I posted this on another forum and figured I'd put it here as well, if this is in the wrong spot please move it, I just got my state/national EMT-B certifications. I was curious as to what training the members of this forum would recommend next? Thank you for your time Joe
Working in the field for experience would be my next step. You can do all the classes you want but hands on experience with patients is where you'll learn the most. Your "bedside manner" and application of your newly learned skills is what helps you in this field. Experience can be anything from working on an ambulance, volunteering for the fire department, or volunteering for the Red Cross. Hope this helps you. Congrats on getting your certs, now you have to maintain it!
The key thing is getting experience, getting out into the world and using those skills. How to do that varies a lot by where you live and if you want to do it for a living. Working in volunteer fire department or for a private ambulance company in some areas is a good way to get experience. If you have the opportunity, after a little field experience, in some areas working as a tech in a busy ER can get you a massive amount of experience and comfort doing basic first aid very quickly - it's how I started. After getting some experience, developing a level of comfort with doing the basic skills and in dealing with the sick and injured, then a wilderness medicine class can be invaluable. Learning what to do and how to think when there are no other resources around is probably the best thing you can learn at any level of emergency care. If you are thinking of doing it as a career you have to look into who does EMS in your area. Most places seem to have fire departments doing it and so being a firefighter is required, and getting on the bigger, better paying fire departments can be very difficult. Some areas use single service EMS and some use private companies for EMS which tend to pay less. Compensation can vary wildly, from volunteer systems where you almost have to pay for the privilege of working, to west coast big city fire departments where some guys are making six figures. Another possibility (the road I chose when I was an EMT long ago) is to go into the ER. After some EMS experience you could work as an ER tech and go back to school to be an RN or a PA, or even a physician if you want to put the time and energy into that. Generally the money is better this way, but there are trade offs like no longer working out in the community or out doors. There are still ways to stay involved in EMS in all of those career choices though. Good luck. After 23 years in ER and EMS I can tell you it's a rewarding field, and well worth going into.
Congrats. EMT-b, next step EMT I, AEMT or EMT E depending on where you live. Paramedic or EMTP is the top for EMTs but Paramedic can become an RN and become a PHRN or Pre Hospital RN which is still in the EMS field. But you can also be certified as a wilderness EMT and there are other options.
Keep in mind PHRN doesn't exist, technically, in all areas. Here in NM the only RNs operating out of hospital are hospice, community health, and flight (other than ones like school nurses). I'd say get some experience and start working on knocking out some college courses like your pre reqs and A&P. All of them will make you a better provider in the long run.
Steer clear of private EMS companies, lift with your legs, learn how not to smell when breathing, and find a good chiropractor. Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
A wilderness EMT course would be a good addition. From what I gather, it's about taking your EMT skills and learning how to improvise solutions with them. Should be right up an EDC-er's alley.
Typically it's a poor paying job where you are unappreciated and required to spend countless hours to maintain your certification. What's your passion? Fire fighter, paramedic, SAR, safety officer, school nurse? Lots of other training could be next.
Congrats on getting your EMT and like most others have said, working in the EMS field to maintain your newly mastered skills is important. Most of what you have learned during your training is perishable and must be practiced on a regular basis. The big decision is do you want to work in the EMS field or go another direction such as firefighter. Either way, continuing your education to the Paramedic level will open a lot more doors and lead to higher pay. Good luck, after 29 years as an EMT and instructor I can still say I enjoy the work.
Here's the suggested progression if you're not already a fire fighter medic (many municipalities require their fire fighters be medics as well), and if you don't intend to be a fire fighter: EMT - work in an ER as a ER tech, continue your studies EMT-P - Paramedic, assuming you've completed your studies. If you still have no desire or cannot get hired by a fire service, then continue work in the ER, where you will be given additional duties, such as starting IV's, hanging basic fluids, and depending on the ER and the state you're in, you may insert Foley catheters, do bedside POC labs, clean and dress wounds, etc. Continue your studies, this time as an RN RN - Some think they've arrived when they become an RN, especially if you're a new grad hired for an ER position (based on your previous EMTP experience). The money is easily 2 to 3 times your EMTP salary, and there are more opportunities for growth. I say no...go to grad school and either study for your ARNP or if you're looking to get into an associate degree PA program, and there are still many around, go for that; though most of these programs select candidates with at least a Bachelor's degree. The key is to continue your education, and if you're young enough, then go for medical school. When I retired from the military, I was looking for a new career. My wife is a nurse practitioner, so it was easy for me to see myself doing the same. Since I already had two Master's degrees, of which one was in the biological sciences, I decided to become an EMTP. I did 3 full time semesters plus 2 summer school semesters and became a Paramedic. I worked in the ER for a year and wanted to be a Parameedic for Broward County in Florida, but they decided to merge their EMS with their fire service, requiring all to be dual certified. I wasn't interested in that, and quickly tired of just being an ER tech....so I went to the Univerity of Miami's 1 year accelerated RN program designed for students who already had a Bachelor's degree that included the requisite science courses. After I got my RN, I immediately went to work for Jackson Memorial Hospital's trauma unit. I did that for a year, and decided I wanted to be either an ARNP or a PA-C. I applied to and was accepted to the Primary Care Associate program at Stanford University's School of Medicine. It was a 21 month certificate program that allowed me to take the PA exam, but since I was an RN, I was also eligible for, and immediately granted a nurse practitioner license by the state of California. So there you have it....have fun, and never stop studying.
You're relatively young, Joe, so you could have a long career ahead in the EMS field. All of the suggestions you've received have been great. My one contribution: think about when you're, say, 45 years old and have been on the street for over 20 years. Some of us, at some point, want to continue on the street ... Others want to go into a related area. So, two additional options: become an EMS Instructor or an EMS Administrator. Both would be furthered by some or a lot of college courses.
I did ems for many years (early 90s to 2008-I still keep up my paramedic and still help out on the local ambulance service if they are short staffed). I now work as a physician assistant in primary care and in ER. My EMS experience was invaluable. My longest stint as a paramedic was in a regional referral hospital based EMS system. We had no helicopter, so in addition to 911 calls (our system did about 8,000 a year) we did ALS intercepts and interfacility transfers. If you weren't doing that, we were in the ER. We were on the code team for the whole campus, the rapid response team, and trauma team. Our ER docs scrutinized us a lot. Everything better be done right. They were also great about letting us follow them around. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you plan on furthering your education, work in a place like that. My emergency skills and decision-making were formed working EMS, not in PA school. Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
