As the title says. I'm aware of Creighton's RN to medic program and that its 2 weeks. Is this enough to make someone a competent medic? I'm considering whether to do RN first or medic first then rn bridge. I'm also working as a new EMT and plan to do so throughout school if that helps

Hello, current EMT and aspiring paramedic here, with a bit of a unique question. Currently I have 2 years of EMS service under my belt and I hope to get into Medic school where I am this coming fall in 2026. I also hope to land a job in the PNW as a medic sometime in the future and live/work out there.

My question is, would it be better to move as an EMT and then work with a service/department until they push me through a medic school, or would it be better to do it here with my current service and then move out and land a job as a medic?

TLDR: Medic in Maine and then move to PNW or move to PNW and do medic school there.

Does anyone have experience going from being an EMT in the US to a paramedic in Canada? What was the process like, do any of the educational requirements transfer, and how similar or different is it?

If yall see my last post I was so close. Didn’t waist anytime to retest! Time to become an IFT demon 😭

I live in Colorado and I want to be a Firefighter planning on starting EMT school in January, I was arrested for a DUI in April of 2022 and didn’t get convicted (plead down to a DWAI) until February of 2023, since it’s only 1 on my record and most of the departments in my area say no DUI’s within the past 3 years and Emt says no more than 2 in the past 7 years, I was wondering if I will have any problems getting licensed as an EMT and hired as a Firefighter? I have turned my life around (better friends, a job, a better lifestyle) and it was a stupid STUPID mistake I made while smoking marijuana in my car 3 days after I turned 18 (I’m 21 almost 22 now) , I am clean off marijuana and have had a job as an Electrician for the past 3 almost 4 years (will have my journeyman license in may of 2026) working with pretty much the same company the entire time, I did a firefighting class my last two years of high school where I found my passion for it and this mistake set me back, It’s the one thing I can’t keep my mind off of and I know it’s what I want in life, I know I messed up, If anyone has any answers or insight it would be extremely appreciated

Hey,

Can someone answer a question for me. If you have an answer, please, keep it as simple as you would if you were telling it to a golden retriever.

The importance of the curve based on what I know, and assuming all I were to use to determine oxygen saturation in the blood is a pulse ox, is that the lower the sp02 level, the more likely the number shown is inaccurate and the actual saturation is likely lower. Also the further the number drops, the greater the separation between the number shown, and actual saturation.

So for example, you have a patient, pulse ox reading anywhere above 90%, the actual saturation is likely to be accurate to that percentage, all factors being equal. And let's say you have a patient and they are showing an sp02 of 70%, that number is likely in reality more like 50%. Again, those numbers are just to illustrate what I'm asking.

Am I crazy? Just trying to make it make sense for a simple explination for others without going into crazy detail.

Thanks.

Recently just got my first EMT job in a pretty small town, and one of the other EMTs at the station let me know that car vs animal MVCs are quite common here. Mooses, elk, that sort of thing. I'm just wondering, apart from calling animal control is there really anything you could do to lessen the suffering of an animal that has been struck by a vehicle and is non incapacitated?

I have an interview coming up and am seeing some tips. It’s for a qualified position. I haven’t done an interview in years!

Yesterday I called a STEMI alert on a 69 y/o M coming from a SNF with AMS (x0 at call, baseline x4) and back pain his nurse said was chronic. When I brought him in to the ER, the doc looked at me like I was stupid. I'm only a baby medic so bare with me. He had a LBBB, ST elevation in V1-V3 and ST depression in II, III and aVF. The monitor also picked up pacer spikes, but I saw no evidence of a pacemaker on his body or in his paperwork. The nurse said he didn't have one as well, but we can only trust SNFs so much. Wish I had a picture of the EKG, I don't unfortunately. His heart rate was also bouncing around 45-60, nurse said he's baseline brady and he had good skin parameters. All other vitals WNL. Here are my questions:

1. Would this ST elevation and depression be significant with a LBBB?
2. Are we, as medics, encouraged to call a STEMI with any ST elevation at all, even if we don't think it's significant (I'm talking liability here)?
3. Would a cardiac monitor pick up false pacer spikes?
4. Has anyone ever had a man present with a MI with no pain or SoB, just AMS?

