life after EMT-b?

[amg1322]

thank you for all of your responses so far. as far as long term goal, i do want to go to paramedic and eventually full firefighter.
im just concerned as to what else can i do to stand out?
i know emt's are a dime a dozen right now and i don't know what i can do to get ahead. or where i should even begin the job search once i'm done with my EMT. where should i begin, whats a good place to start?

 

[Shaysurfs]

To the OP: I am concerned about getting a job as an EMT as well. What I plan on doing in order to spruce up my resume is to get as many extra certs as I can. Certs such as ECG/Pharmacology, Ventilator training, S.T.A.B.L.E., ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, and PEPP. I doubt that I will try to do all of those, but I plan on at least doing ECG/Pharmacology, Ventilator, PALS, and ACLS. After I finish and pass my NREMT-B, I plan on taking the written ambulance exam, getting live scanned, and my medical card. That plus my extra certs and I will start applying everywhere! I am in L.A., so anything that I can do to make myself stand-out among others is key...it's seems impossible out here. I believe that you will also acquire those certs in medic school, so, if anything, you will have a leg up in medic school having already received some of those certs. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[Tigger]

To the OP: I am concerned about getting a job as an EMT as well. What I plan on doing in order to spruce up my resume is to get as many extra certs as I can. Certs such as ECG/Pharmacology, Ventilator training, S.T.A.B.L.E., ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, and PEPP. I doubt that I will try to do all of those, but I plan on at least doing ECG/Pharmacology, Ventilator, PALS, and ACLS. After I finish and pass my NREMT-B, I plan on taking the written ambulance exam, getting live scanned, and my medical card. That plus my extra certs and I will start applying everywhere! I am in L.A., so anything that I can do to make myself stand-out among others is key...it's seems impossible out here. I believe that you will also acquire those certs in medic school, so, if anything, you will have a leg up in medic school having already received some of those certs. Hope this helps and good luck!

You may be able to take these classes, but you will not be certified in many of them if you are not a medic.

 

[Shaysurfs]

@Tigger really? Wow, thanks for letting me know. I believe the ECG/Pharmacology and Ventilator certs apply to EMT's, but I will double check. I'm not sure about the ACLS/pals certs, but I will look into it. I was going to take them anyways to prepare for medic school, but I will look into it a little more. Thank you.

 

[TheyCallMeNasty]

Only if you want to ask permission for every mundane thing the rest of your career. *obviously exceptions apply*

Very few EMS see RN as an upgrade, More of a lateral into a different treatment path which not all EMS folks are interested in. I should know I completed all the California RN pre req work and got wait listed. And thank god I did because the thought of taking care of a set of patients only to go home and sleep and wake up knowing i'm going to take care of the same patients with the same complaints day in day out makes me want to shoot myself. Which is the reason I turned nursing school down 3 times and finally had them remove me from the lottery all together.

Now to answer the OP's questions.

You can go into

Education, Paramedic, EMT, ACLS, PALS, PEPP, PHTLS, NRP, ITLS etc etc instruction

Continue on and get your BS and do something along the lines of Perfusionist. Tons of areas of medicine, education and research you can get into both in and out of the hospital arena

Lol @ Lateral..... EMT is lateral to CNA whereas Medic is Lateral to LVN.... in pay and in responsibilities. Your right though RN isn't an upgrade they just have a larger scope of practice, get more pay.....on another note.....ED Tech for 10 years and you denied RN school 3 times because you dreaded waking up to the same patients everyday.....Doesn't really add up.

 

[paemt104433]

In all honesty getting hired as a fresh EMT is pretty rough. 6 years ago when i started it was pretty much getting hired on a transport unit. I recommend to volly on a truck and work and show off your skills and then will consider hiring you. And after that you get the experience and it opens doors to many places.

 

[TheyCallMeNasty]

thank you for all of your responses so far. as far as long term goal, i do want to go to paramedic and eventually full firefighter.
im just concerned as to what else can i do to stand out?
i know emt's are a dime a dozen right now and i don't know what i can do to get ahead. or where i should even begin the job search once i'm done with my EMT. where should i begin, whats a good place to start?

Apply everywhere and do not be picky....have 100% confidence in your skills and have a positive attitude.....On the flip once your in EMS you will discover what portion of the medical field you want to dip your feet in or if you want to dip at all.

for me I became an EMT and worked on a CCT ambulance. I was going to goto medic school but realized I could just get my RN and do a 1-2 month bridge to get my P Card after. Now im halfway through and can work as an RN while applying to Fire Dept. because RN is a safe bet whereas medic you can be stuck working for a private ambulance getting ran on IFTs while your too busy to focus on your main goals.

 

[Handsome Robb]

Lol @ Lateral..... EMT is lateral to CNA whereas Medic is Lateral to LVN.... in pay and in responsibilities. Your right though RN isn't an upgrade they just have a larger scope of practice, get more pay.....on another note.....ED Tech for 10 years and you denied RN school 3 times because you dreaded waking up to the same patients everyday.....Doesn't really add up.

I'd love to know how nurses have a wider scope of practice than medics. Medics have a pretty wide scope when you look at it. UVCs surgical and needle airways, ETI/NTI/RSI, needle thoracostomies, cardioversion, transcutaneous pacing all on standing orders in many places

Medics are not comparable to LVNs.

Comparing paramedicine and nursing is like comparing a banana to a frog.

 

[TheyCallMeNasty]

I'd love to know how nurses have a wider scope of practice than medics. Medics have a pretty wide scope when you look at it. UVCs surgical and needle airways, ETI/NTI/RSI, needle thoracostomies, cardioversion, transcutaneous pacing all on standing orders in many places

Medics are not comparable to LVNs.

Comparing paramedicine and nursing is like comparing a banana to a frog.

I agree.....they are not comparable, but an RN can have a medics scope in 1-2 months where as a medic to have an RNs scope is 2-4 years.

 

[usalsfyre]

I'd love to know how nurses have a wider scope of practice than medics. Medics have a pretty wide scope when you look at it. UVCs surgical and needle airways, ETI/NTI/RSI, needle thoracostomies, cardioversion, transcutaneous pacing all on standing orders in many places

Medics are not comparable to LVNs.

Comparing paramedicine and nursing is like comparing a banana to a frog.

Rob, I love ya but go look at an CVICU RNs order set for recovering an open heart. It will make most medics urinate submissively...

 

[Handsome Robb]

Rob, I love ya but go look at an CVICU RNs order set for recovering an open heart. It will make most medics urinate submissively...

Oh I'm sure it will. There's bound to be nurses with wider scopes than medics, I was going with the overall RN not a specialty RN. During clinicals I helped an RN place a PICC line under ultrasound on more than one occasion, you wont find medics doing that anywhere.

Like I said, bananas to frogs.

Sorry the Medic to LVN comparison irritated me. I know nurses that can make my head spin if I ask them a question, I also know nurses that many of the medics on here and some that I work with will run circles around. I hope to be at that level one day.

 

[usalsfyre]

Lol @ Lateral..... EMT is lateral to CNA whereas Medic is Lateral to LVN.... in pay and in responsibilities. Your right though RN isn't an upgrade they just have a larger scope of practice, get more pay.....on another note.....ED Tech for 10 years and you denied RN school 3 times because you dreaded waking up to the same patients everyday.....Doesn't really add up.

I wouldn't really say medic is lateral to an RN in responsibility, in fact I would say a medic is closer to a midlevel in responsibility.