Paramedic

Paramedic

__ WORK HOURS! __ 12 hour shifts both nights and days, during all weather conditions, and during times of emergency I will be expected to be at work. So really anytime, anywhere.

__ EXPECTATIONS! __ The Paramedic must be a confident leader who can accept the challenge and high degree of responsibility entailed in the position. The Paramedic must have excellent judgment and be able to prioritize decisions and act quickly in the best interest of the patient, must be self disciplined, able to develop patient rapport, interview hostile patients, maintain safe distance, and recognize and utilize communication unique to diverse multicultural groups and ages within those groups. Must be able to function independently at optimum level in a non-structured environment that is constantly changing.

__ SALARY! __ The median expected salary for a typical Paramedic in the United States is $38,317. The salary for a paramedic varies by where you work. Say for instance you work for a private service (i.e. AMR, Rural Metro) you’re likely to have fairly decent pay around $15-19/hour if you work in a large city like Houston. If you work for a fire department or what's sometimes called a 3rd city service, you will make on average 36-45k/year starting out. The more experience you have the better. Where I work experienced paramedics, once they’re off of probation, can start out between $55-60k. We have great benefits and great working conditions.

__ HELPFUL HINTS! __ Becoming a paramedic is one of the most rewarding jobs, each day is different and each day brings with it new challenges. The most rewarding part of this job is that you get to make a difference to people's lives and often save people from life threatening situations. The main role of paramedic is to carry out emergency treatment on a patient or victim at the scene of an accident and then transport that person to the hospital where they can receive further more advance medical treatment and analysis. The paramedic must also ensure that they keep records the treatment given to the patient and pass this onto the hospital staff. This way no confusion arises and the paramedics and hospital staff work together for the benefit of the patient. As a Paramedic you are often the first person that deals with an injured victim so you must be able to remain clam and work well under pressure. These are just a few qualities that are essential if you want to become a paramedic. The victim of the accident will often look towards the paramedic for reassurance and to tell them that everything is going to be ok. If you do not remain clam you could upset the patient and make the situation even worse. A paramedic will usually work closely with an ambulance technician and so team work is another skill that paramedics must possess. The type of transport that paramedics used has grown over recent years to deal with different circumstances and varying traffic conditions. For example, paramedics can travel by the traditional ambulance or by car, motorcycle, bicycle or even the air ambulance. Important steps to be followed: - To become a Paramedic, you will first need an Emergency Medical Technician [EMT] - Basic license. Basic, intermediate and Paramedic are the three levels of EMT. - You have to specialize in CPR. This is always necessary for an EMT-Basic level. - Most community colleges offer EMT-Basic classes; the course is approximately 3 months and the cost of the course defers form the institutes and colleges. - If you already pass your EMT-B exam, you have the option of moving up to intermediary or going right into Paramedic. If you want to go right into becoming a Paramedic you will need to; - take an IV class and get IV certified - Take an EKG understanding class - A number of programs have need of Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology classes - You will need a year of experience as an actively practicing EMT-B. Several colleagues may require evidence of a specific number of calls that you have acted in response to. Which ever path you select, you will finally make it to your Paramedic class. However, the costs can vary so make sure that you research the different types of paramedic classes. Passing the National paramedic exam is essential to becoming a paramedic so you have to study very hard to pass this exam. There are many books you can buy that specifically help you get ready for the test. When you get your paramedic license the next stage is to find a job as a paramedic. There are many states that are currently experiencing paramedic shortages and you may well find that they will be fighting with each other to offer you the job.