Is Paramedic a good job or nurse?

You'll have down time while being paid as a Paramedic, but be constantly busy as a nurse. Most Paramedic's are on the job 48 hours straight and off 72 hours, while nurses work 10-12 hour shifts and go home until the next day. Paramedic training is slightly different in each state but usually 2 years while nursing school is 4 years Average Paramedic salary is $53,000, RN BSN is $65,000. You choose.

You'll have down time while being paid as a Paramedic, but be constantly busy as a nurse. Most Paramedic's are on the job 48 hours straight and off 72 hours, while nurses work 10-12 hour shifts and go home until the next day. Paramedic training is slightly different in each state but usually 2 years while nursing school is 4 years Average Paramedic salary is $53,000, RN BSN is $65,000. You choose.

Ashley you are seriously misinformed about both nurses and Paramedics. Most of this stuff is easily looked up on the state EMS website so there is not "rumor". States that allow nurses to challenge the Paramedic or take a very short (100 hr or < course). Florida, California,Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania (also has PHRN), South Carolina and Texas. Pennsylvania, Illinois, Nevada, California and NJ have prehospital credentials for RNs and the scope of practice greatly exceeds the Paramedic. Yes some might require the EMT cert but for goodness sakes it is a freakin' 110 hour first aid cert which can be done in 2 weeks. Other states may have a 2 week transition course. Some only require the weekend refresher. Intubation? How hard is it to teach a skill? There are several RNs who intubate as part of their job. Most Paramedics don't get to do a live intubation in school either and many don't even get to see a real one happen except on a manikin. The Paramedic only takes about 1000 hours or 6 - 9 months to complete. No college is required. If you are not going to be a firefighter, you will not be making much money and will probably be just doing routine transfers or driving the private ambulance while a fire department Paramedic takes care of the patient. The RN requires a minimun of an Associates degree and a 4 years (BSN) is preferred. You have many more opportunites as an RN including Flight or CCT nurse with an extensive scope of practice which can be expanded while the Paramedic is very limited in places to work and scope of practice.

Ashley you are seriously misinformed about both nurses and Paramedics. Most of this stuff is easily looked up on the state EMS website so there is not "rumor". States that allow nurses to challenge the Paramedic or take a very short (100 hr or < course). Florida, California,Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania (also has PHRN), South Carolina and Texas. Pennsylvania, Illinois, Nevada, California and NJ have prehospital credentials for RNs and the scope of practice greatly exceeds the Paramedic. Yes some might require the EMT cert but for goodness sakes it is a freakin' 110 hour first aid cert which can be done in 2 weeks. Other states may have a 2 week transition course. Some only require the weekend refresher. Intubation? How hard is it to teach a skill? There are several RNs who intubate as part of their job. Most Paramedics don't get to do a live intubation in school either and many don't even get to see a real one happen except on a manikin. The Paramedic only takes about 1000 hours or 6 - 9 months to complete. No college is required. If you are not going to be a firefighter, you will not be making much money and will probably be just doing routine transfers or driving the private ambulance while a fire department Paramedic takes care of the patient. The RN requires a minimun of an Associates degree and a 4 years (BSN) is preferred. You have many more opportunites as an RN including Flight or CCT nurse with an extensive scope of practice which can be expanded while the Paramedic is very limited in places to work and scope of practice.

In my city, paramedics have 24 hour shifts. Could be different where you are. I guess the question you want to ask yourself is do you want to perform life saving measures or would you rather care for someone as they receive treatment?

Well, I am going to school to be both. If you are already in nursing clinicals, complete your nurse and then find a school with a RN-paramedic option. I've heard rumors of some states letting RNs "challenge" the paramedic exam, but I've never heard of any state around here doing that for obvious reasons like intubating, being able to make clinical decisions on the road, ensuring that the nurses actually know how to read rhythms, etc. The RN-medic program is usually 3 months in the two states I am going to be registered in. I am in the full 1 year medic program and I'll graduate in June and I'll finish my first semester of nursing clinicals this May. I prefer paramedic, but the pay isn't there. Most hospital-affiliated mobile intensive care units and flight programs want nurses on their units but they make their nurses get an EMT license at minimum here. You can try to get on a fire department and that requires a card that is minimum 240 additional hours if not more depending on state. Also, down time is not guaranteed and usually is not there. Fire departments usually have some at some point, but most private transport companies will run you till you about drop. Hours for paramedic are usually day car shifts with a lot of routine transports in the early mornings. Some will do 24s, but those are rare shifts. Most shifts are 9s, 10s, or 12s since they involve routine transports like doctor offices or dialysis units. This is how our smaller station is run: 6 EMTs on a 4-1400 (2 teams where 2 are on and 1 off), 2 EMTs on 9-17, 2 EMTs on 8-16, 3 on 8-16, and 4 EMTs on 6-18, 4 on 7-19, 6 on 24 (but only 2 were on at any given day). So out of all those EMTs, only 6 have a 24. You will usually be ran your a** off in a private medical transportation because a unit broke down, someone was sent 3 hours away, someone is on a wait and return, or they are understaffed. It is a lot harder in my opinion to be private transportation than a nurse in the hospital. Nurses make more, usually ten to fifteen dollars per hour more. However, it's a lot of charting. It's really up to you and what you want to do. Nursing actually seems like they have more "slow" time that is usually spent charting. Personally? At this point, complete your nursing and then see how you feel about it. Then get your Nurse to medic if you want to be a paramedic still. Or consider trying to get your EMT and work as a basic over the summer break. I love my paramedic class and I plan on trying to get on a MICU when I graduate. I am doing this by getting my paramedic, having previous experience as an EMT, working in an ER as a patient care tech, and getting my RN.

Stick with nursing. Doctors know what to do, Nurses know Why they're doing it. You will enjoy nursing Trust me.

In my city, paramedics have 24 hour shifts. Could be different where you are. I guess the question you want to ask yourself is do you want to perform life saving measures or would you rather care for someone as they receive treatment?

Stick with nursing. Doctors know what to do, Nurses know Why they're doing it. You will enjoy nursing Trust me.