Paramedic or LPN

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SunshineCamo

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Hey guys,

I know this may be a slightly biased group in this regard but I'm gonna ask anyways. I just got my EMT-B license and I'm on the hunt for a job now. I'm trying to plan out my next step. I was originally kind of set on getting my Paramedic, but I'd like to work in a hospital, and I've been told (and seen this a little first hand) that paramedics don't get a lot of respect in ERs. So my sister (a totally unbiased RN) suggested that I maybe look at becoming an LPN instead.

It seems like on the surface LPNs and paramedics have a pretty similar scope of practice and theoretical levels of responsibility. But I don't recall meeting any LPNs on my hospital rotations, so I'm worried that might be a not so good decision.

My eventual goal is to be a PA, but I have to work while I'm in school. And I need to make more than I'll be able to as an EMT-B/ER Tech. So can you guys weigh in on this?
 
If you're going to go into nursing, become an RN.

LPNs are becoming a thing of the past.

We have several nurses here who can (and undoubtedly will) comment further.
 
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In my experience, LPNs are disappearing from hospitals. I've never seen one working in an ED either. They're still around in nursing homes, rehab centers, and some home health care, but even those roles are decreasing. I completely agree with what DEMedic said. Go RN or nothing nursing wise, and realize many positions want a BSN to go with that RN.
 
You can try medical assisting. This is what is largely replacing the Lpn. Depending where you live there are some urgent cares and offices that hire ems into medical assistant roles.

As they said go BSN. The nurses probably have the best thing going in healthcare right now, all things considered.
 
Getting the BSN will give you the most options by far. It's not for everyone though. I've decided against it for now because I enjoy field medicine and eventually want to teach paramedics or do ems research.

You need to shadow some people to find out. I would suggest you work as a basic too to see if you like the lifestyle, but as I understand it 911 emt jobs are few and far between (as are medic jobs.)

Good luck deciding. It's a very personal decision.

Edit: I obviously know I can do the things I want to with a BSN. I'll be getting my bachelors degree I will enjoy a bit more.
 
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DEmedic said:
If you're going to go into nursing, become an RN.

LPNs are becoming a thing of the past.

We have several nurses here who can (and undoubtedly will) comment further.
Click to expand...
LPN's are definitely a thing of the past in the acute care setting (hospital). You can still find them in skilled nursing facilities, clinics, and other similar non-acute care facilities. In the clinics, they're being replaced by the MA because MA's can do the same basic stuff, and they're cheaper.
Arovetli said:
You can try medical assisting. This is what is largely replacing the Lpn. Depending where you live there are some urgent cares and offices that hire ems into medical assistant roles.

As they said go BSN. The nurses probably have the best thing going in healthcare right now, all things considered.
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If you can, BSN is the preferred way to go. You'd be more likely to get a job as a BSN. If you want to become a PA, check with several schools and see what they require for clinical experience as well as academic qualifications. You may be surprised at what you find.

Certainly in the acute care settings, the RN is still going strong and right now there aren't any other providers that do what the Nurses do. Given your goal, I'd suggest going RN or Paramedic, get your prerequisites done and your clinical experience done and go for PA.

Weigh all your options and make an informed decision. Only you can make it. I was a Paramedic and loved every minute of it. Nursing didn't strike me as something I wanted to do until about 6-7 years ago, so I did what I needed to do and now I've got 1 more year left in RN school. PA may eventually be where I end up, but for now, I like the possibilities that RN offers me, even in this restrictive employment market.
 
Well my goal is not nursing. My goal is to be a Physician Assistant, but I need a good job in the interim. But yeah, I definitely hear what everyone is saying about LPN jobs not being so common. While being an RN would be a good job, it's a big time and money commitment. I'm not sure it would be better than trying to make it as an EMT-B while I work on my BS.
 
Let me point out that pa programs can really differ in requirements. Some of them can let you in with a bit of experience but a lot of them, more prestigious programs, have applicants with multiple (5+) years of advanced experience, on top of stringent GPA requirements. The physician or hospital that hires you wants to see some experience related to the field you are being hired in, plus there will be significant on the job training or a "residency".

So if you are really gunning for PA, Id pick a field of medicine you were somewhat interested and really get some good experience doing that. And do something that allows you to network well with physicians. This goes along way down the road.
 
