3 Ways Being an EMT Helped Me in Nursing School

Chloe Flax, a student at Chamberlain’s Sacramento Campus, always knew that she wanted to focus her career on helping people. She completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology after deciding she wanted a career in the mental health field, but soon found a new love in emergency medicine after becoming an emergency medical technician (EMT) for a local ambulance company.

Now a student in our 3-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, Flax is taking everything she’s learned as an EMT and making it work for her in nursing school.  Below, she tells us more about three of the ways her experience as an EMT has helped her in nursing school:

1. I’m More Adaptable

Given the ever-changing nature of working as an EMT, Flax has no problem working in a fast-paced environment that calls for adaptability. In fact, she prefers it!

“I love the adrenaline and the fact that no day is like the other,” she said. “During my work as an EMT, my partner was always changing and my patients were from every walk of life. I think this constant change made me better at interacting with people and adapting to new environments.”

2. I Embrace New Opportunities

Flax credits her work as an EMT for allowing her to be more comfortable putting herself out there during her time in class and clinicals.

“Working as an EMT made me so much more comfortable with unfamiliar situations,” she said. “I would not consider myself shy, but I definitely was a bit more reserved before I became an EMT. I was not the type of person to go out of my comfort zone, but being an EMT made me realize I have to be able to adapt and be comfortable no matter what is thrown my way.”

3. I’m Confident

Flax says her prior patient experience working in emergency medical situations gave her an added level of confidence when she started nursing school.

“My work as an EMT has offered me a level of comfort that I feel will help me throughout nursing school,” she said. “I do not feel uncomfortable talking to strangers and dealing with patients. My prior patient care experience alleviated a level of stress.”

In the end, Flax says the most important thing being an EMT gave her was the confidence to know she could jump into a new field and succeed at it.

“The most valuable thing I brought to nursing school, is me,” she said. “A version of myself that is more confident and much more adaptable. With a schedule that changes every eight weeks, this has really been an asset.”

Her advice to other students who are considering a career change into nursing? Believe in yourself and take the first step.

“I would say that if anyone wants to become a nurse, go for it!” she said. “Many of us shy away from things because we are scared we won't make it, but where there's a will, there's a way. It's an investment into your future and a better version of yourself. I've met amazing people who share a passion for learning and I really enjoy the passion I see in my colleagues. It's going to be a long road but I am so happy to be on it.”

Interested in learning more about a career in nursing? Visit us here to find out more about our 3-Year BSN program. 

Important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended this program can be found at www.chamberlain.edu/bsndisclosure. 

By Lauren Pope