Our protocols are currently written for all tachycardias, narrow, wide, SVT, AFib, to cardiovert at 200j with the Zoll X Series. Across the board, 200j for all cardioversions. Presuming the are unstable of course.

I haven't asked the rationale behind the change yet, it was escalating up until the last revision, 50, 100, 120, 150, 200j.

I am an ACLS instructor, and all they say is use manufacturer recommendation for cardioversions, which Zoll has listed in only 1 publication I've found 70, 100, 120, 150, 200.

I have found one study showing elective cardioversion of Afib is more successful at the highest energy levels, but I'm looking for more than 1 to back this claim up.

Hey guys, I'm a paramedic student in North GA with leadership rides fast approaching (about a semester out) I guess I was just wondering if anyone had advice on leading scenes/learning best during leadership/ building confidence during rides. I find it difficult sometimes to 'be the loudest on scene' although I know its necessary to take control of your scene.

So I'm an Israeli combat medic with a lot of experience and deployment time in the field (I have all the credentials for this) and I'm thinking about moving to poland. Im interested in doing instructor gigs for military organizations and civilians as a side job. So here are few questions for you wise redditors of r/TacticalMedicine:

1. How relevant is my experience to the polish field?

2. Who do you think would be interested in this and who should I contact?

3. Are there a lot of organizations in poland teaching tacmed?

4. Where can I look for polish studying resources about tacmed, so I can understand the main doctarines taught in polish military and organizations?

So I'm an Israeli combat medic with a lot of experience and deployment time in the field (I have all the credentials for this) and I'm thinking about moving to poland. Im interested in doing instructor gigs for military organizations and civilians as a side job. So here are few questions for you wise redditors of r/TacticalMedicine:

1. How relevant is my experience to the polish field?

2. Who do you think would be interested in this and who should I contact?

3. Are there a lot of organizations in poland teaching tacmed?

4. Where can I look for polish studying resources about tacmed, so I can understand the main doctarines taught in polish military and organizations?

I've been a paramedic for almost 15 years. I'm fortunate not to be burnt out, love my job, have good work:life balance, and have good mental health. But in June, on my birthday, I ran a call that would change me.

We were paged to a road where it crossed a creek (a common place for people to recreate) for a drowning. When we arrived a first responder was doing CPR on a 10 year old girl. She had been walking along the road when she slipped, fell into the upstream side and was sucked into a metal culvert under the road where she became entrapped for 5-10 minutes.

We resuscitated her on scene, did excellent patient care, and everyone executed flawlessly. I was truly proud of how our team performed that day. We obtained ROSC and transported her to a nearby LZ for a 25 minute flight to the nearest hospital.

She has since been transferred to a children's hospital where she stayed for over a month before moving to a rehab. She is currently vented with a trach, has minimal conscious activity, but does apparently have sleep and wake cycles, and some movement.

I struggled with this call for a while. This isn't my first pediatric call, they all suck, but this one was different. I live in a very small community and, unbeknownst to me, this family was very prominent. Everyone knows them. Everyone. The story was all over the Internet. Not just locally, but regionally. I couldn't escape coverage of it. Even now a few months later it's still everywhere. Signs, tshirts, gatherings, fundraisers, etc. I'm okay with all of that, but it does mean there's no "ignoring it."

For several weeks, maybe a month, things were hard. I struggled a lot. One day I was overcome with guilt. It was so hard to explain. It felt like survivors guilt, but I called it "rescuers guilt." I felt guilty to her parents. Not only did we not save your daughter, but she didn't get to die. She, and you, are left hanging in the middle. I understand rationally the chance of survival and the practicality of the situation. But I felt so guilty. I cried a lot that day. That was also the day I decided to use our EAP and get help.