SunshineCamo said:
Well my goal is not nursing. My goal is to be a Physician Assistant, but I need a good job in the interim. But yeah, I definitely hear what everyone is saying about LPN jobs not being so common. While being an RN would be a good job, it's a big time and money commitment. I'm not sure it would be better than trying to make it as an EMT-B while I work on my BS.
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Right. :/ I read that you weren't looking at nursing as a long term goal, and glossed right over it. Sorry 'bout that.

If you're interested in becoming a PA, why not a nurse prac? Similar in scope (obviously NOT the same, don't shot me nurses!) and you could work as a nurse for a while before moving on...

Just a thought.
 
DEmedic said:
We have several nurses here who can (and undoubtedly will) comment further.
Click to expand...

Is that my cue? :ph34r:

As others have mentioned the LPN role is becoming obsolete in the acute care setting. Most hospitals will not hire them anymore and the majority of jobs are in nursing homes, LTC, rehab, etc.

The good thing about LPN programs is that most have a bridge program to ADN so that there is an easy transition to RN. However, going that path is time consuming. And in today's job market an ADN RN is not much better than an LPN so you would have to go back and do a RN-BSN program just to get a job in some states. All in all, you will spend more time jumping around that it would have taken just to get your BSN in the first place.

Some hospitals use Medics in the ER with a similar scope to RNs but that is relatively uncommon, at least in my area. You will not find Medics in other parts of the hospital except for rare exceptions.

If you are dead set on PA then you might be better off just sticking with EMT and working on a science bachelors. Don't waste time on a LPN or Paramedic program. You could potentially get your BSN and still pursue PA however I have heard the transition can be a challenge. You are probably better off going for NP at that point.

Personally, I am extremely happy with my decision to go into Nursing. I think my BSN was an excellent education and I have a ton of future opportunities. That being said, I have thought about jumping ship to PA or going back and getting my paramedic every now and then.
 
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I've worked with several EMT-Basics as they worked towards PA school.

If you're not interested in becoming an RN, but instead a Physician's Assistant, then get your EMT-B as a resume builder.

Good luck!
 
I concur with what others have said about LPN. It is really only good for LTC or doctors office positions in many markets.
If you want to do EMS, be a medic.
If you want to go into the hospital, go to a BSN program.

If you want to be a PA, work as an EMT while you finish your BS. Then you can decide with you want to go to PA school, medical school, or you could still get your paramedic or do an accelerated BSN program.

Like Chase, I also wonder about getting my paramedic some days. What I really have to do is figure out how to go to PA school and come out as a NP. This avoids ever writing another paper on nursing theory while enjoying some of the minor local workplace advantages NPs have.
 
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MMiz said:
I've worked with several EMT-Basics as they worked towards PA school.

If you're not interested in becoming an RN, but instead a Physician's Assistant, then get your EMT-B as a resume builder.

Good luck!
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I would have to agree with this post. If you are seriously considering becoming a PA, you should look at EMT – B as a resume builder and also look into what your local PA schools require for entry into their program. They may consider EMT – B as good clinical time for entry into the program. Some programs may not and require paramedic experience instead. At least as far as the prehospital stuff goes, anyway.

A paramedic instructor of mine did become a PA after completing probably >5000 hours as a paramedic and also completing all of his required prerequisites, and subsequently completing a program. In his case, he did not want to become a nurse along the way. It may have made getting into a PA program easier, but he really did not have a nursing bone in his body. Please do not misunderstand me, he greatly respects the abilities and knowledge that nurses have, he just does not have anywhere near the desire to become a nurse that some people do have.

Anecdotally, he did state that one of his PA classmates was an Athletic Trainer and was the first Athletic Trainer that the school had admitted to the program in quite some time. The reason I bring this up is because there are multiple pathways to PA that do not involve EMS or nursing to get there. You just have to do your homework and find out what the schools around you, the ones you are likely to apply to, and perhaps some that you would not even think about applying to would require for entry and meet those requirements.
 
Thanks for all the advice and input guys, I really appreciate it. As I'm trying to stay in acute care, it looks LPN is off the table. So that takes care of that.

I just think I need an in between step. I need to be able to work and support my family, and I also want to get good experience to bring to my application (not just contact hours). But that may not be possible, or maybe it will delay my plans. I'll have to do some serious thinking on that.
 
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