CEN vs CCEMT-P

[ClearlyAmbiguous]

I was hoping to see what your wisdom would offer in the difference(s) between a medic vs a CEN. I can't get a straight answer in my area. One tends to try to belittle the other. As far as skills, and ignoring pay rate, is there really much difference (Difference being defined as if you were on a family outing and someone needed trauma or medical help with you being the only one who could render care)

 

[usalsfyre]

(Difference being defined as if you were on a family outing and someone needed trauma or medical help with you being the only one who could render care)

Neither. I'd want a physician due to their unrestricted license.

The general certification means not a thing. I know CENs I'd choose over CCEMT-Ps and vice versa. There both somewhat merit badge certifications anyway, as anyone with an active license in that discipline and a pulse can take them.

 

[8jimi8]

I'd take a CCEMT-P if i was outside of the hospital.

Why? Because they are used to working in the field and probably have a trauma kit.

CEN... all my EMS rotations in the ER... have put me off of EVER wanting to be an ER nurse. Take care of some back pain, toe pain... treat your bad breath....

Don't get me wrong. I know Crash ER is the place to be... but they just ship em up to ICU or OR once there is a bed open.

Crash ER is the place where there is a team of people and the primary RN is writing orders, getting meds and coordinating care... standing behind the podium.


Or as Als said... a physician. outside of the hospital... CCEMT-P is gonna be as good as it gets.

 

[medicRob]

I was hoping to see what your wisdom would offer in the difference(s) between a medic vs a CEN. I can't get a straight answer in my area. One tends to try to belittle the other. As far as skills, and ignoring pay rate, is there really much difference (Difference being defined as if you were on a family outing and someone needed trauma or medical help with you being the only one who could render care)

Apples and oranges. CEN is nursing, CCEMTP is paramedicine.

CEN, CCRN, PCCRN train you for in hospital.

CCEMTP trains you for on an ambulance, in a helicopter.

 

[ClearlyAmbiguous]

Thanks so much for all the inside stuff! I forgot to mention that this is for school. I just tossed out a birthday on this membership but it's for a high school description of a theme "Who you can go to when you are hurt." (Sorry, I'm not very good at writing yet!)

I don't know where to go to find something like - this is a paramedic. He takes these certifications and does these skills like saving hemopneumothorax (hope it not misspelled!). I cannot find, for anything, what CEN's do. Our teacher wanted us to do a finding local heros theme, and I picked medical after seeing how much stuff like the tests and paying for everything but not getting as much money as you should for saving peoples lives all the time and sometimes getting blamed for it as well. Definitely have respect for medical (the video was really cool, showing medics and firefighters running where I'd be running FROM!)

 

[medicRob]

Thanks so much for all the inside stuff! I forgot to mention that this is for school. I just tossed out a birthday on this membership but it's for a high school description of a theme "Who you can go to when you are hurt." (Sorry, I'm not very good at writing yet!)

I don't know where to go to find something like - this is a paramedic. He takes these certifications and does these skills like saving hemopneumothorax (hope it not misspelled!). I cannot find, for anything, what CEN's do. Our teacher wanted us to do a finding local heros theme, and I picked medical after seeing how much stuff like the tests and paying for everything but not getting as much money as you should for saving peoples lives all the time and sometimes getting blamed for it as well. Definitely have respect for medical (the video was really cool, showing medics and firefighters running where I'd be running FROM!)

Would you like some literature on the CEN certification? Keep in mind, CEN is just a certification, it doesn't add any skills, it just verifies competency in a specific skill set.

 

[ClearlyAmbiguous]

Well crud. I was hoping to compare a pre-hospital type set of skills with a similar skills type in hospital, but clearly I don't know enough. My problem is I don't know -where- to go to learn what it is that a paramedic does, and what a CEN or any other type (I guess ER type position) does. I'm very new at this. Our school is lucky enough to get to do ride-alongs later this year. I just don't want to seem like an immature idiot, but I am really enjoying learning about EMS and how it just seems they do not get recognition and especially pay. What I did find, which I don't know is right or not, is a paramedic degree is like 2 years, but so is a RN degree? And if that's right, payscale or something shows that the CCEMT-P is paid up to 40% less than an RN or CEN? Not even now quite sure what type of nurse.

I guess it's sad that even learning what you do, let alone doing it, to save lives is intimidating as it is!!

 

[Tommerag]

What I did find, which I don't know is right or not, is a paramedic degree is like 2 years, but so is a RN degree?

Yes an AAS for paramedicine is normally 2 years, BUT you are not required to have a degree to be a paramedic. Only need to be licensed.

 

[8jimi8]

However the trend is slowly moving to incorporate the Bachelors of Science as the entry level to nursing. We are not there... but we are working for it. I'm an Associate degree RN and I advocate the BSN as a starting point. I'll be starting my RN to BSN program next month. (it will be my 2nd bachelors)

 

[HappyParamedicRN]

CEN: Certified ER Nurse- One would have to become an RN (3-4) years of schooling, then work as an ER nurse for a minimum of one year to take the CEN exam.

EMTP: Paramedic 1-2 years after obtaining EMTB certification and hopefully working as a basic for at least a year if not more prior to attending paramedic school.

Personally having worked as both an ER RN and as a paramedic, I would take the paramedic in heart beat! Nurses do not tend to be leaders and generally rely on a physician to make decisions and to do the decision making assessment on the patient. I worked with no other RNs in the ER that could think independently and that were not afraid to make decisons on thier own etc. Many of them would ask me to go anytime we had a calamidy in the parking lot or upstairs ( baby deliver, falls, codes etc.).... I am not saying all RNs are like this, but it seems like a majority are.


Happy

 

[medicRob]

I worked with no other RNs in the ER that could think independently and that were not afraid to make decisons on thier own etc. Many of them would ask me to go anytime we had a calamidy in the parking lot or upstairs ( baby deliver, falls, codes etc.).... I am not saying all RNs are like this, but it seems like a majority are.


Happy

Perhaps it was the environment and not nursing as a profession. I work with a team of some of the most competent nurses one will ever meet who are constantly creating care plans, re-evaluating their goals, and changing those care plans to meet our patient's needs. If you are working in a place where RNs are afraid to make decisions, then maybe it is time to find another ER.