[NineFingers]

Well...

After serving four years in the Navy in Administration, and a year with the AF as a GS-7 in Admin., I decided to go to school full time towards nursing. 1.5 years later and almost all my pre-req's done and I'm looking at no oportunities for me to get into a program... I've managed to get a solid 3.0 gpa which I know isn't the greatest but for me it's not bad.(I'm more of a doer rather than a studyier)

So I've come to terms that I have to look at other avenue's. I really want to be in the healthcare industry, however it seems that because of the major shortage's so does everyone else. So I'm screwed, I'm competing with of course HS grads that have good grades, people like me who are training for a different field, and of course the no job guys and gals who've been told that if they get a degree in nursing, radiology, RT, etc, that they will get a job.


I've looked at cath lab tech training, seems cool but not really what I wanted. Respiratory therapy, same thing, not really what I want to do. Now Rad tech and pursuing CT specialization seems really cool but I'm running into the same problems.

All these fields have over 500 applicants each year with only 30 openings...


My question is this:
The EMT-paramedic program is open, I can get into it and get it done and start working, however it seems like the EMT-P's get screwed over because they do so much, and have to know such a broad range of information, yet only make what...$15 an hour?


When I first set out for a career change, I ran the figures to make sure it would be worth the effort, loss in pay, and debt acrual. Now I'm looking at getting a job that I didn't really want, and get paid the same that I was making 2 years ago, with the loss of income and some serious debt...


Whats a guy to do?

 

[Hooligan]

I know alot of hospitals tend to hire from within. People start off as an EKG tech and get promoted and trained for other things like ECHO/Cathlab.

Echo cardiography info

Paramedics do kinda get the shaft as far as pay goes. The best bet for making money as a paramedic is to get a job as a flight medic with a transoport service. If your adventerious(sp) you could look at a job overseas. One of my ex coworkers spent 3 out of every 5 years working in Saudi Arabia. He made around 80k a year there. You also may want to look into traveling

Traveling info

Hope some of this helps.

 

[scrublover]

yeah, the shortage is good if you are already in the field. if in school trying to get into a program, it's tougher.

i'd say get into whatever program you are willing to go for/interested in/can get into. at least you'll be in the field. you'll make more in nursing, unless in a specialty area. once you start working, you can work towards getting into nursing programs again. the plus side to that is many employers will then pay a large chunk of your school costs.

if you can get into a program, go for the ADN. don't worry about getting the BSN. it does no good for you unless you want to get into management later on. you'll get working faster, and see the above comment about employer's paying for more school if you want later.

i've been an RN since 97, and the last 6 years in ICU settings. loooooove it. i love the work. i love my hours (3x12 hour shifts a week) and i love that i getto wear glorified pajamas to work. i make decent money, but will never be rich. the upside to that is a kick ass schedule, and i will always have a job virtually anywhere in teh US. i spend zippo on work wardrobe costs. the job satisfaction is sometimes wonderfull, but it can also be very depressing. another plus is you do get to see some amazing/cool/disgusting things. and you gain the ability to gross nearly anyone in you circle of family and friends out with work sotries.......

good luck with whatever you decide! PM me if you want more info.

 

[NineFingers]

Thanks, yeah that was my theory as well. However, the ADN program, the BSN program, and any of the other 2 year programs all have requirements across the nation of 3.6 gpa minimum just to compete with other applicants. I soo wanted to be a nurse(ER for me), but, I'll just be sitting on waiting lists for years until I just happen to slide into a school slot. I'm sooo frustrated and I feel like I've waisted 2 years of studying pre-req's....

 

[Dog Welder]

Well nearly every fire department in Southern California and many other states as well are really pushing for fire/paramedics. I know that nearly all medics in California are either working for a fire department or trying to get hired by one. And you sure as hell make more than 15 bucks an hour.

 

[scrublover]

nah, it's no waste. look at it this way: many of the prereqs for nursing will work for other things. keep working at it. get on whatever lists you can, and go into whatever program takes you first. i waited two years for my program. worked as a tech in the meantime. by the time i entered, i had all my non-nursing classes done. made it much nicer to go through the program without having to worry about finishing other classes.

it's a lot different now, even a few years after i started. there was no shortage then; getting into the icu or er then with no experience didn't happen. now, it's fairly easy in some places. i spent a bit over 3 years as a travel rn, in colorado and boston. it's really ugly in some places. one place i worked had 2/3 of the staff travel nurses.

hired onto where i am now, at the end of my last travel contract a little over a year ago. heh. actually at work tonight......... slow, so i'm surfin' a bit.

 

[Cursor]

my wife has been a ICU RN for almost 10 years and also had a hard time getting into a program. but she kept applying and got her chance. even after she graduated, she had to work in a nursing home for a little over a year before she got into a hospital that was 40 miles away from home.

my sister-in-law just graduated this year and didn't seem to have a problem getting a job in ICU with no experience.

since you've already gone thru 2 yrs of school for nursing, my wife suggested that you stick with it and keep trying to get into a program. if it's something you really want to do, isn't it worth waiting on a list than to regret it sometime in the future?

 

[Toshi]

Thanks, yeah that was my theory as well. However, the ADN program, the BSN program, and any of the other 2 year programs all have requirements across the nation of 3.6 gpa minimum just to compete with other applicants. I soo wanted to be a nurse(ER for me), but, I'll just be sitting on waiting lists for years until I just happen to slide into a school slot. I'm sooo frustrated and I feel like I've waisted 2 years of studying pre-req's....

get on lists, keep on applying. gpa isn't everything to application committees, and showing dedication by staying in the broader field (as a tech, PA or whatever) while you're applying will take you a long ways. 3.6 across the board is a ridiculous figure btw, too, since you can't really compare gpas between schools.