Marvin Said:

Can a Registered Nurse work as a Paramedic? Or would an ER nurse be a fair equivalent?

We Answered:

No, a Registered Nurse cannot work as a Paramedic.

The simple explanation is that they require two different licenses. For example, if you have a driver's license does that mean you can drive a semi or a motorcycle? No, because they each require different licenses.

Now, if you have a nursing license, obtaining an EMT license is probably going to be easier for you, but you'll still need to meet the qualifications for both - which utlimately means different programs (although they will have some things in common, like anatomy & physiology).

Which is better? That is up to you, Emergency Room work can be just as fast paced and exciting as working on an ambulance. But, the focus is completely different.

One thing that you might want to consider is that some Emergency Rooms hire paramedic/EMTs to work in the ER as pseudo-nursing assistants. They are normally called ER Techs, and are similar to what nursing assistants do on the floors in a hospital.

I know alot of EMTs who moonlight at their local ERs. That way, you could have the best of both worlds.

If you can, find someone who works in the local ER and start asking questions. Then, go to the local ambulance service or school and ask to speak to a counselor.

Viola Said:

I'm a nurse & volunteered at an elementary school's career fair. Need some good ideas on what to do?

We Answered:

I'd love to see a display using helium balloons. Is it dangerous to breathe a little of that and talk funny?

Cathy Said:

What benefits could come from knowing Chinese in the Nursing Career?

We Answered:

Bi lingual is an asset at many California medical facilities as I'm sure it is in other states .

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Thelma Said:

Considering a career in nursing?

We Answered:

In nursing school, you will be exposed to vomit, urine, feces, wound drainage--a lot of it. You will change beds soaked with diarrhea. You will wash people and change their diapers and empty their drainage bags . Once you get out of nursing school, you can go into public health, occupational health, psych, outpatient treatment centers, lots of areas where you won't be exposed to the icky stuff. But if you work with sick patients, they often have no control over their bodies.

Maxine Said:

Career Fair Attendence word problem?

We Answered:

To get the expected attendance,
you multiply the probability for each type of weather by the number of people expected under those conditions:

40% no rain * 50 sunny people + 60 % * 65 soaked participants

20 + 39 = 59 expected number.

What this means really is:
if you had such a fair a bunch of times,
40% of the time you'd have 50 people,
and 60% of the time you'd have 65 people,
and then on average you'd have 59 people.

However, each time, it would be either 50 or 65 (under these assumptions).

Darrell Said:

I am doing a career fair and I need some help finding some interesting ideas that would make my career fair?

We Answered:

Handouts are always great. Nursing stickers, band-aids, condoms, etc. As far as the board, things that come off of the board are always eye-catching. (Stethoscope, nursing cap, etc.)

Good luck!! Have a great career fair!!

Wanda Said:

what is your career divided into for a registerd nurse?

We Answered:

Not sure exactly what you mean. Are you asking how my day as a nurse goes and what various tasks I do? Or are you asking what types of nursing exist?

There are various specialties for nurses including (but not limited to) general medical/surgical, OR, pediatrics, labor and delivery and postpartum, ER, intensive care, home health, clinics, teaching, even some nurses who work for insurance companies and lawyers who do not do bedside nursing anymore.

As far as a day in the life of a nurse...well that really depends on the specialty. I work on a general floor. My day involves performing physical exams (assessment) on patients to make sure their problem isn't getting worse or a new problem hasn't come up, talking with doctors about how the patient is doing and what changes we will make to their care, teaching patients and family what we're doing and why, teaching people what they need to be doing to help themselves get better, giving medications, helping people get up/walk/get back to bed, etc.