hello everyone i am in that stage of my career that i don't know what path to choose, i pick the medical field because i like helping people but sometimes i ask my self what's going to be better in the long run i am kind of young 20 and i am in emt classes right now but i don't know if i should get a a.s in ems or a.s in nursing i was just wondering because i know the paramedics career is really competitive now and really hard to find a job at least here in Florida so i am looking for some advices i am going to finish emt and from there i don't know what to do if go to nursing school or just continue with my ems program what do you guys think?
paramedic vs nursing
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Shishkabob
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Well... what are your goals in the future?
well i want to get a bachelor in something related to the medical field the general education and pre requisites here for paramedic school and nursing are almost the same except.that to get to nursing i would have to take micrbiology, nutrition i am missing two prerequisite for nursing for paramedics is mostly general education and the only pre requisites are anatomy and emt i am confused i always wanted to be a paramedics but.i heard.from a lot people that is hard to get a job
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Totally depends upon your future goals. In my case, I chose Paramedic for a while, and have since switched to Nursing. I'm still waiting to be chosen for RN school. In the meantime, I do what I need to for supporting the family. You're (hopefully) young enough that you won't have to worry about that for a while.
You could say that I took a pretty non-traditional way to get to where I am... so I'm probably not exactly the best role model for which path to follow though. Choose your own.
You could say that I took a pretty non-traditional way to get to where I am... so I'm probably not exactly the best role model for which path to follow though. Choose your own.
Shishkabob
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Ok, you didn't answer my question: What are you future goals? What do you want to be doing in 5, 10, 15 years? You say medicine... cleaning someones teeth is medicine.
Do you want to be out of the hospital, or in? Does money matter more to you? Do you want to be able to pick up and move on a whim? Do you want to be able to switch from different specialties? Etc etc etc.
money is no important to me i think making a decent amount money to support my family later.in life i always wanted.ti be a flight paramedic and it doesn't really matter to me if i am in a hospital or out, i can't answer the question of what i am going to.be.doin in the future because its all depends on decisions i make now,i like the adrenaline of the paramedics job but as er nurse i can get that too i know that both are really great careers
Shishkabob
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Again, pros/cons canno tbe answered without knowing specifically what you are trying for outside of 'excitement'.
However, at the current time with how many states suck with EMS, education a lot of the time lacking in breadth, and without a solid, unified voice to fight for the issues... nursing has quite a bit more lateral movement if you want to try something new.
However, at the current time with how many states suck with EMS, education a lot of the time lacking in breadth, and without a solid, unified voice to fight for the issues... nursing has quite a bit more lateral movement if you want to try something new.
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Personally, I'd say nursing would be the "smarter" choice. Nursing pays ALOT better (with the exception of very few EMS systems), and there is much more room to move around in fields and find your niche. Don't get me wrong, I'm a paramedic and I Love my job. But, as you can see from other threads on this topic, education is lacking for EMS, the pay disparity is significant, and the options you get as an RN are tremendously more than EMS. However, the nursing shortage is BS. While the nurse to pt ratio may be far too high, that doesn't mean that hospitals are sucking nurses in left and right to fill that void. You're just as likely to have to broaden your geographic area to find a job with nursing as with paramedic (at least for a good job with either). My opinion: Forget the a.s. in EMS, forget the a.s. in nursing. Go get your BSN. You're only a few pre-reqs away, and the way things are starting to look, BSN is going to be your best employment option. If you just really want to be in the field after that, go breeze through a paramedic class and work part time somewhere, or try and get a Flight RN spot.
abckidsmom
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In the field of nursing alone, you can work in a courtroom, in an industrial setting, in a research lab, in a medical office, in a hospital, in people's homes, on a helicoptor, working at home, in a fire department, in a 911 communications center, on interfacility transports, etc, etc, etc.
Really, do a little research. Your question is too broad, like asking "I like coloring, what color crayon should I use?" It really depends on what you want to do.
Shishkabob
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Technically, the exact same with Paramedic. Only place where nursing has an "up" on that is in the hospital, and mainly because the BONs are overly protective and go out of their way to label Paramedics as 'technicians'.
yea i was thinking that too finish the emt and try to get a.job part time and go straight to bsn thank you all for your responses and time after i finish emt important going to take the rest of the pre requisites and apply to a bsn program
Because a considerable majority of paramedics are.
Linuss,
It has been clearly demonstrated over time you do not fit the "technician" label given to paramedics, but you are one of the exceptions to the rule.
You see it here everyday. "I collar and LSB every patient because protocol says so..."
That is not the mentality or behavior of licensed profesionals.
Shishkabob
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And I've had another two Paramedics tell me on Tuesday that I need to go to medical school >_<
Shishkabob
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Now you know why I try to keep away from my medical directors whenever I go to the base hospitals. 
8jimi8
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I found the opportunities presented by nursing have given me a very secure platform to explore the emergency specialty. Now picking up my paramedic is just a matter of having fun at clinicals and working through paramedic modules. Rather than learning the emergency presentation as your introduction to patients and healthcare in general.
medicRob
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Speaking as both a Paramedic and an RN, you are in fact correct. Don't come into either one of these professions thinking they are what you see on TV.
Shishkabob
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To make a correction, those moments DO exist, but not often, and not as big a rush as time goes on. But there still ARE the excitement times.
And don't tell me an MCI with 3x as many critical patients as providers isn't worthy of an adrenaline rush ('controlled'... obviously). B)