Paramedic before becoming a nurse...

[PsychadelicTech]

Hey hey!!!
Question is in the title ^

I have worked in healthcare since I was in my early 20s and now 31 going on 32 in a few months.
I never really had any goal or career path until maybe 4 years ago. Did receive my Bachelors Degree when I was 25. I tried for nursing I did the prereqs and was averaging around a B+ with my nursing GPA.

Right now nursing isn't playing out I have been rejected at least 4 times from a program and withdrew from a program ($60K for a 2 year RN program) for financial reasons.

I am looking for a change up in careers to break out of the monotony of what I have been doing for almost 8 to 9 years at 3 different facilities.
Looking for work that can match my current pay, work closer to home, and have better hours. Right now working 5 variable 8 hour shifts a week with a 60 to 80 minute drive one way burns you out.

I would go the LPN route but the programs in the area are expensive around $30,000 to $40,000. The medic route cost about $10,000 to $12,000 and they make same pay as an LPN. The only downside more job opportunities in my area for LPNs.

Was thinking I could get my medic be in the field for 4 to 6 years. Eventually work on retaking my prereqs shortly after the wife goes back & finishes up her LPN to RN bridge program.

Just curious on medics who went back for their RN. Any pros or cons? What do to you think was your biggest barrier? Did you feel strapped and stressed managing class with work?

Appreciate the feedback.

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[seanm028]

I love being a paramedic, but I gotta warn you: the hours suck, the pay sucks, and the lateral mobility sucks. Depending on what part of the country you live in, there's a very good chance that it's a fire-based EMS system which means very little opportunity to practice prehospital medicine without being a career firefighter. There are still non-fire paramedic jobs in those regions, but they tend to be at private, interfacility ambulance companies (chief among them AMR). Those companies bring their own host of problems: even worse pay, even worse hours, sky-high turnover, lack of educational opportunities, etc.

I understand that the paramedic -> RN bridge is tempting, and I know a few people who went to medic school with the sole intention of taking the bridge. Just make sure that you understand what a paramedic's job prospects really are in your part of the world before you take the plunge. It would suck to drop $10–12k and commit to 4–6 years for a stepping stone that makes you miserable.

Now for the other side of the coin! After 11 years in EMS I moved to a different part of the country that still has 3rd service model. My employer is understanding and flexible with my school schedule. I make very good money (compared to the nationwide average for a paramedic) and work two 24-hour shifts per week. The rest of the time I take prereqs at the local community college or pick up overtime shifts. Do I feel strapped and stressed? Yes, all the time. But it's worth it because my quality of life is otherwise good, I like my management and coworkers, and I'm progressing in my educational goals. However, I can confidently say that my experience is not typical.

EDIT:
Also, I'm assuming from your post and your username that you're a tech right now. Having done that for five years myself, I can say that I would still choose to be a paramedic 8 times out of 10. The only part of it I miss was working in a large, regional specialty center and seeing some crazy pathology that most providers will never see in their whole career. Working in a rural area now, I get a lot less exposure to that sort of stuff.