rn to emtp bridges

[Jason Babcock <jebabcoc@yahoo.com>]

I was a reviewer for a proposed bridge program in
Texas that is in current development.  I think the key
is clinical experience.  I know all the paramedic-s
will agree that in field experience is one of the most
important aspect of pre-hospital education that nurses
need.  

I feel the EMS communittee is doing a good job (in
Texas) by requiring nurses to have a large amount of
clinical time.

However I feel the nursing communittee is doing a
grave injustice to paramedic-s that go through regency
programs to get their RN.  I did not go to such a
program but I work with many people that have and
listening to them and about their experiences it seems
the regency programs are not concerned with clinical
experience.  Nursing is such a broad field and the
knowledge base is so broad I can see how this might be
difficult.  But I had large amounts of clinical
experience when I attended UTMB-Galveston and because
of that I was better prepared.  It appears the regency
programs do not require or provide such learning
opportunities and I feel the paramedic-s that attend
such programs are missing out.  It is not fair for the
paramedic-s attending such programs to be expected to
fill RN roles when the regency program they attended
provided very little clinical experience.

I am grateful that the EMS communittee (in Texas) has
higher expectations of the nurses that are moving into
pre-hospital roles.  The proposed Texas curriculum
makes the RN that bridges to para-medicine more
marketable and truly enhances their knowledge base in
a practicle and useful manner.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send your FREE holiday greetings online!
http://greetings.yahoo.com

_______________________________________________
Flightmed mailing list