Career change, Newbie starting emt in january

KellyS0317

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Hi!

I'm Kelly, 32, feeling complacent in my career and seeking a change.(8 years in vision care) I'm currently a certified optical tech(i do pre patient work up, visual acuity, eye pressure, med history, medication lists, photos, scans and glaucoma tests etc) its the same day in day out down to the words that I say....I like working with patients very much but the monotony is getting to me. Ive considered nursing but its not really appealing to me plus I'm not ready to dedicate more than a year to school(I have a BA in communications woopdie doo)...Anyways I am taking an EMT class in January, I'm excited, nervous, anxious you name it. I currently make $14.50 in my current job at 37 hours a week(that's the max hours I can get) I do realize EMT are not high paying jobs....however pay is not a huge issue to me, I have no kids and low bills to pay...I'm seeking a challenge, I'm a night owl so would like to work nights and I perform well under pressure and stress(as in I feel I work better at time of craziness) this is why I'm pursuing EMT(I know there is plenty of down time in EMS as well) Upon becoming certified what are some recomemdations to landing a paid job? Or is it recommended to do a volunteer gig first? Will my current work history in a facet of healthcare increase my odds as a newbie to be hired?

Thanks! First post, kinda long
 

VentMonkey

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Hi!....I like working with patients very much but the monotony is getting to me. Ive considered nursing but its not really appealing to me plus I'm not ready to dedicate more than a year to school(I have a BA in communications woopdie doo)...I'm a night owl so would like to work nights and I perform well under pressure and stress(as in I feel I work better at time of craziness) this is why I'm pursuing EMT(I know there is plenty of down time in EMS as well) Upon becoming certified what are some recomemdations to landing a paid job? Or is it recommended to do a volunteer gig first? Will my current work history in a facet of healthcare increase my odds as a newbie to be hired?
High! Welcome to the forum. First off congrats on the career change, it's always a bold move. It sounds as though you already have life experience which is actually quite rare, and may be somewhat of a commodity in this field (I know plenty of older EMS-ers who appreciate these types of "newbies").

Given your previous work history perhaps ger your basic, and once you get your bearings give it a go at paramedic; it's typical ~1-1.5 years of school more. Now to the questions...

1. Google search your local EMS services, privates are your best bets. Admittedly I am unfamiliar eith NYS EMS, but my bud @NysEms2117 could probably point you in the right direction.

2. See number 1. My personal opinion is volly gigs should have no bearing in whether you can get on with a paid service, but again, it's all system/ state/ regional dependent.

3. At the EMT level your previous work history doesn't matter much. You have a work history, and again life experience. This should put you ahead of the "twenty-something" that has neither.

Good luck, op.
 

NysEms2117

ex-Parole officer/EMT
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oh hello there! Uhm i can try, vent kinda put me on the hotseat( joking ofc :) )
To start your protocols/ county/ regional(because NYS is funky!) agency is most likely Central NY Regional EMS council. I had very little issues passing the EMT-B class and i am by NO MEANS a good student. Its more or less common sense, which by your work history tells me you seem to have! I got a paid job, however i am a very weird case, because i am both very big into nepotism and i got a job working for the sheriffs office EMS unit, I am a full time LEO for NYS so they are very partial to hiring me. This is just a spitball because I'm starting down this road in about a month or so.. but what about RN school (i know you said you dont want to go that long)? RN's can go into EMS too!!!! critical care if i'm not mistaken. You already have a bachelors which means no more bs lib eds. You can do an ABSN, get your RN license in a year, i know you said pay is not a factor, but more money is good money :p? I just want you to be aware, being an EMT is not going to be "all that different" I'm sure you have hear that EMS is not about the glory and the MVA's, but comforting the lady that fell ect ect, *ill save that lecture*. Uhmmmm, while not bashing IFT's because technically i work for one kinda sorta ish? but within the realm of EMS IFT services are a whole new world imo. Also feel free to contact me in PM if you have any questions.
I hope i didn't let you down @VentMonkey :D
 
