all male nurse gay and even those that are may not fit the stereotype.

And you don't think nurses run the risk of hurting their backs every shift doing well over 30 patient lifts a day in awkward positions? Quads? Bariatric? Granted they will sometimes use the mechanical lifts but it still takes a lot of effort to get these patients dressed and in the harness or sling. They don't have 6 FFs at scene to help. In our LTC and rehab centers, one RN may have 6 quadraplegic and/or bariatric patients and must do total care with only 1 CNA to assist.

 

[phabib]

Why not Paramedic school in Denver? There are some great options in the city all attached to great hospitals. Denver Health prides itself on having more clinical hours for medic students than anyone in the state, that and you're call volume is ridiculously high.

I've spewed a lot of this stuff on here before. I'm just a fan of Denver. If the education system for EMS was like Canada's then I'd definitely be staying. Your grades are great and you have all your pre-reqs taken care of so you should get in easy.

 

[TransportJockey]

In general NM is a good state to work in and go to school in. But pay isn't the best...

 

[NomadicMedic]

I've been doing a lot of research and Boston and King County, Washington keep coming up. Any comment on those areas?

King County sounds amazing, and I'm sure I meet their academic requirements, however I don't want to putz around gaining their minimum 3 years of prehospital experience.

And thank you all for the advice so far.

I live in King County. If you want to be a medic, don't move here.

1- VERY expensive cost of living.
2- VERY competitive medic program.
3- ALL medics in King County are fire, with the exception of South King.
4- It's VERY expensive.
5- Did I mention it's expensive to live here?

I love Seattle, but I plan to get the heck out as soon as I can. Texas sounds appealing to me.

 

[LucidResq]

Why not Paramedic school in Denver? There are some great options in the city all attached to great hospitals. Denver Health prides itself on having more clinical hours for medic students than anyone in the state, that and you're call volume is ridiculously high.

I've spewed a lot of this stuff on here before. I'm just a fan of Denver. If the education system for EMS was like Canada's then I'd definitely be staying. Your grades are great and you have all your pre-reqs taken care of so you should get in easy.

DH is actually my first choice. Just know that it's pretty competitive and not sure how I stand... obviously have good academic qualifications, and have direct patient care experience, but no regular ambulance experience. I'm also considering HealthONE and CCA. I love Denver. I live in the metro area, and work and go to school downtown. I'm just open to other options.

 

[Vizior]

DH is actually my first choice. Just know that it's pretty competitive and not sure how I stand... obviously have good academic qualifications, and have direct patient care experience, but no regular ambulance experience. I'm also considering HealthONE and CCA. I love Denver. I live in the metro area, and work and go to school downtown. I'm just open to other options.

Of the schools you're looking at, have you spoken with any of the instructors/admissions counselors available?

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

Future flight nurses and FF/medics do this. In both Florida and Southern CA, FFs make more than RNs with better benefits. Often, some will go through RN school to get a decent paying job while waiting to get hired by the FD as a Paramedic. They will also have a good education out of the way. Being a Paramedic will improve their hire on chance and they will still be an RN to work in the hospital also. Already having a degree will also enable them to advance up the career ladder of the FD quicker especially if it is a 4 year degree. They can get a 2 year nursing degree and easily pick up another 2 years in something else. It definitely beats starting from scratch with just a certification from a tech school.

On the other forum, there are a few Flight RN/Paramedics that did this route. Of course, nurses rarely have to go through the entire Paramedic program so considering the short length of a Paramedic program now, it is not that many hours for a nurse if they decide to go through the program and not just do the challenge. Having the education first makes any skills based class much easier. It is not a stretch for someone with absolutely no medical experience to go from 0 to hero with just a Paramedic class so why do some think it is so difficult for a nurse to do this?

Could it also be possible that someone contemplating on being a Paramedic has looked carefully into the programs and have seen the deficiencies in the education? Maybe they just decided to get the 2 year degree as a nurse instead of EMS so they would have a broader knowledge of medicine. Some Paramedics do go back to college when they see their training is not enough. What if they actually got an education first? A foundation based on education allows opportunity for growth in many directions. Too many in EMS get their certs with all the intention of going back to school but often find some excuse not to.

BTW, your post sounds like you also believe all nurses are women. Just because the majority of nurses may still be women, it doesn't mean all of them are weak, helpless and afraid to get a little dirty. Nor are all male nurse gay and even those that are may not fit the stereotype.

And you don't think nurses run the risk of hurting their backs every shift doing well over 30 patient lifts a day in awkward positions? Quads? Bariatric? Granted they will sometimes use the mechanical lifts but it still takes a lot of effort to get these patients dressed and in the harness or sling. They don't have 6 FFs at scene to help. In our LTC and rehab centers, one RN may have 6 quadraplegic and/or bariatric patients and must do total care with only 1 CNA to assist.

Remember, I said "depending on the state where you live". Also, I believe you did misread my post. I was not making any reference whatsoever about stereotypes of gender or lifestyle. I was only referencing those in my area who did not want to risk that much injury for that pay when they could make more as a RN. And yes, one was a very masculine FF.

And, my dear Vent, you and I both know that the prehospital lifting positions we encounter are nowhere near that of a hospital bed which is closer to one's center of gravity. I'm not sure about your area, but the majority of healthcare providers that I am aware of who have back injuries in my area have to take refresher courses every 2 years.

Now I love being a medic. I hate knowing the fact that my prehospital days are numbered due to my back injury from the crash. So please don't get me wrong.

Slight subject change, but I've been lifting the sick and injured for over 20 years, and I have never hurt myself, back included, lifting a pt. Not once. I had to hurt my back by having a helicopter engine and transmition land on top of me.

