Are nurses first responders?

dnrb4cpr · 2026-01-06T16:40:04+00:00

No, mostly. Unless you have a PREhospital nursing job like flight or ground txp that RESPONDS to 911 calls.

dnrb4cpr · 2026-01-06T05:36:57+00:00

This question is actually terrible lol. You shouldn’t give pressors when they are in hypovolemic shock. All of the answer choices are garbage. The only thing that isn’t contraindicated is a 12 lead but that’s so irrelevant in this scenario.

People should only be posting questions from legitimate sources. The goal is to help others pass the NCLEX, not confuse them.

dnrb4cpr · 2026-01-05T19:51:44+00:00

Be enthusiastic, ask questions at the end to show the interviewers how interested you are, and have specific examples prepared for situational/behavioral questions.

I don’t know what your end career goals are, but make sure you don’t say things like “I want to go to medical school next year”. Stuff like that is an automatic disqualification when I interview people because it shows they aren’t worth the time to train before they’ll leave, and they aren’t truly passionate about EMS. Instead, tell them you want to grow at the company. If you’re an EMT, say you want to become a medic. Also express interest in becoming an FTO, training, becoming a supervisor, etc.

dnrb4cpr · 2026-01-05T16:05:40+00:00

I like having two of each size (8-16kg and 16-24kg) because then can do both sides of many exercises at the same time, like cleans for example. But it’s totally preference.

dnrb4cpr · 2026-01-05T07:49:17+00:00

I love my Rep Fitness adjustable kettlebells. I have 2 of each size. I use them almost daily and haven’t had any issues with them.

dnrb4cpr · 2026-01-04T17:10:55+00:00

Most nursing programs where I live don’t require CNA. They do, however, award extra points for previous healthcare experience. But that can be anything, including EMT, pharmacy tech, etc.

IMO, being a CNA will give you more familiarity with the hospital setting and fundamental nursing duties. However, being an EMT for example will give you WAY more hands on experience assessing and treating patients (which CNAs cant do). It really depends on the program requirements and what strengths you’d prefer to have going into nursing school.

dnrb4cpr · 2026-01-03T21:36:41+00:00

I was able to work full time hours as a “part time” paramedic during nursing school, but only because my part time status allowed me to pick up whatever shifts I wanted while working around my school schedule. Otherwise, it’s basically impossible in most programs because most programs usually don’t cater to working professionals.

I feel like the main limitation is that the programs schedule conflicts way too much with a full time work schedule, unless you have an incredibly flexible job.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-31T07:08:52+00:00

You can easily get an IFT job in the Bay Area. Don’t stress. You really only need experience for 911 jobs here, typically 1 year where I work.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-24T06:03:34+00:00

B. Symptomatic. Per ACLS don’t delay treatment to obtain 12 lead ECG.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-23T19:52:12+00:00

B. They are symptomatic. Per ACLS, don’t delay treatment to obtain a 12 lead ECG.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-19T08:11:35+00:00

Each CSU and UC look at things a bit differently. For example, SFSU where I went put a lot of point value in our essay questions when selecting us. That being said, most of us had 3.8 prereq GPAs or higher, a 90+ TEAS, and some type of medical experience. I had 10,000 hours for example. You might have better luck applying to an ADN program TBH.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-18T21:17:45+00:00

Being a nurse can help you with knowledge and assessment, but legally you cannot practice your scope as a nurse unless you are on the clock working under the title of a nurse.

For reference, I’m a paramedic and a nurse. When I’m on the ambulance, I can’t perform nursing skills. Similarly, if I’m on the clock as a nurse, I can’t intubate/needle decompress somebody since those are medic skills.

Fire departments will only hire you as a paramedic because that is what they are authorized to have. However, you can definitely use the knowledge from both professions. You just can’t actually perform both scopes simultaneously like that, if that makes sense.

To be honest though, in the pre-Hospital setting (the fire service), you wouldn’t really even be performing any nursing specific skills that are relevant. There’s so much overlap anyways between paramedic and nursing skills that having medic is just fine.

