Challenging NCLEX

[tinman694]

Had to comment on this too...the wife is in nursing school now--you have to have a commitment to nursing to be one...she has 3 degrees already (2 associates and 1 bachelors), but had to 'begin again' when it came to the nursing courses. You have to have a degree in Nursing to even sit for the NCLEX..period.

We looked into the 'bridge' course at a not too distant college--the requirements were stupid. You can go ahead and get a full associates RN in the time it takes to do the bridge course and sit for the exam.

The RN program is associates level--meaning a 2 year degree. Which in my opinion IS NOT that hard to complete!

So why does everyone think because you have a paramedic cert you should also be entitled to be a nurse? It is not true---Go forth and take the additional 2 years of education and be a nurse AND a paramedic. Having the medical background will only help you do well as a nurse!

[UMSTUDENT]

There are ways to become a nurse after being a paramedic, but like Dust has said, most require that you've at least attended college or university through the Bachelor's level. One community college in our state (as of last count) has a "bridge" program that allows a paramedic to become a nurse at the associates level, but that too requires more school.

There are a good many accelerated MSN programs, mainly at top-tier schools, that will take non-RN students with a previous BS or BA and make them nurses. Most are at least 2 years in length and award an MSN as a Clinical Nurse Leader or will take you through the Nurse Practitioner curriculum if you're willing to spend more time at it. They have competitive admissions requirements. They usually require an extensive science curriculum at the undergraduate level before admission is granted and I know of very few paramedic programs that even come close to satisfying these.

I think it's important to mention that there SHOULD never be an easy shortcut to ANY career. Nurses do nursing things, and paramedics do paramedic things, and because of such they are not equivalent.

I'd like to mention finally, that anyone in their 20's who isn't seriously contemplating obtaining their full undergraduate education (through the Bachelors level) is kind of behind the ball. I don't care if you major in dance, it's still a degree. There is a difference between having a legitimate reason not to (severe financial restraints, health, etc), and well...not having a legitimate reason. If you just don't like "school," I highly suggest you start. Especially if you're in the EMS profession. Educational standards will rise for all of the healthcare fields and I doubt you'll want to be left behind.

[Nate]

The number one reason why I couldn't be a nurse.....

I don't really want to clean another man's ass.

[tinman694]

Nurses=Wipe Ass

Paramedic=Beyond my scope of practice

[Ridryder 911]

Nurses = $$

Paramedics= [s:59f2c48ef2]$$[/s:59f2c48ef2]

R/R 911

[Nate]

Nurses = $$

Paramedics= [s:9ee9de9308]$$[/s:9ee9de9308]

R/R 911

Dignity > *

Sorry, just playing with you. I've done a few LD trips (several hundred miles) and I've had patients who messed themselves. I have no problem cleaning them (usually have to get the medic driving to pull over and help me). I've had a few paramedics tell me they would never do that, and had a few medics who were driving me who refused to help. IMHO, leaving someone to lay in their own sh*t is just as bad as with holding care.

If you look at what a nurse does and you look at what a paramedic does, you can't really argue the pay difference. I typically don't spend my entire shift with patients, where as a nurse does.

[tinman694]

I just like to give it to the wife (Who finishing nursing school) in regards to having to take care of bodily functions....

If someone has a BM, I would take care of it.

I think she wants to work in the ED or Neonatal anyways--so there you can move them, or clean up the little turds...

Oh, and the comparison for Rid should be

Nurses=$$$

Paramedics=c (or Cents)

[Ridryder 911]

I do understand, and nor I do not like it .. but, that is part of the job. Just like handling brain matter sometimes in ours profession I always find it interesting that medics makes the determination of what is "cool" and "not "... It is okay to clean up or pick up body parts, bandage together parts of brains, intestines, place tubes into snotty ..mucus .. puke areas, but have horrible thoughts to place a catheter in a patient that requires a long distance transfer or strict I & O. The same is true for B.M.... I too know medics that have allowed patients to lay in their own waste. This kinda look picky on what WE consider what is good for the patient or is it good for us to take care of ?

I find it very poor that medics think of themselves so highly, that they would not perform cleansing of a patient on a long distance transfer.What makes "us" so special not to provide basic humanity needs ?.. If it is not dramatic or life threatening it is not important ?

Maybe, we should evaluate ourselves... nurses are ranked number one on whom the public trust & consider the most ethical. This is over even clergy, Fire, Police etc.... http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....28059&EDATE

Be safe,

R/R 911

[Nate]

:shock: trusting cops?

[tinman694]

:shock: trusting cops?

I cannot believe he could even THINK that one :twisted:

Back to the original thread though--Rid's observation about some medic's being picky goes for the Nursing test--they think that because 'they' do it all, someone else should clean up the shit.

Or is my logic too twisted?

If you want to be a nurse, go to nursing school! You have to be willing to do it--that is all!