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KellyS0317

KellyS0317

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Thank your for your response and input! There is a paramedic program locally at the same hospital I'm doing the EMT course through....I'm still internally debating LPN or paramedic, like I said the length of schooling for each is similar....time will tell especially once I start EMT course and work after....I'm bls certified one of the reasons I'm taking EMT is so that I can respond in emergency situations with some better knowledge, I've had a few elderly patients fall, pass out, hit their heads while falling, children react badly to dilation drops and vomit, etc etc and the optometrist I work for has no quick reaction in these situations she is like a deer in headlights so I handled them with the best knowledge I had. I realized at that point emt is an option for me that I may enjoy and succeed in.
 

NysEms2117

ex-Parole officer/EMT
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I'm still internally debating LPN or paramedic,
i would go for the BSN/RN(especially if you can drop to working part time, you'd literally be the "poster child" for an accelerated BSN imo).. It is SO VERY EASY to challenge/ bridge to paramedic from an RN spot (many many many threads on this). Crouse or Upstate med? I like being an EMT, love my partner, but i feel as if i should have a higher education level for some reason. Personally i feel i would get bored as an EMT-B after about 3-5 years. However folks stay an EMT-B for 30+ years, my instructor was/is an EMT-B for 38 years...
 
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KellyS0317

KellyS0317

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@NysEms2117 unfortunatly since my BA was in comm I don't have the sciences, math pre reqs needed to even enter the RN nursing program (blahh) I did go to all the local schools to see my options....I would need about 4 pre reqs still and then I would need to be accepted or put on a waiting list currently not considered until fall if 2018....which has led me to consider LPN, yes less money and somewhat restricted in where u can work but can start classes in Aug smd be done in 10 months....I figure the EMT class is nothing but beneficial to me, if I like it I could try to work paid EMT, ft or pt if pursuing LPN. Down the road RN could be an option, right now its not so much....paramedic is also am option too.
 

NysEms2117

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You can take a CLEP test if you feel confident for the math. As well as a CC for the psych class and A&P. I know nothing about an LPN so i cannot speak for that, all i know is NYS hospitals pride themselves on being "elite" so you won't get much of anywhere with a "i fit in" type of degree/cert. You either need to know the person reading your application, or be able to have a degree/cert of a moderate-high standing.
 

NysEms2117

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KellyS0317

KellyS0317

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@VentMonkey thank you! @NysEms2117 an LPN Is a vocational nurse, mostly working in drs offices doing patient work up, or LTC, home health etc...giving shots, assisting the RN for less money basically..they are still hiring lpns at upstate for nursing support roles...my step sis has been employed at upstate for over 25 years in academics dept and is good friends with HR....there are additional certs u can get as an lpn to improve your marketability such as phleb and iv classes....my whole deal is I just don't have it in me to do 2-3 years of RN....the bsn accelerated courses are mega money which I don't have....I guess I'm just seeking an ever changing work atmosphere, decent health benefits and a living wage in med field
 

NysEms2117

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i had an idea of what they do, but if you want to do that, tbh i don't think you even need to have an LPN(degree?? certificate??) you can become an ER tech if you know somebody as an EMT-B, they'll put you through a 2 day IV class, and maybe an EKG class. I guess if your really opposed to RN go paramedic, but most paramedics in NYS get treated like ****, and paid like ****. a "normal" no critical care certs ect, paramedic in Albany(where i am) makes $.56 more/hr then an EMT-B does. Just some food for thought. Get a state job and they pay for RN school ;) i can personally vouch for that. Some civil service jobs actually are medically related, and you may even be able to get one with your eye exam certs, work for them for a year or two, snag a free edumakation out of it :p.
 

VentMonkey

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@VentMonkey thank you! @NysEms2117....I guess I'm just seeking an ever changing work atmosphere, decent health benefits and a living wage in med field
So, my wife is an RN and also a clinical manager for a national home health company that oversees ~150 LVN's (LPN equivalent in California) in her region alone. If you're truly seeking an "ever changing work environment" chances are you would like, and/ or do well in prehospital EMS.

