What are some Good Certifications to have? BLS? ALS?

[OhItzJimmy]

I am an EMT-B with almost 2 years of experience. I have been actively getting more certifications as in NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation), Cardiac Rhythms & of course my BLS (renewed). I am still pursuing more certifications as in ACLS, PALS & Etc. I see a lot of EMTs not going anywhere in their career. Why's that? I see people waiting 5+ years trying to get into the FD (fire department), people want to get into a hospital setting, I've seen people about to retire as Basic EMTs. Why don't they want to move up the chain? Even though I have been an EMT for only 2 years, seeing myself as an EMT made me think about better goals and a better future. It is great to be in charge and on your own in a rig but if your partner is just there for the paycheck it takes my motivation away. For me I always try to get a great assessment not just to copy & paste a PT's face sheet.

Why don't people try to get more certifications to make them stand out above the rest?

 

[NysEms2117]

Because people like myself are in EMS part time. Or they are retired from their main job, and want some income still so they work 1 time a week in EMS and get a "decent" paycheck.

 

[OhItzJimmy]

Because people like myself are in EMS part time. Or they are retired from their main job, and want some income still so they work 1 time a week in EMS and get a "decent" paycheck.

What I'm talking about is full-time, not retired yet or still has a few years before retiring. If it's just for "some income" that's totally fine, I know EMTs doing it full-time/part-time but they're still going to school to do something better, but most of the EMT's I've met it's a dead end. Why?

 

[NysEms2117]

Well, not everybody knows what they want to do. Doing somethings better then nothing... I think? Why are people secretaries? Or other entry level jobs? In my office the same receptionist has been there since the building was constructed. Why? No clue, don't question it


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[OhItzJimmy]

Well, not everybody knows what they want to do. Doing somethings better then nothing... I think? Why are people secretaries? Or other entry level jobs? In my office the same receptionist has been there since the building was constructed. Why? No clue, don't question it


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True... People only need a paycheck to make a living...

 

[Carlos Danger]

Jimmy, I applaud your drive and thirst for more knowledge. Many people aren't the same way just because of complacency, but in many cases people have what amount to (for them at least) good reasons.

Formal education is time consuming, and it generally costs money. When you are an EMT-B making $8 or $10/hr or so and picking up extra shifts where possible, both your time and money are at a premium. If you have a family to take care of or other obligations outside of work, then the cost of taking whole days to obtain a certification will likely outweigh the benefit, especially as an EMT-B for whom the investment probably isn't rewarded financially or otherwise by their employer.

It's easy to say "more education is always worth it", but that isn't necessarily true. It depends on what it costs you vs. the reality of how it will benefit you.

 

[Jim37F]

Jimmy, I applaud your drive and thirst for more knowledge. Many people aren't the same way just because of complacency, but in many cases people have what amount to (for them at least) good reasons.

Formal education is time consuming, and it generally costs money. When you are an EMT-B making $8 or $10/hr or so and picking up extra shifts where possible, both your time and money are at a premium. If you have a family to take care of or other obligations outside of work, then the cost of taking whole days to obtain a certification will likely outweigh the benefit, especially as an EMT-B for whom the investment probably isn't rewarded financially or otherwise by their employer.

It's easy to say "more education is always worth it", but that isn't necessarily true. It depends on what it costs you vs. the reality of how it will benefit you.

Especially when not a single one of those extra certs results in anything extra at work.....i.e. I can spend all the money in the world getting certs in things like PHTLS, PALS, ACLS, etc etc and I won't see a penny of extra pay, or the slightest modicum of increase in my scope of practice or any other responsibilities at work or ability to do anything more for my patients than I can do now. So when I'm already making minimum wage why would I go out of my way to take a bunch of extra classes not required to actually work that don't do anything for me in return?

 

[DesertMedic66]

I agree with what Jim said. Why pay for and take more classes (the majority of those topics are outside of the EMT scope) when they are not going to benefit you. If you are employed as an EMT your company is not going to care that you have ACLS, PALS, NRP, PEEP, or any of the additional courses that are above your scope. If you advance on to paramedic school they are likely not to care because you will have to go through all of their courses anyway. You are not going to get paid more for having those certs and likely nothing will be added to your scope (aside from the areas that use an IV cert).

If you are trying to advance to further things where those certs are needed/required then that is a different story. As of right now I want to go the flight medic route so I am in the process of obtaining their required certs (way above what my agency, county, and state require for paramedics) but if I get hired with a flight company I will be able to use the additional training. One of the major things that agencies like to see is formal college education.

 

[VentMonkey]

As of right now I want to go the flight medic route so I am in the process of obtaining their required certs (way above what my agency, county, and state require for paramedics) but if I get hired with a flight company I will be able to use the additional training. One of the major things that agencies like to see is formal college education.

Good luck, man. This (highlighted) should be the standard for all paramedics regardless of their end goals, but again, beating a dead horse for another thread.

To the op, most of what appears to be the general consesus on this thread is correct. I had all of those certs before I became a paramedic. Did they benefit me? I guess, I had slightly more insight into ACLS, PALS, and PHTLS. Did I get to practice, and/ or use them? Nope. At the time, I was in between nursing, and actually sticking with reapplying to paramedic programs, plus the local ED's in my area liked those merit badge courses, even though most of what an ED tech does has absolutely nothing to do with any of them.

In short, do what you feel is best for you, but it's true most won't be of too much benefit until you're actually practicing advanced level care (with the exception of trauma classes; this is all just fancied up basic level care in the prehospital realm). If your end goal is RN, paramedic, or any of the like, I'd say wait until then to worry about these kind of certifications, and just keep in mind they will most likely be out of pocket expenses, unless your agency pays for, or reimburses you for these certs, which is seldom the case for basics.