seeking advice on paramedic certification after graduating with BSN

Hi all,

I am a senior nursing student graduating with my BSN in December '15. I have always been interested in the adrenaline rush/excitement of being a first responder to a scene. I am debating about after graduation, using a little in between time to go back and get my paramedic certification. I want to be able to volunteer and give back to my community and i know our Fire Departments where I live are all maned by volunteers and they could always use extra bodies. Also, I feel since i'm interested in things like ER, and Flight nursing, the certification and experience would be very beneficial. I was just wondering, is it frowned upon for a nurse to be certified as a paramedic as well? I'm not doing it as a source of income, or to switch from nursing. It's more because I'm just interested in what it would offer. Any feedback or experiences would be great. Thanks to all in advance.
I appreciate your interest in EMS. As a bit of advice as someone who is a nurse and Emt. Be comfortable in one profession before starting another. EMS and nursing don't exactly blend and a provider who's trying to learn both may not have the expearence to discern where one begins and the other ends, it's tough to not nurse up some situations. Your local volunteer companies would love the help, but they are most likely BLS services and won't benefit from any paramedic skills you may bring to the table. If you don't fully understand the difference between a BLS and ALS service start there. My two cents, get your first job and push through your first year. Then take a EMT basic class and start up with your local volly company. See if you enjoy nursing or EMS before biting off more than any human can chew. Any nursing job that requires paramedic training generally is not open to new grads so you have a few years to figure it out. also in regards to being in the action as a first responder, please enjoy my favorite EMS quote, it's from the movie bringing out the dead, classic. Frank Pierce: I realised that my training was useful in less than ten percent of the calls, and saving lives was rarer than that. After a while, I grew to understand that my role was less about saving lives than about bearing witness. I was a grief mop. It was enough that I simply turned up.I wouldn't trade my last 10 years in volunteer EMS for anything. That said it has absoultly emotionally damaged me. There are a few nightmares I wish would stop, and I'm waiting for the day that I back the truck in and walk away forever because I'm full up of seeing this crap. I know it doesn't sound like it but I really love EMS, I just want to offer perspective. It's not a hobby, at one point I thought it was.

Quote from sm_carterHi all,I am debating about after graduation, using a little in between time to go back and get my paramedic certification.