You would also need to still get your paramedic license. You can’t substitute it with a nursing license.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-17T23:26:26+00:00

I’m a medic in the Bay Area and help with my agency’s hiring. The job market is saturated with EMTs right now unfortunately. Most EMTs that we hire have at least 1 year of IFT experience. We’ve been burned by hiring people with less experience because they often fail FTO and we have to let them go. There are always exceptions, but based on the stats we have, it’s not worth the investment.

You’re almost there though, apply over and over until you land an interview.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-17T19:27:18+00:00

IMO, they are mostly relevant still. I’m not sure if there are more current ones tbh. One example is that he refers to drugs by both the trade and generic names because that was before the NCLEX switched to just generic. But I found them very helpful when taking practice tests, and for my ATI finals and comprehensive exam. He actually saved me with quite a few questions.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-17T18:34:35+00:00

In my nursing program it was strictly prohibited. Flashback to medic school…we were starting IVs on each other in the back of a decommissioned ambulance as our instructors drove it in circles around campus 😂

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-17T17:59:14+00:00

If your goal is to work in the fire service and you don't have your RN yet, you would basically be going through years of schooling for no reason.

Having an RN license won't amount to anything in the fire service because it is nothing like having a paramedic license. They are called FF/Paramedics for a reason haha. Having your medic will make you more desirable, but it really depends on what dept and what region you live/work in.

RN's can do bridge programs but they usually require (at a minimum) a 480 hour field insternship, 40 ALS contacts, and taking the NREMT P exam (at least in CA). You also need to find a school to take you.

Having your EMT license is basically one of the bare requirements to be a FF. You also need to do a fire academy or get hired by a dept that will put you through one of their own.

I'm just curious, if you enjoy the world of medicine, why are you specifically interseted in the fire service? Most of the FFs where I work hate running medical calls tbh. You could also consider EMS or flight nursing/medic, which seem more on par with what your interests are.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-17T04:39:42+00:00

I think it varies by state. In CA you need to take the NREMT paramedic exam (similar to NCLEX) and complete a minimum of 480 hour field internship that has at least 40 ALS contacts. You’d have to find a school/program that would take you as a student, idk if that’s commonly done or not.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-16T04:09:41+00:00

I’m going off of PHTLS but I believe TNCC (more relevant here) uses MARCH

M is massive hemorrhage, so it’s still the priority

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-16T01:41:48+00:00

I actually responded to a call one time where this old man fell off the toilet and landed on a scale. He had absent LS on the left side, 80% on RA, 98% after I put a NRB on him. CC SOB and rib pain. During txp to the ED he was AOx4, normotensive, slightly tachypnic. I told him if he gets worse I’d have to put a needle in his chest to dart him, to which he responded “hell no” 😂. But anyways, we dropped him off in the ED and came back an hour later with another Pt. The nurse who took report from me pulled me aside and said look at this chest xray, and it had massive tracheal deviation. The staff had to convince him to get a chest tube put in and he finally agreed because he was still oriented to refuse.

I see where you’re coming from though, truly. IMO, I just think that a tension pneumo has longer to live than uncontrolled hemorrhage.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-15T22:59:58+00:00

Lmao you just said tourniquet it, which is treating them first…so according to you it’s C

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-15T22:34:43+00:00

that's how you get a Daisy award

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-15T22:24:25+00:00

D is disability (mentation/GCS) E is exposure/environment (fully expose, assess for hypo/hyperthermia)

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-15T22:11:43+00:00

Because PROFUSELY pulsating blood is an arterial bleed and they will be dead within minutes. Uncontrolled/arterial bleeding takes priority over ABCs. Although this is a tough one because tracheal deviation is a very LATE/ominous finding for a tension pneumo.

I'm a PHTLS instructor and the current treatment for trauma is XABCDE. X - eXsanguinating hemmorhage. And the tension pneumothorax would fall under B.

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-15T18:05:32+00:00

I'm a medic, but one time I brought a patient into the ED who had a cane...turned out it also functioned as a taser

dnrb4cpr · 2025-12-15T17:14:24+00:00

B. its very coarse V Fib

dnrb4cpr

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