EMT to Nurse path

So you have the advice for four paramedics who went on to nursing school. All four are saying skip paramedic and go to nursing school.

I will add one other thing: finish your degrees. you have a half-finished associates and a half-finished bachelors. unfortunately, classes can expire, but degrees rarely will.

get your ADN. get hired at a hospital, and gain experience. Some hospitals will even pay for your BSN. or if you can knock out the BSN in 2 years, do it. whatever is the cheapest and most effective way for you to complete the education to get your RN.

Paramedic experience can help you get a CCT job, but I know plenty of CCT RNs who never went to paramedic school. I will say, in general, the CCT RNs that are on ambulances that also run 911 calls that were paramedics typically perform better at 911 calls. But plenty who weren't paramedics are now flying on helicopters.

good luck
 
Not a nurse like the others, but 100% bypass paramedic if you’re end goal is CCRN. Get it after your RN, as a side goal.

Being a (CC) paramedic is not the same as being a CCRN.
 
Another thing to consider when evaluating an Associates vs Bachelors is that often both programs total about 4-5 years of study from the time you start doing your prerequisites. The "core" nursing program is usually about 2 years in length and that's basically the last 2 years that you're in school, regardless of the end degree that's conferred. Community Colleges are usually cheaper per "hour" than Universities. I would suggest looking into the cost differences. It might be cheaper to get all your prerequisite courses and your entire Lower Division General ED done at a CC rather than doing it at the University. Once you're ready to go to Nursing School, you then apply to all the programs that you're qualified for and once you're accepted, go there. Likely a "split the difference" cost option between going to CC and University and doing nursing school at either is doing your prereqs and LDGE at the CC, transfer to the University and get your BSN. The BSN will usually make you more competitive than someone with "just" an ADN as long as other things are all equal.
 
Akulahawk said:
Community Colleges are usually cheaper per "hour" than Universities. I would suggest looking into the cost differences. It might be cheaper to get all your prerequisite courses and your entire Lower Division General ED done at a CC rather than doing it at the University.
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I know you didn't ask about this, but this is one of the things I regret from when I went to college. 4 years (actually 3 1/2, but you get the idea) at a private college gets pricey. If I could do it all over again, I would get an associates at my local CC, and then transfer to a bigger school for my bachelors. At the end of the day, no one will care where you spent your first two years, if you have a bachelors from a bigger named school.

And if you don't end up finishing your bachelors (for whatever reason), you have something to show for your first two years of academia.
 
Recapping,
  • Having your EMT is great
  • Get your RN without delay if ICU is your goal (including flights).
  • BSN is what you want for ICU.
  • ASN->BSN might save money if you only consider tuition, but usually not if you consider time/opportunity.
  • IF you have a BS or BA, accelerated BSN!
  • Many BSN initial licensure programs have better clinical sites, better chance of ICU, and entering practice with BSN increases your chances of a nurse residency program eligibility which can include ICU residency.
  • CC for your prereqs will save you serious $. Get As on your prereqs- some (not all) CC have a lesser rigor than an average university. Get As anyway to do your best and to make yourself competitive RN candidate for the BSN program.
  • Straight As in nursing school are not such a must do, unless that is your thing. Very few employers care if you have a lot of Bs, although VA does care.
 
If you’re staying in PA, once you become an RN, you can take a PHRN upgrade course to learn and master the paramedic skills*. If you keep your EMT current, you only need to take the NREMT paramedic assessment to become a Pennsylvania PHRN with a greater critical care scope than a paramedic.

*there are actually some loopholes here that I will not recommend to a newly minted RN.
 
The first place I looked at for the ARN was my community college since they have one. They also have a 3+1 program with my old 4 year university. 3 years at my community college and the last year at the 4 year one.
 
If you want to do flight/CCT, go to nursing school first, and then get your medic afterwards (either by a bridge program, or by going to paramedic school). You'll see more critically ill patients in a week as a CC nurse than you will in a month as a CC medic. No point in delaying it, just get your RN.

You are also going to want to get your BSN as soon as possible. Many large hospitals want you to have your BSN, and flight programs want you to have experience at large hospitals.

Any questions let me know.
 
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