RN to Paramedic...

[ExpatMedic0]

As a current student in a Medic to RN program I am most definitely witnessing both sides of this argument.

Love the avatar man ;-)

 

[Mariemt]

I am currently looking into both.

I can obtain my paramedic in one year, only prerequisite being my EMT. Yes it is a fast track program, 4 hours a day, some Saturdays.
For me to get my RN, I need one year of perquisites before starting the 2 year program.
If I choose the Paramedic Associates program, also 2 years and become a specialist, the only difference in the course study is the concepts of nursing and concepts of paramedicine.

I can become an EMTP. AFTER one year or a PS after 2.

Nurses have more schooling than some NREMTPs do and are not mindless idiots. They are plenty capable and have pushed plenty of drugs on codes to know what they are doing. In out ambulance they also have standing orders like our medics.

 

[Carlos Danger]

Because a physician first assessed said patient and gave the orders/standing orders for you to follow henceforth. When a Paramedic arrives on scene sadly there is no doctor there assessing the patient and informing me of the care plan.

Look, I've had enough of trying to correct the misinformation that you refuse to stop spewing. At the end of it all, I honestly could not care less what you think, no matter how flawed it is. It just doesn't affect me. At all. It costs not one speck of dried skin off my back for your to maintain your ignorance.

So, keep on thinking that RN's are mindless drones who can do nothing without having their hand held by a doctor, while paramedics are elite clinical warriors valiantly and tirelessly battling the grim reaper in the streets. Keep on thinking that paramedicine is such a vast and specialized body of knowledge that no one else can possibly grasp it without spending the same amount of time in vo-tech school that you did. Keep on thinking that only MD's are capable of knowing things and making decisions. Keep on thinking that nurses shouldn't be able to challenge paramedic programs. Keep on thinking that there should be no CRNA's or NP's. Keep on thinking that you know more about the differences between nursing and paramedicine than people who have actually done both. Keep on thinking that your 2-week "critical care paramedic" credential is anything other than a hastily-thrown together money making scheme for UMBC. Keep hoping and praying that paramedicine will someday have some credibility as an actual allied health profession, and that it will someday require the use of a textbook written at higher than a 10th grade reading level and more than 8 months of vo-tech training. Keep fighting over lousy jobs on VFR Bell 206's and "CCT trucks" schlepping around NSTEMI's on heparin drips.

And while you cling to and draw comfort from those delusions, RN's will keep following protocols and making minute-to-minute decisions in ICU's. RN's will keep having vast career options. RN's will keep successfully challenging paramedic programs. CRNA's will still pull down average salaries of almost $180k, with NP's not too far behind. Most flight programs will still not allow paramedics to do CCT without an RN present, and those that do utilize paramedics will keep doing so primarily because paramedics are willing to work for $10-$15/hr less than any decent RN will. And paramedicine will still look almost exactly like it did 30 years ago (which is to say, pretty sad).

So you keep doing your awesome paramedic street-medicine-god thing, CriticalCareIFT, and we meak and mindless RN's will keep doing ours....having real degrees, making more money, having more career options, going to NP or CRNA school if we want, and even playing paramedic on the weekends if we choose.

 

[epipusher]

In summary, Halothane doesn't care what you think and is not affected.

 

[ExpatMedic0]

I bet some Doctor is reading this thread right now laughing his/her *** off... And yes welcome to EMTLIFE, the ultimate RN egotistical **** measuring forum in all of community college's elite discussion boards.

 

[DrankTheKoolaid]

And in before the lock

 

[ExpatMedic0]

And in before the lock

I am surprised it lasted this long lol

 

[Akulahawk]

As a current student in a Medic to RN program I am most definitely witnessing both sides of this argument.

And as a current Paramedic in a traditional RN program, I also see both sides of this issue. However, as a well-educated person that went into Paramedicine, and later into Nursing, I can certainly see that it's possible for a well-educated Paramedic to perform as well as a well-educated Nurse, given a proper orientation in each respective area. Here's the problem. Paramedics often aren't anywhere near well-educated enough to make that kind of transition unless they've obtained the education on their own, or the Paramedic Program required essentially equivalent education of their students as a Nursing program requires of theirs prior to entry. Those would most likely be the "degree" programs instead of the "certificate" programs or an "Associate's of Applied Science" degree.

 

[FLdoc2011]

I bet some Doctor is reading this thread right now laughing his/her *** off... And yes welcome to EMTLIFE, the ultimate RN egotistical **** measuring forum in all of community college's elite discussion boards.

There have been some chuckles...

 

[Akulahawk]

There have been some chuckles...

Hopefully not this kind of chuckles...

 

[NomadicMedic]

We're gonna take a little break now.