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Paramedic
Thousands of lives are saved every day by the decisions and actions of Paramedics. A Paramedic is a worker who administers prehospital emergency medical care and life-support services to the sick and injured.
When you have a medical emergency, paramedics are your first face-to-face contact with the medical profession. Paramedics are not doctors, but they are trained torecognize and respond to the most basic kinds of trauma or physical injury.
Paramedics are employed by public and private ambulance services and hospitals. They can also be part of fire and rescue services, government agencies or private companies.
Besides administering life-saving procedures, such as giving electric shocks to the heart (defibrillation) in cases of cardiac arrest, paramedics are qualified to use 'invasive' clinical techniques. These include:
- intravenous injections; administering other drug treatments; inserting a tube into the throat (intubation) to keep the patient's airways open
- responding to emergency calls for medical assistance at accidents, emergencies and other related incidents;
making diagnoses and giving emergency treatment to patients who are seriously ill or have life-threatening conditions; - applying splints to limbs, dressing wounds, administering pain relief and reading monitoring equipment;
- inserting drips and fluids and using different equipment, including ventilators, to assist breathing;
- transporting patients needing skilled treatment while travelling by ambulance;
- checking the efficiency of vehicles and equipment to maintain a state of operational readiness;
- driving and crewing the ambulance or other rapid response vehicle;
- assessing appropriate methods of conveying patients;
assisting with patient care in hospitals or health care centres; - writing up all case notes and reporting the patient's history, condition and treatment to relevant hospital staff and coroners' offices.
Source: Choosing a Career as a Paramedic by Sandra Giddens, Owen Giddens. ISBN:0823932443
Useful Information
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Career Snapshot Paramedic |
In Demand
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Qualification Required |
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Work Outdoors |
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Maths Required |
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Science Required |
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This is a general guide - it is important to check admission requirements with the various training institutions first because entry requirements may vary.
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