Medical professionals who are certified as both a paramedic and a nurse are known as paramedic nurses. While there is no college degree in paramedic nursing, a paramedic may choose to return to school to become a registered nurse. He can then take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a licensed nurse after completing the required classes.
A paramedic-to-registered-nurse (RN) bridge program may be available at some colleges. These programs differ from one state to the next and from one college to the next. This type of program will provide a series of classes that a paramedic will need to pass the NCLEX. The amount of time it takes to finish these classes differs state. In most cases, becoming a registered nurse takes about a year.
Despite the lack of a formal title for ‘paramedic nursing,’ these professions can overlap. A flight nurse, for example, might be required to complete paramedic training, or vice versa. Nurses are trained to deal with a patient’s long-term care needs, whereas paramedics are trained to deal with the sick and injured’s immediate problems. During the course of a typical day, a flight nurse will encounter both types of situations.
Flight nurses will be required to fly to accident scenes, where their paramedic abilities will be extremely useful. In addition, they will transport sick patients from one hospital to the next. In these situations, nursing skills are required to assess for multi-system complications and maintain the patient’s stability. The best of both disciplines is combined in paramedic nursing.
There are a variety of reasons why someone might decide to change careers from paramedic to registered nurse. An RN typically earns more money than a paramedic in most states. Due to the high level of stress, it is estimated that a full-time paramedic will burn out after eight years on the job. Nursing can be a less stressful profession.
Being a nurse opens up many more doors than being a paramedic. A nurse can choose to specialize in one or more areas of nursing. Some paramedics are well-suited to work as intensive care nurses or trauma nurses. Both of these nursing specialties can benefit from paramedic nursing skills.
A paramedic who goes on to become a nurse can pursue a master’s degree and work as a manager or instructor. While paramedic nursing does not exist, the knowledge gained from working as a paramedic and a nurse can be applied in a variety of ways. If a paramedic decides to pursue a nursing degree, he will be able to pursue a variety of new career opportunities.