Ambulance Driver Files A Day in the Life | Kelly Grayson
On this episode of Inside EMS, co-host Chris Cebollero and I discuss the often contentious relationship between EMS and nursing, and the news item that brought the conversation to a head; Creighton University’s 2-week RN to Paramedic bridge program.
Can an experienced ED or ICU RN learn what it takes to become a paramedic in two weeks?
Not by a friggin’ long shot, any more than an experienced medic is qualified to sit for the NCLEX exam after a two-week bridge course.
And the fact that Creighton seems to think so is a slap in the face to EMS providers, mute testimony to the disdain they have for EMS education.
It’s not about the skills and knowledge base. Nursing education has long been broader and deeper than paramedic education, although the gap has narrowed significantly in recent years. The better paramedic programs out there now are directly comparable to an Associate Degree RN program.
Doctors are far more extensively educated than either nurses or medics, and always will be. But they’re no more qualified to bridge to paramedic after a two-week boot camp than anyone else.
That’s because the issue isn’t knowledge and skills, it’s focus and mindset. Our focus is different, our roles are different. And if you’re coming from a healthcare profession where the entire focus of your previous education is aimed at preparing you for a different role, it takes more than some quickie two-week boot camp to teach you to think and operate as a medic should.
Our Guest Table segment this week features nationally renowned EMS educator, author and innovator Dan Limmer. Dan has a special discount offer for Inside EMS listeners for his awesome EMS mobile apps from Limmer Creative.
Want to know how to get the discount? Go listen to the podcast and find out.
