Re: EMT-P to RN programs

[BillF877@aol.com]

First of all I would like to say that I have met many excellent RN's and 
Paramedics over the years. I started out as a Paramedic, and then went to an 
old fashioned 33 month diploma program. I guess those are extinct now, but 
they served a great purpose. 

There is no easy answer on the issue of "bridging" from one discipline to 
another. I would offer this much though. Both the EMS and Nursing programs 
offer a rather diverse education for their intended purposes. There is so 
much more to the EMT-B and EMT-P programs than learning airway management. I 
am not sure that the RN who takes one of these bridge programs is learning 
all of those little intangible skills and knowledge points that makes them an 
excellent field provider. By making any RN sit through the whole program will 
not only give the RN a wonderful review of the EMT-Paramedic knowledge base, 
but also give them better insight to field care. Another aspect of sitting 
through the whole Paramedic program is the idea of credibility. There is much 
to be said for walking in someone else's shoes. 

By the same token, there is so much more to an RN program, and to the 
practice of Nursing. It is easy to look at the common skills of an RN in the 
ER taking care of a chest pain patient and think that it is only a matter of 
sticking an IV in, drawing blood, and hooking the patient up to the monitor. 
By attending a fully accredited RN program any Paramedic is going to be 
getting more knowledge just like the RN who would attend the whole Paramedic 
program. The end result is a really knowledgeable and capable individual. The 
Paramedic who goes through the whole RN program is going to have better 
credibility. 

I am reminded of the time a Paramedic once said to me, "I want to go get my 
my RN certification" as though it was a short course like ACLS. I was rather 
amused. The worlds of EMS and Nursing are still rather diverse, although they 
share many borders. Besides, it never hurts to have more education. Anyway, I 
am just waiting for that 24 week bridge course to become a neurosurgeon. 
Drilling those burr holes really looks neat...can it be that difficult...

Just some thoughts-
Bill

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