Anyone have any experience working as an ER tech? I just recently became a certified EMT-B in MA and was hoping to work as an ER tech, but I don't have any EMT experience yet. Anyone know the likelihood of me getting hired with recent certification but no experience? I know some hospitals train you as well, has anyone on here done this? Am I better off just going the ambulance company route? I applied to nursing school for this coming fall while I was in EMT school but I didn't get in, so I'm looking to work full-time and gain as much clinical and patient care experience as possible for the next year before I re-apply for fall 2018. Any advice would be appreciated!! Thanks
New EMT...ER tech job vs Ambulance jobs in MA ???
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okayestEMT
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I would look at the hospitals in your area and see what the requirements are for an ER Tech. I know the area I'm at almost all the er tech jobs require ambulance experience and a phlebotomy cert to even be considered. Generally speaking a tech job is harder to land especially with no experience.
medichopeful
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I don't have experience working as an ER tech, but I do have experience working with ER techs who are EMT-Bs. They can do things like draw blood, obtain EKGS, etc., but there's a lot of CNA type work. That being said, if nursing is your goal (which it sounds like it is), then it will help you gain in-hospital experience and you'll gain experience with more patients than you will as an EMT.
Some hospitals will hire you without experience, some won't. Same with ambulance companies. What part of Massachusetts are you in?
Some hospitals will hire you without experience, some won't. Same with ambulance companies. What part of Massachusetts are you in?
Thanks for responding!! That's helpful. I figured it'd be difficult to land with no experience at all, but I definitely am shooting for the in-hospital experience. So I might take the risk and apply hoping they train. I'm in eastern MA on the north shore. So as far as ambulance companies Cataldo pretty much runs the table up here. Theres small hospitals all around plus I'm only 20 min outside of the city where the big ones are.
medichopeful
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Glad it helped!
There are definitely more EMS companies than just Cataldo in the Boston area and surrounding towns. I never worked for Cataldo, but did work for a private about 40 minutes from Boston and gained a lot of good experience.
I'd say take the chance and apply at the hospitals seeing as that's what you're aiming for. Do the online applications, dress up nicely, and follow up by dropping off a resume in-person and saying you applied. Then follow up.
Good luck!
okayestEMT
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As someone who has worked as a basic on an ambulance and now in the ER, I think either can be a great experience depending on what your local protocols are like. Here in SoCal I much prefer the ED over an ambulance, but having also worked as a basic in central Texas I think I would not have enjoyed the ER as much as working in the field. The 'CNA' part of being an ER Tech really isn't bad, I think grabbing someone a cup of water and occasionally helping a RN with a code brown is a great trade off for drawing blood, splinting, and pulling traction for ortho during a conscious sedation (and of course the usual EMT stuff during a code blue). Even if your goal isn't to work in a hospital I wouldn't let that deter you, one of my co-workers in the ER is a Paramedic who just got picked up by LA City fire.