 

[VentMedic]

And, my dear Vent, you and I both know that the prehospital lifting positions we encounter are nowhere near that of a hospital bed which is closer to one's center of gravity. I'm not sure about your area, but the majority of healthcare providers that I am aware of who have back injuries in my area have to take refresher courses every 2 years.

Pound per pound and with many more repetitions, RNs and CNAs actually do much more lifting. While they may not carry down stairs, with all the technology attached, lifting in not always done in a perfect postion. It is also the large number of repetitive lifts each shift that gets the RNs and CNAs backs. Patients aren't always on a backboard where you can get a good stance and grip. The multiple positions of the stretcher has also be a great help in EMS but they are not always available in the hospital setting. CPR on the various beds also puts one's back in a very bad position. It is very different than having the patient on a floor or on a multiposition stretcher. If I could I would keep all the ED patients on the ambulance stretchers for CPR.

I saw your pics of your halo. Do you know how difficult it is to move a patient such as yourself just for daily maintenance in a hospital bed? Couple that with some of the high tech beds that are patient friendly but not provider friendly and you have a good case of back strain by the end of the day with just one patient. And this is me talking from a just an RT perspective for therapy positioning. I don't have to do anywhere near the work the RNs or CNAs do. In 30 years I did not hurt my back in EMS. In the hospital I have put some serious strain moving patients with technology safely on and off the sleds of scanners or moving the quads and bariatric patients into postion for therapy. One more example: ever work on a neonate in an isolette trying to get an IV and a PAL? That is back pain especially with the older isolettes. It makes working in the cramped space of a helicopter feel like a football field.

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

Pound per pound and with many more repetitions, RNs and CNAs actually do much more lifting. While they may not carry down stairs, with all the technology attached, lifting in not alway done in a perfect postion. I saw your pics of your halo. Do you know how difficult it is to move a patient such as yourself just for daily maintenance in a hospital bed. Couple that with some of the high tech beds that are patient friendly but not provider friendly and you have a good case of back strain by the end of the day with just one patient. And this is me talking from a just an RT perspective for therapy positioning. I don't have to do anywhere near the work the RNs or CNAs do. In 30 years I did not hurt my back in EMS. In the hospital I have put some serious strain moving patients with technology safely on and off the sleds of scanners or moving the quads and bariatric patients into postion for therapy. One more example: ever work on a neonate in an isolette trying to get an IV and a PAL? That is back pain especially with the older isolettes. It makes working in the cramped space of a helicopter feel like a football field.

Hehe. Yes it does.

 

[firecoins]

the best place for a medic student is on an a medic truck

 

[phabib]

DH is actually my first choice. Just know that it's pretty competitive and not sure how I stand... obviously have good academic qualifications, and have direct patient care experience, but no regular ambulance experience. I'm also considering HealthONE and CCA. I love Denver. I live in the metro area, and work and go to school downtown. I'm just open to other options.

Talking to my instructors over there, they said that ambulance experience specifically isn't that important. They want some kind of patient care and you'll have that. They also say that 1 full year of patient care is a soft requirement and they'll look at the whole student to see what they bring to the program.

I'd say pop into the office and just chat with them about why you want to get into their program. Good Luck!

 

[boingo]

I've been doing a lot of research and Boston and King County, Washington keep coming up. Any comment on those areas?

King County sounds amazing, and I'm sure I meet their academic requirements, however I don't want to putz around gaining their minimum 3 years of prehospital experience.

And thank you all for the advice so far.

Boston is a third service, ALS and BLS. They hire only BLS, all ALS positions are promoted from within. You are required to wait one year from your date of hire to test for a medic position, but there is no guarantee there will be a promotional exam. Sometimes they have an exam 2 times a year, sometimes its 5 years between exams. The academy is 6 months long, so its possible to work BLS for only 6 months, test, and get placed in an ALS internship, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Schools? They suck, medic mills popping up everywhere, Northeastern University used to run a very good program w/degree option, however they no longer do, can't compete with the mill program at half the cost, but you get what you pay for. Hopefully someday soon the state will go the way of Oregon or Kansas, but I'm not holding my breath.

The cost of living is high, but the pay compensates. Benefits are good, retirement is same as PD/FD which is also good. City residency required within 6 months of hire, and must maintain residency for 10 years, at which point you can move to wherever you'd like.

So, if your heart is set on living here, Boston is the place to work, otherwise you might want to look elsewhere. If I had to move, Austin-Travis County, South King Co, Wake County, NC, Lee County, Fl would be on my short list for 911 EMS. Good luck

 

[LucidResq]

So I applied at Acadian for an EMT-B position. Got called back the next morning asking where I'd rather relocate to - Louisiana, Mississippi or Texas?

 

[Sasha]

So I applied at Acadian for an EMT-B position. Got called back the next morning asking where I'd rather relocate to - Louisiana, Mississippi or Texas?

Tell them sorry, you're not interested, you're going to come to florida, work in a clinic and drive forever to get to a good medic school and settle down and get a jump start on your alpaca ranch.

 

[Vizior]

Tell them sorry, you're not interested, you're going to come to florida, work in a clinic and drive forever to get to a good medic school and settle down and get a jump start on your alpaca ranch.

I went from assuming you were all sane and normal to realizing you are all completely out of your minds. :unsure::unsure:

 

[Sasha]

I went from assuming you were all sane and normal to realizing you are all completely out of your minds. :unsure::unsure:

Not completely, just a little.

 

[Vizior]

Not completely, just a little.

Ah, well, as long as it's an isolated case and doesn't spread to people like me.

 

[Sasha]

Ah, well, as long as it's an isolated case and doesn't spread to people like me.

We're all mad here :]