Learning How To Become A Paramedic

For many people, starting to learn how to become a paramedic turns out to be one of the best decisions of their lives. The job is not the easiest in the world, and it is certainly not the most relaxing. However, for those who want the satisfaction of saving lives, and helping people in a vulnerable situation, it can be one of the most exciting and satisfying jobs available.

Nature Of The Work

Paramedics are EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) who are qualified to the highest level. They are the first to arrive at emergencies, and it is their responsibility to make fast assessments of the patient’s condition and carry out life-saving procedures. If patients have to be transported to hospital or a medical facility by ambulance, paramedics have to monitor the patients in transit and provide whatever care is required.

Laying The Foundations

The first step in becoming a paramedic is to qualify as an EMT. The certification course to become an EMT will give you all the basic skills you require to deal with medical emergencies, including:

• Use of essential equipment.
• Respiratory and airway clearing techniques.
• Trauma responses.
• Ethical issues.

In most states, EMT training is divided into EMT Basic and EMT Intermediate. The basic qualification is required by professionals such as fire fighters or police, who regularly attend emergencies and may need to administer first aid. EMTs with a basic qualification are able to assess situations, carry out procedures such as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), and deal with situations like childbirth, fractures, cardiac arrest or poisoning. EMTs with the intermediate qualification learn to administer drugs, both intravenously and orally, intubate patients, that is, insert a tube into the trachea, and use a defibrillator.

Once you have qualified as an EMT, it is advisable to seek employment in this role for a period before moving on to qualify as a paramedic. This is because the work involves such advanced skills and requires such fast emergency responses, that it would be very difficult to go straight into it without experience in the field. In addition, most programs require at least 12 months’ experience in employment as a condition of enrollment, and the course content will be much more meaningful with this as a foundation.

The Final Stages

The final stage of training to qualify as a paramedic can be taken as a one-year certificate course, or a two-year course leading to an Associate’s degree. The courses involve classroom instruction in academic subjects including:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Pharmacology
• Cardiovascular pathophysiology (identifying changes that take place in heart disease)
• Psychiatric emergencies
• Pediatrics and gynaecology
• Health services

 
In addition to lectures, the programs include many hours of supervised practical experience, both within hospitals, and out and about with paramedic teams. This enables you to apply the procedures you learned bout in the classroom, and also become familiar with the equipment. At the end of the program, you will have to pass either the National Registry of EMT exams, or in some cases your state’s own exam, in order to become licensed as a practitioner.

What Sort Of Person Is Required?

Although being a paramedic can be a very rewarding career, it is not for everybody. It requires some very specific qualities, so before embarking on the initial stages, it is a good idea to consider whether you have the qualities required. The work can involve encountering some horrific situations, and dealing with some appalling and sometimes fatal injuries. If you are at all squeamish, or if you cannot face the sight of blood, you should think carefully about whether you would be able to handle the work. You need to be a person who can keep calm under pressure – both the pressure of time, and the pressure of knowing that somebody’s life depends on you. You also need to have a warm friendly personality and be able to reassure people who may be very scared or in severe pain, or both.

What Are The Financial Rewards?

Considering the taxing nature of the job, the pay is not huge. The median salary in 2011 was $31,000 a year, and a top earning paramedic can earn just over $48,000 a year. Advancement opportunities are not great, but it may be possible to become a supervisor, administrative director or operations manager. The top job is that of director of emergency services. Some who qualify with an Associate’s degree move on to train in other areas such as nursing.

The Real Rewards

The rewards of working as a paramedic really lie in the satisfying nature of the job – in particular, knowing that you have saved somebody’s life. It requires highly advanced skills, so the stages on the road towards qualification are very rigorous, and require a great deal of concentration and determination. Finding out how to become a paramedic can be a really exciting process, if you are really drawn to the profession – and if you can handle the work.