Where to start?

[GailGetsALife]

Hi folks! I am pretty positive I want to become a paramedic! I am close to forty and have spent the past decade as a stay at home mom. Prior to that I was a CNA and took a few nursing prerequsite and vocational nursing courses. This was about fifteen years ago and the credits from a private college will no longer transfer. I loved working with people and helping them. I did not lov the monotony and routine of working in a facility for years.
My main concerns with possibly becoming an emergency medical technician are of course how to finance it when my previous education utilized so much financial aid. I have heard that there are fee waivers for tuitionbut I don't think I can still get regular grants. Are these the same things? Also at close to forty, is it too late for me to become a paramedic? Would I have to stop with being aEMT?
I am a newly single mom, my kids range from jr high aged to preschool. Do all EMTs have tow ok long and odd shifts? I would prefer to work three twelves and have more days to spend solely with my kids, but I do not think working nits and holidays wold work out as a mom.

 

[CANMAN]

Do yourself a favor a go to nursing school. Suck up the monotony in the hospital, or every couple of years transfer to a different type of unit to learn new things. You don't want to be a Paramedic working street side EMS on a medic unit into your 40's and 50's, it will take a toll on your body. On top of that, you will make crap wages, likely work crap hours, and have nothing to fall back on if you do get injured. As a mother you will likely qualify for all kinds of loans and grants. You might not get everything completely paid for, which you shouldn't, if thats what you're looking for, however take out a student loan and pay on it once you're finished school. You will be making more money out of nursing school then you would as a Paramedic and will be able to swing a student loan payment. 3-12's is doable and the normal in most hospitals, EMS schedules will vary, and you will likely need more then 36 hours to support yourself depending on where/how you live with a 36 hours EMS paycheck. If you were 20 without kids my advice may be slightly different, but trust me do nursing school and thank me later.

 

[STXmedic]

Seconded on nursing school, especially as a single mom with several kids. The money and not having to work two to three jobs is just so much better.

*by nursing, get your RN/BSN. Not LVN

 

[ExpatMedic0]

There where plenty of people in my medic class who where changing careers in there 30's and 40's. Just because Nursing often (but not always) pays better does not automatically mean you should become a nurse. If you want to work in the hospital and do nursing, become a nurse. If you want to work outside of the hospital in EMS then become a paramedic. If your not sure, I would call an Ambulance company in your area and ask for a ride along, then call a hospital and see if you can shadow a nurse for a day.
Unless your taking education beyond a bachelors degree level, you can still apply for federal pell grants as part of your financial aid. If your a low income single mom, you may qualify. You should check out this website and use the calculator to get an idea if you qualify and how much you could qualify for https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/estimate But to be sure, contact the university or college your interested in, they will help in determining it.

It terms of the jobs themselves... I can't really comment on nursing, but its never appealed to me. However, I would imagine many nurses have to work holidays and weekends, especially if they are new and do not have seniority. This also applies to EMS in many systems.
In terms of EMS its very regional what your shifts and pay look like. 12's are very common in EMS but once again it depends on the system and region. I am not sure how open you are to relocating, but in EMS that can change so much in terms of pay, benefits, rules and protocols, shifts, retirement plans, ect ect..