Private Paramedic or Nurse?

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JLDK

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Hey all! This is my first post/thread. Okay so, I am a senior in a high school in Michigan. I know I still have some time but I thought you all could help. I have taken plenty of science classes and am pretty good at most. Now, I am stuck right in between these two careers and cannot decide so I thought I'd get some advice from the pros. I either want to be an ER nurse and would go school for 4 years for my bsn or I'd go for paramedic and get my AS in paramedicine/EMS. I do not want and have no intention on working for a FD so I'd be looking at working for a private service or a hospital based EMS company. I'd hope to later move into management in EMS but to start off my career, which should I choose? I'd like to stay in Michigan. Thank you!
 
Earning a living as a Paramedic varies greatly on where you live. Usually private services aren't paid nearly as well, so it might not even be financially worth it to get your AS and then go work for a private service. Strictly speaking you don't have to have street experience to work as a manager (although many would argue it makes you a better candidate for the job and would make you better at that job).

You could always get your EMT cert and get a job doing that and see how it suits you. While you're doing that you could work on your BSN, or just take some time and see how that life suits you. There's lots of ways to get there and there's not necessarily one right answer.
 
@SunshineCamo through financial aid and scholarships, I'll be going to the college I've already chosen (has both bsn and AS in Paramedicine) with absolutely nothing to pay. I am very fortunate. So either way I'll come out debt free. The AS will work me towards my Paramedic, first awarding me my EMT then about a year later, my Paramedic. So for me, it's more of can I make a decent living as private or hospital based paramedic in Michigan(I know it's about what you love, not what you're paid, but the money helps if you already love what you're doing) I've already searched but I haven't even able to find any conclusive answers.
 
Here's my advice, because it's what I did at one point. Call every ambulance provider in a two hour window and ask them what they pay starting out. I've done this for several areas and never had an issue (just be honest about why you're asking). Ask them what kind of shifts they work (mandatory 24s, 12s, 16s etc etc). Then use the power of math to figure out what you would make per month. Figure out what your cost of living would be (car, insurance, housing, food, etc etc) and see how those two numbers jive.

I don't know how the EMS in your area is run, but generally private and hospital services just do inter-facility transports. Meaning they just drive people from various hospitals, nursing homes, and private residences to various hospitals, Doctor's offices, nursing homes etc. There's very little to 'love' about that kind of work aside from it being easy and the hours flexible.

I don't mean to sound like I'm dogging on EMS or being a Paramedic (since I am one and rather enjoy it). But going through all the work with the intent of working for a private services kinda feels like getting a degree in Business so you can become a supervisor at McDonald's.
 
SunshineCamo said:
I don't know how the EMS in your area is run, but generally private and hospital services just do inter-facility transports. Meaning they just drive people from various hospitals, nursing homes, and private residences to various hospitals, Doctor's offices, nursing homes etc. There's very little to 'love' about that kind of work aside from it being easy and the hours flexible.
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That's actually a relatively uninformed statement. In the Southeastern states private EMS that contracts with the counties to run 911. In fact, in my state, there are only three counties that I know of that run ambulances and in each case they cover the entire county. If I went to work for any of them I'd take a pay cut because private EMS pays so well that lots of FFs moonlight with private services.

But to answer your question, EMS is a job with a high turnover rate because it takes individuals with a "special" psychological make up to do this job and many people don't know if this job is for them until they are in the field. So my recommendation would be to get your EMT cert and work some before committing to a paramedic degree that doesn't really have any workplace value outside of EMS.

ER nurses also have many issues with the psychological make up as EMS does but the difference is that there a many more career options for a nurse in you find emergency medicine isn't your thing. Also a nursing career has better pay than EMS, it just doesn't have the same intrinsic value to those of us who work prehospital.
 
JLDK said:
@SunshineCamo through financial aid and scholarships, I'll be going to the college I've already chosen (has both bsn and AS in Paramedicine) with absolutely nothing to pay. I am very fortunate. So either way I'll come out debt free. The AS will work me towards my Paramedic, first awarding me my EMT then about a year later, my Paramedic. So for me, it's more of can I make a decent living as private or hospital based paramedic in Michigan(I know it's about what you love, not what you're paid, but the money helps if you already love what you're doing) I've already searched but I haven't even able to find any conclusive answers.
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I'm so happy for you, that's a great situation to be in!

I think this is actually a very easy decision to make: go for the BSN. If college is going to be free either way, and assuming you actually are interested in nursing, you may as well go for 4 years and make the most of that free money and enjoy the college experience for an extra 2 years.

After a few years, if you want to get on an ambulance but keep your nurse paycheck, you can get involved in critical care transport. If you are really jonesing to get out and do prehospital EMS, you can get your EMT-B and then take a 2-week RN -> Paramedic bridge course and challenge the NREMT-P exam.

It's pretty easy to go from BSN -> Paramedic. It's much more difficult to go from having an AS in paramedicine -> RN -> BSN (and my understanding is that BSN is quickly becoming the minimum standard at least for hospitals).
 
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@Gurby thank you! That's what I've considered too but just wanted input from professionals in your area of expertise!
 
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