Paramedic To RN Transition: Always Assume Success!

Guest Post By Sherry Jones Mayo, RN, EMTP, DAAETS
Author of Confessions of a Trauma Junkie: My Life as a Nurse Paramedic
Contributing Writer to RNDegrees.net

My Italian Mama always told me that giving up was not an option because no matter what the obstacles, there was always a way to get things done; you just had to find the way. I understood that sentiment most clearly when I was a paramedic. Standing in a roomful of uniformed men, with a combative patient in the corner of the room ashen and breathing shallowly, we had to find a safe way to administer emergency care.

When our EMS service dispatched us from quarters to a private residence for an ‘unknown medical emergency’, we anticipated anything from someone falling out of bed to a full code. Responding lights and sirens, we found a man sitting on the floor with his back to the wall, partially under a dining room table, and a room full of uniforms. Whenever police or firefighters, all male, approached the patient, who was ashen in color and breathing shallowly from an admitted Heroin overdose, the man mustered enough energy to become combative.

I crawled under the table before the big, husky men in the room, who would have been justified in preventing me from getting so close to a combative patient, knew what I was doing. Staying outside of swinging distance, I flipped my long, blazing red hair to get his attention, and said, “Hi. I’m Sherry. What’s your name?” The patient’s demeanor immediately changed and I knew I was on the right track. The officers, firefighters, and my associate (fearing his partner was about to assume patient status herself), stood silently beside the table. I softly told my colleague, another medic, to spike a line and give me the jump bag.

I looked back at the patient, saying, “You don’t look very well. I want to start an IV and give you some medicine. Is that ok? Can I have your hand?” The patient, looking at me with puppy-dog eyes, offered his hand, and I leaned forward, still slightly out of reach, to start the line. All of you who have road experience know what came next: in the back of the ambulance, I administered Narcan and blew the patient’s expensive “high.” We traveled to the ER without incident.

He wanted my number; strangely enough, I did not give it to him.

Putting that event into a satchel of positive experiences that reinforced the truism Mama established when I was a child; my confidence grew toward considering the next step: Emergency Nursing. As a single mother already working too many hours (in two different EMS jobs, and triage medic in ER), could I handle school? Academics, time commitment, family obligations, and three jobs that were each 45-117 miles each way from home: would I ever sleep? There were no Paramedic to RN bridge programs then, although I would have jumped at that opportunity, especially online. Back then, it was all brick and mortar, with the associated challenges that you can bypass now with online programs.

Going back to school, at 47, was admittedly challenging. I loved being a medic, I loved what I did, but I wanted more. Working 24-hour shifts was getting old, and sometimes we older medics fielded smirks and giggles, especially as we set our radio stations to oldies and disco, bopping to the tunes we grew up with, creating a greater distance between our generation and the kids who barely had driving privileges.

As I gathered information about school and nursing, I discovered a lot of us were secretly going back to school. It isn’t that we did not like being medics; we loved our jobs. However, we wanted more: more money, more time off, more respect, a more controlled environment, more information, and more options. Medics who have mastered the job, technology, information, and challenges often want to take the next step. Paramedic to RN Transition was a wise move after overcoming personal doubts and fears; I would encourage anyone considering that step to assume success, and get started on your online nursing career.

Do it now, there is always a way. Assume success!

Learn More About The Online Paramedic to RN Bridge Program

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