I'm doing much better now. My therapist has helped my process my emotions and the trauma, but it's still a work in progress. I just wanted to post this because it would help me process, but also don't want anyone else burying themself in guilt for doing a great job against immovable odds. No matter what you're feeling, it's justified. Don't be afraid to seek help and talk it out. You're out there doing amazing things every day, don't hang your hat just on the big ones.

PS: I had a set back yesterday. I got dispatched to a drowning at the exact same crossing. It was an adult this time. Importantly for me, I handled it well. I was shook for a few minutes while we were responding, but I had managed it before we got there and again, our team did great. He will survive.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been applying to paramedic school and so far I’ve applied to three colleges:

1.  30 minutes away: This one has a waitlist, and I’m not sure if I’ll get in because the waitlist is pretty long.

2.  40 minutes away: I originally signed up for their Advanced EMT class, but it got canceled due to low enrollment. I switched my major to paramedic and now I’m waiting to hear back. Last I checked, they also had a waitlist.
3.  1 hour away: I’m already accepted here, but the commute is longer.

I’m torn about what to do—should I wait and hope I get into one of the closer schools, or just go with the one I’m already accepted at even though it’s an hour away? Any advice or personal experiences with choosing between programs would be really appreciated!

Hey all, I am a brand new baby medic as I got my license in May. I moved onto 2 person Medic/Medic but even then I feel like I'm forgetting stuff or missing skills such as IVs. I feel like my treatment plans are there but not where it should be even though I am checking all the boxes. Did you guys have imposter syndrome throughout your first year/years as a medic? I refer back to protocols often and even then still feel lost

Hello all, not sure if anything similar has been posted before.

Just wanted some insight or advice on my situation or future plan.

I’m currently a FF/PM in Florida. I love my job but I’m still wanting more challenge in regards to medicine. I’ve been specifically looking at AA vs CRNA programs. Has anyone made the jump ? How was it. Were you able to work through most of school.

I’m leaning more towards CRNA mostly because it seems like with all the pre reqs in need for AA I’d take about the same time as if I were to get my RN and go down the CRNA route. I’d also have my RN as a backup Incase anything happens.

I really wish I could do both. Or get paid like a crna and stay a FF/PM LOL.

Let me know if any of you have made the jump or anything similar.

Just took my NRP and got cut off at 121 questions. How many questions did yall get to and did you pass? I just want to say I hate this type of “adaptive” approach to testing. Felt like an I knew nothing the whole time. Been state certified for almost a year, so we’ll see I guess…

Update: I passed :)

I am going into grade 12 in bc, I messed up my first grade 11 semester because of personal issues(I think they will look at this if I apply), and I am having a hard time finding schools that may work because I will only have my class 7 (N) when I graduate and I was wondering if anyone has advice or if I should just wait a year to get my class 5. Thank you.

I’m looking to see if any Alaska paramedics could give me some advice for getting a job in Anchorage or in the surrounding area. I’ve been a paramedic in Reno NV for two years and am looking for a change. I saw that the only 911 operation is Anchorage Fire, I’m assuming that could be pretty competitive. I also saw some IFT companies. If anyone has any experience out there or suggestions I’d be super grateful!!

Hello fellow EMS peeps, a little background about myself is that I’ve been a medic for 6 yrs and emt for 3, with firefighting experience in between. Ems for nearly 10 years. I’ve been having the itch to pursue RN or MD for sometime now and have been working towards pre reqs over a few years now. It’s hard to decide which pathway is more for me, but everyone knows we sometimes feel like we make good clinical impressions, differentials that even doctors may miss. These experiences made me want to go MD for awhile, but have been in between RN and MD only because of the length of the journey and rigours to become an MD is long and intense. Seems like Paramedic to RN is the common and natural pathway. I’m a few pre-reqs away from both and would like to know what you all think and suggest? Also I am 31 yo