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auscultate

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Looking into EMS as a career path. I've heard that EMT-B is slim to none finding a job and that most just end up working as CNAs to get experience and volunteering at a rescue squad. Here's my plan so far, let me know if this plan is decent or not.

Start EMT-B classes in fall->Volunteer at rescue squad throughout training and paramedic school->Work as CNA in critical care units/ED/telemetry->Complete paramedic program.

That's all I have right now. I know I'll be up against a lot of combat medics out there that are coming back and looking for civilian jobs. I don't really have any experience that can touch medic work in a combat zone. What else can I do to make myself more competitive?

I'd like to work as an EMT Basic for a while (even take a break for a year between that and paramedic school), but I seriously doubt I'd land a job here in NC with only the above experience.
 
Private ambulance companies are almost always hiring even if it is just IFT's. Never heard of an EMT being stuck as a CNA considering its two different "schools". I think your view on EMS is a little strewn, but you are new to it so to be expected.

Talk to your instructors about any jobs they know about. After you get your cert just apply anywhere and everywhere. Someone will hire you. I had zero EMT experience just like everyone else here, but we landed jobs.
 
EMS Employment

Dont feel bad, I am in the same boat here too. I got my Patch and Cert in January. Applied to several agencies in MN. But no luck up until today, I got an email for a job interview over the phone for a BLS EMT-B. position; at which the job entails BLS transfers to intercepting paramedics. One thing I may suggest is try and work at a summer camp for as a summer health manager, it entails safety and first aid and providing campers with sessions on health and fitness programing. I was just hired at at camp, but the pay is only 36 dollars a day but it is a foot in the door, especially if you want to work in pediatric care. Just be patient. keep applying. I know some agencies require that you advance to paramedic school because some companies are going to paramedic based employees. That is one of the stipulations on being an EMT-B. That is if you want to just work as an EMT-B and go to school for something else related to health care. I am moving my career to become a surgical technologist. And while I am attending school I want to work as an EMT-B to gain experience in patient care. I wish you the best of luck in finding employment in EMS. :mellow:
 
In Ohio, CNA is STNA (State Tested Nursing Assistant rather than Certified Nursing Assistant), and entirely different than EMT-B. You have to get an entirely different certification to work as an STNA. I went through class to get certified after EMT-B and before Paramedic, with the same thinking as you. STNA's literally spend their time feeding people, shaving people and cleaning crap out of people's privates. No joke. Go look at the skills tests to become a CNA. There's a test on all three of those. There is almost zero medical skill involved. It's important for nurses to have taken CNA, because they might do all of these things in a hospital setting. It is very "care" focused rather than "treatment" or "transport" focused. EMS is not above having to wipe or feed someone during a long transport, but these things are pretty easy to do. It's a lot different doing them occasionally vs doing them full-time.

It is not similar to EMT-B. You will have to go get certified separately. You will probably hate the work, as an EMT can "do" a lot more than a CNA, yet you will not be allowed to do so. You will clean crap out of butts all day, and be treated like crap. Then, if you go looking for a job in EMS, they probably will not care at all whether you were a CNA.

There is no work where I live for EMTs. I did CNA, etc, went on to paramedic school, and started working at an Amusement park. It is a very easy EMS job, but it will give me some quasi-real experience, it's really fun, and I make about 10-20 patient contacts per shift, so I'm learning a lot. I would recommend something like a private ambulance service or an amusement park as an EMT, rather than being a CNA.
 
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Most privates will value customer service experience just as much, if not more than, military experience. EMS is customer based, not combat.
 
Well same goes here; I had to work for a medical clinical staffing agency that will call me and tell me that an EMT is needed at a hotel for a large convention or concert. At which I enjoy. But in retrospect, I want to work under the lights and sirens part of EMS. That's where the real patient care is focused. The off of the rig job is just basically like a security job, watching for ETOH or any falls or fights. But sometimes there are no hitters in that area too. But as I have said, I was a CNA once, Yes I was tired of cleaning BM, Emesis and so forth. And I know in EMS, We will deal with that too and much much more. I love the field of EMS and I want to work out in the field.
 
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GoldcrossEMTbasic said:
But as I have said, I was a CNA once, Yes I was tired of cleaning BM, Emesis and so forth. And I know in EMS, We will deal with that too and much much more. I love the field of EMS and I want to work out in the field.
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And that is exactly the catch. In EMS and emergency medicine in general we see feces, urine, and vomit, often mixed with a whole lotta blood, but the thing is that although those things are an issue, maintaining cleanliness is not the only bullet in our job description.
 
So you make enough in earnings to support yourself? At least 25,000k-30,000k between those contract jobs?
 
We'll not really, I am working this summer at a girl scout camp in Minnesota. Making 2500 for the summer. But I may land a Ambulance job. I was offered a job interview over the phone for a BLS rig job, I think it entails patient transfers and patients discharged to SNF or rapid recovery units, or psych transfers to state hospitals. But If there is a full code then ALS would be intercepted. But I hope to get this job, because like I have stated in previous postings that I want to work on an Rig whether BLS or ALS. It took me 6 months to finally have a agency send me an email stating that they want to interview me. :rofl:
 
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