Question about the Paramedic career?

LPN and Paramedic to social worker...?

• Hi, 24 y.o. male. Have a degree in Justice and Law Administration. I have been trying to find out where I want to go in terms of a career. So I took a per diem job at a local hospital to become involved with the hospital. I left that hospital and now work full time at another hospital. Now the previous hospital had its own paramedic services and always hired LCSW. The hospital I work at now has no in house EMS service and has a strong recruitment for LPN'S. I was considering going for a LPN certificate over Paramedic. As it would be easier to move into a social work opening down the road. Question on work of paramedic and LPN. Pay, scope of practice, who has a larger role?

• Answer:

  First, you should talk with the Personnel Dept. They may have a program that pays for your education while you're employed there. Both employment types have a large role. The paramedic is immediately on the scene and has to administer life saving techniques until the patient arrives at a hospital. The LPN is like the right hand/shoulder/fingers of an RN. Paramedics may appear to work fewer hours, but, you should talk with one of them to realize their full scope of work. Even if you consider becoming a social worker, won't you have to eventually obtain a master's degree? For as sharp as you appear to be, I wonder if you've considered becoming an X-ray technician or some of the other medical-related jobs that require study at a community college? I ask because a former client worked 40 hrs week reading x-rays at one hospital, and full time weekends at another. She was ROLLING in dough!