The transition from Paramedic to Registered Nurse should be fairly easy. Paramedics are highly trained individuals who are accustomed to dealing with almost all types of emergency situations. Just like an RN, a Paramedic must treat individuals of all ages and socioeconomic groups, and they must treat all types of diseases and conditions. As the nursing shortage gets worse, many Paramedics are considering advancing their education to become RNs. This makes perfect sense. Read on to discover how Paramedics and RNs are similar and why it would be beneficial for a Paramedic to become an RN.
Paramedic to RN is an Easy Transition
First of all, let’s examine the role of a Paramedic. A lot of people will confuse an EMT with a Paramedic. But EMTs are trained only in basic life support measures. EMTs are classified in levels according to their degree of training. Only a level four EMT is considered a Paramedic.
A Paramedic is trained in basic life support such as CPR. But they also have advanced training in trauma assessment, respiratory crises intervention and cardiac life support. They are highly trained in defibrillation and advanced airway insertion and management. Paramedics are able to administer intravenous fluids and certain medications that are needed to stabilize the patient.
A Paramedic works autonomously to make the initial assessments and perform interventions that will keep the patient alive while he is transported to the hospital. Once the patient arrives at the Emergency Department, care is turned over to the Emergency Room doctor and other Emergency Room staff. A Paramedic is the first link in a very important chain of critical care and trauma management. Without properly trained Paramedics, the patient's chances of survival diminish greatly.
A Registered Nurse performs many of the same duties as a Paramedic. The big difference is that an RN cannot administer any medications or treatments without a doctor’s order. (For this reason, some health care providers choose to move from RN to Paramedic!) Education for a Registered Nurse focuses on patient education and the long term treatment of illnesses and diseases. A nurse will also study the pathophysiology of diseases.
Additional courses to complete Paramedic to RN programs will include nutrition, English, Math for Meds, Microbiology, Psych nursing and others. Some schools may allow the Paramedic to test out of some courses. But in general, it will take a Paramedic about a year to complete the courses needed to sit for the NCLEX in their state.
Many nursing education opportunities are available to Paramedics who wish to become RNs. You can choose paramedic to RN online programs or traditional bricks and mortar nursing colleges and universities. Your Paramedic to RN online degree will be just as valuable as any other, provided you ensure your online nursing school is properly accredited.
So why would a Paramedic want to become a nurse? One of the biggest reasons is pay. The average pay for a Paramedic is about $38,000 per year. This will vary from city to city and with years of experience. Some Paramedics make a lot more because they put in a lot of overtime.
The average salary for an RN is $55,000 per year. This too is dependant upon location of employment, years of experience and specialty.
Another reason a Paramedic may want to become an RN is that Paramedics have a high “burn out” rate. Seeing all types of trauma and dealing with drunks and drug addicts day after day will take its toll on anyone.
One of the difficulties that a Paramedic may face when they become an RN is getting used to the fact that they will have to wait for a doctor’s order to do anything to a patient. A paramedic will also need to adjust to longer term care. They will now be spending hours with a patient, instead of just a few minutes. There are all kinds of different challenges that arise when more time is spent with the patient. Documentation for nurses is a lot more involved than it is for a Paramedic. In fact, most of the nurse’s day is spent documenting.
But as you can see, Paramedics and Registered Nurses share a lot of the same duties and job descriptions. The transition from a Paramedic to an RN is almost a natural progression. The knowledge that a Paramedic can bring to the nursing profession is indispensable. So if you are a Paramedic who is thinking about a change, consider going back to school and get your RN degree. You will be glad you did, because the doors of opportunity will fly wide open for you.
