Paramedic or Nursing?

Thanks for the clarification, I had difficulty understanding what you previously meant.
 
I'm not trying to get you guys back off topic, but how would you go about researching the different careers? I'm trying to figure out which direction I want to go and I'm finding it a little intimidating a lot of things appeal to me but I still have a lot of questions.
 
Ridryder911 said:
Hey! Let's at least give accurate and correct information! Let's leave ignorance behind, okay? Let's at least attempt to be truthful.
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MDs/PAs can specialize in cardiology (fact)

RNs do not (fact)


Any ignorance you detected, was what you brought with you to this thread. ;)
 
alphatrauma said:
It's not comparative... and I was never a huge fan of homework anyways.

An RN is not a CNS or a NP. The levels of education and titles are not interchangeable.

School's out ^_^
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Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists ARE RNs. So yes an RN can specialize. As well, the certifications I linked to are also open to RNs who do work in CVICUs, CCUs or cath labs if they meet the requirements.

As Rid pointed out, some states do have PA programs that are only two year degrees at a community college. While the PA national organization is attempting to raise their educational standards across the board, it hasn't happened yet in all states. So, the initial education of the PA is not always more than an RN. If the PA wants to specialize in cardiac, they may have to obtain more education just like the RN.

Read and research this information to get a better understanding of other professions before you make statements that you have little knowledge about. Those in EMS complain that no one understands who they are or what they do but this is a perfect example of where some are making statements about other professions to which they have little understanding of.
 
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CJT, You sound like you're off to a good start no matter what you choose. There are a lot of different ways to work in the human medical field. Why not contact some doctors, nurses, PAs, etc. and see if you might be able to shadow them? Is there a medical or nursing school in your area? Maybe you could talk to some of the students or professors.

My dad is a retired MD radiologist. I've been talking to him about various human medical careers (I'm a veterinarian) and he told me that becoming an RN may be a "better" career option than MD at this point.

You probably know that there is a huge nurse shortage in the U.S. and people graduating from nursing school have a wide variety of options to choose from. The pay and benefits can be great, and the malpractice concerns are much less than they are for MDs. A lot of MDs are getting out of the field now because of all of the paperwork and high malpractice premiums. My brother is also an MD radiologist and while he makes a lot of money and gets a lot of vacation, he works long hours, is under a lot of pressure, and has to deal with a lot of partnership B.S., not to mention the possibility of being sued.

Of course MD and RN are very different jobs, and if you really want to be one rather than the other, then that is what you should do. But if you are looking at things like length of education, student debt, job markets, working hours and conditions, and potential for being sued, it might be worth comparing the two on that basis.

So, take that FWIW. I don't have any insights on PAs, NPs, or an EMS career...

Also, keep in mind that you don't have to do the same thing forever. I started vet school when I was 36. When I was a senior in high school I hadn't the slightest idea of what I wanted to do with my life, and if you had told me that almost three decades later (eeek!) I'd be a veterinarian who just got her EMT-B and has applied to paramedic school, I'd have thought you were nuts.
 
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alphatrauma said:
It's not comparative... and I was never a huge fan of homework anyways.

An RN is not a CNS or a NP. The levels of education and titles are not interchangeable.

School's out ^_^
Click to expand...

Quite obvious you are not a fan of homework or even being accurate. So if possible if you are going to post please at least half way be accurate while doing so. Ignorance can only be defined as not knowing... now, you know and you do know what they call one that refuses to increase one knowledge is?

I guess RN's can't specialize in Neonates, Psych, O.B. too? I guess the the abbreviation ARNP, CRNA .. are not RN's as well. Better tell the nursing boards and the AACN that accredits advanced level nurses as well that an ER tech clarified everything.... Yeah.. real credibility there.

R/r 911
 
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Why not both career choices? I know plenty of ER nurses that work ER for "the money" and their first passion is EMS, so they keep their certs as NREMT-P's as well.
 
Hi CJT! Don't consider emergency tech training as a steppingstone to RN.

For more of the above people's comments:
http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=12081

I went from EMT-A (original lowest level EMT) to RN, getting my USAF MedTech on the side as it were. I found out that nursing is not "the next step up the ladder" for an EMT-B or EMT-P , it is a separate profession and has it's own ladder. Also, many many nursing jobs are NOT in hospitals. I'd be happy to contribute my experience via email. Big lesson though is unless it gets you a lower cost for equivalently recognized educational units, don't dink around with LVN "on the way" to RN, and don't get your paramedic certificate expecting it to be a step to nursing. In fact, when you get to school, your clinical instructor will advise you to put a sock in it so he or she can put you through their teaching process.
You can get your EMT and just have that life knowledge for personal use, or keep it current and join a Medical Readiness Corps unit, if you don't want to work as one.
 
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