Again, if EMT really piques your interest, I'd recommend foregoing LPN (LVN), and consider getting your medic. Either way, be sure to keep us posted on your progress.
 
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KellyS0317

KellyS0317

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@NysEms2117 thanks for the insight on the paramedic treatment, that's BS and for only .56 more?! Gahhhhh....yes an ER tech is an option too! The LPN is a license in the state you live in and you have to pass the states exam to become licensed, getting education paid for would be ideal so I'll look into that as well, I really thank you for all the info you gave given me! I'll be keeping in touch with you! You too @VentMonkey !
 

NysEms2117

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good luck. :)
 

ExpatMedic0

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Forum members are always divided on this type of advice, but multiple opinions are also good to hear. First off, what your suggesting is not unusual at all. In my paramedic program about half our class already had degrees in other fields or majors. Many were changing careers midlife. Becoming a paramedic is something you can normally easily accomplish in 1-2 years. However, notice how I said paramedic and not EMT. Now this is where my opinion comes in. If you want to work in EMS as a career, forget about EMT other than a pre-rec for paramedic school or to "test the water". If you want to make over 40-50 thousand a year working in EMS you're going to need your paramedic in most areas of the country. My first EMT job paid 8 dollars an hour... From my personal experience, I normally make at least %25 more than EMT's I work with, but I have also made double their salary at some agencies. The first thing I would do is call a local ambulance company and ask for a "ride a long".Thats what I did when I was 18 years old and it helped me understand what a day on the ambulance is like. Then go get your EMT, you can knock it out in a few weeks or a few months max. It is around 100 hours of training. If you're still unsure after getting your EMT, work on the ambulance for a few months and see how you like it. Its easy to back out at this point, once you jump into paramedic school a lot more time and money becomes involved, but its defiantly worth it.
 

ExpatMedic0

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PS: Also I would not consider becoming an RN as others have suggested. You have a bachelor degree and are a healthcare provider already. If your going to invest that amount of time and want to work in the hospital environment, you should become a PA and get your masters degree. It's a higher level provider than RN or paramedic and the salary is much better. Short of that, if you want to work in EMS read my above advice.
 

Gurby

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I think regardless of what path you eventually end up on, you will never regret becoming an EMT-B. The training is quick, getting a job is easy, and you will be exposed to a much bigger slice of healthcare than you likely currently see as an optical tech: you'll see patients in their homes, in nursing homes, at hospitals, at work, at the store, you'll take them to dialysis, the dentist, wound care, primary care check-ups, the ER, L+D, in and out of psych hospitals. You'll get to interact with other EMT's, paramedics, nurses, PA's and NP's, MD's and DO's, etc.

At the very least becoming an EMT will give you a change of pace, a new challenge, and a broader perspective on the healthcare system so you can get a better sense of where you might like to go next.
 

VentMonkey

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I think regardless of what path you eventually end up on, you will never regret becoming an EMT-B. The training is quick, getting a job is easy, and you will be exposed to a much bigger slice of healthcare than you likely currently see as an optical tech: you'll see patients in their homes, in nursing homes, at hospitals, at work, at the store, you'll take them to dialysis, the dentist, wound care, primary care check-ups, the ER, L+D, in and out of psych hospitals. You'll get to interact with other EMT's, paramedics, nurses, PA's and NP's, MD's and DO's, etc.

At the very least becoming an EMT will give you a change of pace, a new challenge, and a broader perspective on the healthcare system so you can get a better sense of where you might like to go next.
This is a refreshingly optimistic point @Gurby makes.
 
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KellyS0317

KellyS0317

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Guys I really appreciate the honest opinions it actually is re assuring to me that EMTB at the very least will be very helpful in my decision of where I want my level of patient care to go and in what area to do it. I will surely be keeping you all near for questions that will pop up for me as I start the class mid january! I hope everyone have a great Thanksgiving!
 
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