AF nurse vs. combat medic?
ha. i've never seen an Air force nurse in action. i'm not saying there hasn't been a few out there, but come to think of it, no. i have never ever seen an Air Force nurse outside the wire, and i've been to a lot of FOBs where i spent the majority of my day's outside the wire. there are air force nurses/medics in theater, but they prefer to stay on the FOB (forward operating base). army combat medics, male or female, do see action, and they see a lot of it. there was actually this one female medic on my FOB in Gardez, Afghanistan that was recently awarded the Silver Star for her actions last April 2007. if you're looking to get into the sh*t, go army combat medic. if you're looking for a safe, secure job, in a relaxing environment, go air force. also remember that the air force has much higher quality of living standards than the Army. it's whatever floats your boat
How to get to being a flight nurse?
I'm currently pursuing flight medic/flight nurse. I would rather go the nurse route, but need to know how to go about that. Do I need to become Paramedic, possibly working flight medic, and then enroll in a nurse RN program to work towards flight nurse? Or can one do RN without EMT, and along with other skill sets (PHTLS, etc) and ICU experience transition into flight? I'm pretty confused on the process and the best way to do this, any help would be so helpful.
US Army Medic Vs. US Army Nurse?
They don't call it combat medic for nothing! Nurses are officers. Medics are enlisted.
Can a nurse be a swat medic?
A nurse would have more education and experience especially if they were a flight nurse or military nurse than a Paramedic and could easily challenge the exam to be one in most states. But, they would still need to be a Police Officer for a couple of years. Usually RNs would put their education and experience to use to take more challenges in ICUs, CCT or Flight. As a SWAT medic their skills and education would rarely get fully utilized since the idea is to get the person of out a situation as fast as possible and out of danger enroute to a hospital. Not much medical intervention is going to be done during that time.
Which is harder nursing school or medical school?
I am a nurse and am half way through medical school.Let’s separately discuss classes and clinicals.The main difference between a class in nursing school and one in medical school is the time input. Honestly, I studied a lot of the same content in the two degrees. Medical school just went into a bit more detail on things. Furthermore, there are just a LOT more class hours (think “ credit hours “) to finish the basic science portion of medical school. If somebody is smart enough to do well in nursing school and are willing to put in some effort/time they could also do well in medical school. The actual learning isn’t harder, there is just more of it (a lot more).Clinicals/Clerkships are more distinct. My nursing clinicals weren’t to bad, give some meds, update care plans, help with daily care. Medical school clerkships are INSANE challenging. Every day you’re pushed to the very edge of your comfort zone. You need to learn fast, organize well, manage time, have good professional skills. You’ll be putting in many 60–90 hour weeks (especially on surgical specialties). So the clinical aspect of medical school is a lot harder than nursing school.To summarize: medical school classes are about the same difficulty as nursing classes. But there are a lot more of them and you’re taking many at once, so the time input is MUCH higher (20–30 hours of class per week + studying vs 5-10 hrs class per week + studying). Medical school clerkships are MUCH harder than nursing clinicals and require a very dedicated and driven person to excel.
How do I go from being an EMT to a nurse?
Well, Nursing is WAY different from EMT. But some of what you know as an EMT will at least make you not feel so out of place at a Nursing school.And that’s what you have to do..go to Nursing School. For that, you will need a way to pay your tuition, because you may not have the extra time to also work. Go to a few schools and find out what’s involved, both financially and with your time.It is a worthy goal. There is no place to go but up with nursing these says…Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Managers, etc. EMTs earn a fraction of what these jobs pay.Another option is Physician’s Assistant. In some ways, this is a better fit for some EMTs and Paramedics, because of the autonomy a PA has, and because s/he can run Codes, etc.
Can you be a nurse and a paramedic at the same time?
You can yes. A few years ago we had a massive Paramedic shortage so they put out a job advert for ambulance nurses. They were put on a conversion course which teaches the differences of the roles such as the decision making and the drugs and protocols we use etc. Initially they were unable to give morphine which is specifically allowed for Paramedics on ambulances, however this has now been correctly updated.We also have a role called a role called a Specialist Paramedic which is a role designed to keep people at home. They do a role historically carried out by district nurses with added protocols for medicines (antibiotics, pain relief etc). Graham Niven does the role in Scotland
Should you be an EMT before a nurse?
No, that isn’t necessary. You can test the waters though to see if you like working in the medical field without too big of an investment of time in study. Bear in mind that emergency medical technology is only one aspect of healthcare. It’s called pre-hospital care. There are many different areas you can specialize in if you become a nurse.I would recommend that you get some exposure to the medical field prior to applying to nursing school, however, since the education is not easy and it’s a significant investment of time, effort and money. You could also get experience in a nursing home as a CNA (certified nursing assistant), but then again, long term care is an area of healthcare that you may or may not like.At least working as a CNA, EMT or paramedic would give you an idea of what working in healthcare is all about before you embark on a journey of 4 years of rigorous study to become a nurse.
Should I become a flight nurse or flight paramedic?
So, I’m going to take a different tack. Everyone who told you that Flight Nurse is the job that generally pays more and has better options is correct. The question is what are you willing to do?Let me elaborate. In order to be employed as either a flight nurse or a flight paramedic you have to have 3 years of experience as either a nurse or a paramedic to work for a CAMTS accredited program. If you know nothing about flight, then, for your own safety, you want to work for a CAMTS accredited program. The paramedic requirement is 3 years street time. The nurse requirement is 3 years critical care time. This can be either ED or ICU, but some programs will not hire you unless that three years is ICU. It is based on their mission profile. So, what do you want to do for three years of your life to do a job that you may or may not get? I know a lot of paramedics who did their three years, because they love being paramedics, flight didn’t work out and they were fine. I know a lot of nurses who did their three years, it didn’t work out and they happily went back to the ED or ICU. Unfortunately, I also know a lot of nurses, many ex paramedics, who assumed that they were getting the nurse job for flight and utterly despised ICU and it led to them leaving the nursing profession because they couldn’t stand what you had to do to get the job. If you are getting a nursing degree and you HATE working in an ED or ICU please bear in mind that you both have to work there for three years and prove that you’re good at it for a CAMTS program to look at you. If the concept of working in an ICU makes you want to rip your face off, and street time is something that you enjoy, then maybe flight nurse isn’t the right path for you.Equally so, if the idea of spending time in an ambulance will drive you insane, then flight paramedic is not the job for you. It’s less of an issue because the base job for ground paramedic to flight is more similar, in my opinion, than nurse to flight nurse is.My point is that, in either path, we are talking about the high end of the expertise spectrum for those educational levels. So, which of the base jobs are you more willing to do? Remember that you will be doing the base job for three years, and you have to do it well enough that you will be recommended, to make the move to flight.Just a different viewpoint.