How much does it help?

Started by MexicanDr
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MexicanDr

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How much does being a RN with lets say a year or two experience in an ER or ICU helps while in PA school?

Just being an RN really assists in the sense of certain procedures and familiarity with pharmacology and pathophysiologies...

So overall, would you say an RN has an advantage in PA school then lets say an EMT, CNA, MA, RT?

http://www.rntobe.blogspot.com
 
the more advanced( rn, medic, rt, lpn, etc) the better.
the top 10% of my class were all medics/rn's/rt's.
the bottom 10% were all phlebotomists and cna's.
 
That is really an interesting way to look at it. It makes sense, but I never thought about it like that. I am a speech pathologist working at a large university medical center/level 1 trauma seeing patients of pretty high acuity. I hope this kind of experience bodes well for my potential success in PA school. 🙂
 
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That is really an interesting way to look at it. It makes sense, but I never thought about it like that. I am a speech pathologist working at a large university medical center/level 1 trauma seeing patients of pretty high acuity. I hope this kind of experience bodes well for my potential success in PA school. 🙂

there was a speech pathologist in the class behind me who did very well. she was very motivated and put in lots of extra time to fill in gaps in her knowledge with regards to ekg's, pharm, etc ( I tutored her once/week for a yr).
 
How much does being a RN with lets say a year or two experience in an ER or ICU helps while in PA school?

Just being an RN really assists in the sense of certain procedures and familiarity with pharmacology and pathophysiologies...

So overall, would you say an RN has an advantage in PA school then lets say an EMT, CNA, MA, RT?

http://www.rntobe.blogspot.com

Would an RN with a year or two experience in ICU or ER have an advantage in PA school over a CNA or MA?

What kind of question is this?
 
Would an RN with a year or two experience in ICU or ER have an advantage in PA school over a CNA or MA?

What kind of question is this?

Seems pretty straightforward to me. Would taking route A be more beneficial than routes B..E in an experience to PA school correlation.

My opinion, if you get that experience in the ER/ICU it will help you with those corresponding parts of PA school, and also help acclimate you to deal with a higher pace/stress environment. But in general, I think an RN will have a similar advantage in PA school to other comparable-level practitioners (though a CNA certainly wouldn't be a comparable-level).
 
Seems pretty straightforward to me. Would taking route A be more beneficial than routes B..E in an experience to PA school correlation.

My opinion, if you get that experience in the ER/ICU it will help you with those corresponding parts of PA school, and also help acclimate you to deal with a higher pace/stress environment. But in general, I think an RN will have a similar advantage in PA school to other comparable-level practitioners (though a CNA certainly wouldn't be a comparable-level).

I am not even going to entertain this. To be an ICU RN you need specialized knowledge and technical skills (i.e. ACLS, hanging blood, administering meds IV push, IVs, and other specialty specific meds and treatments).

The role of, let's say, a speech therapist or even a Family PA is very different.

One couldn't be a family PA or dentist and function safely nor proficiently as an ICU RN. That is why to become an ICU RN one typically has to have over a year of med/surge experience, take a hospital based certificate ICU training course, then be preceptored until proficiency is demonstrated. Part of the reason ICU RNs are compensated higher than other RNs.

With this being said, after the ICU/ER RN has implemented all of these pharmacologic and other modalities, of course he or she would be better prepared for PA school.

On the other hand, the RT, PT, SLP may be better prepared for those apects of PA training that deal with their specific specialty.
 
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I am not even going to entertain this. To be an ICU RN you need specialized knowledge and technical skills (i.e. ACLS, hanging blood, administering meds IV push, IVs, and other specialty specific meds and treatments).

The role of, let's say, a speech therapist or even a Family PA is very different.

One couldn't be a family PA or dentist and function safely nor proficiently as an ICU RN. That is why to become an ICU RN one typically has to have over a year of med/surge experience, take a hospital based certificate ICU training course, then be preceptored until proficiency is demonstrated. Part of the reason ICU RNs are compensated higher than other RNs.

With this being said, after the ICU/ER RN has implemented all of these pharmacologic and other modalities, of course he or she would be better prepared for PA school.

On the other hand, the RT, PT, SLP may be better prepared for those apects of PA training that deal with their specific specialty.

I agree with you completely, and this is the kind of reply I think the OP could really use, your initial response wasn't exactly helpful. 🙂
 
icu rn or icu r.t. would be great prior experience for anyone interested in becoming a critical care pa.
there were a few of these folks in my pa program who continued with critical care/pulmonology after pa school.
 
Geez, it was a straightforward question, and the answer that emedpa gave was clear and concise. Like I said, I am a medically based speech pathologist, and never having been through PA school, wonder how well prepared I'll be should I make to PA school. Emedpa's answer simply put it in perspective. I do, in fact, have specialized knowledge, and interpret x-rays and pass nasoendoscopes as a part of my job. I, too, think ICU nurses would excel at PA school, at least that which deals with THEIR specific specialty.