PARAMEDIC CAREERS

A paramedic is a trained and licensed or certified medical professional. Most commonly, paramedics are those who respond to medical emergencies out in the field (pre-hospital) for the purpose of stabilizing the victim's condition so s/he can be transported to medical facilities.

The paramedic is a type of emergency medical technician (EMT). In the United States, emergency medical technicians are classified according to their level of training. The National Registry of EMTs is a central certifying entity, and individual states usually set their own standards of licensure. All EMTs must meet the minimum requirements as set forth in the Department of Transportation's standards for EMT curriculum. The National Registry recognizes three levels of EMT: EMT-B (Basic), EMT-I (Intermediate) and EMT-P (Paramedic). The paramedic level is the highest level of nationally registered positions. In addition to the basic-level skills of CPR, first aid, airway management, oxygen administration, spinal immobilization, traction splinting, bleeding control and splinting, as well as the intermediate skills of IV therapy, endotracheal intubation and initial cardiac drug therapy, the paramedic is also educated in EKG interpretation, advanced airway skills to include RSI, pharmacology, trauma resuscitation, pediatric life support and advanced cardiac life support.

Paramedics are employed by various public and private emergency services providers. These include ambulance services, fire suppression agencies (as firefighters), hospitals, law enforcement services, the military, or various multi-service agencies. Paramedics may respond to medical incidents in an ambulance, rescue vehicle, helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, and increasingly in fire suppression apparatus.
As nursing shortages become more and more prevalent, paramedics are increasingly used in Emergency Departments and Intensive Care Units of hospitals. Often, paramedics operate with greater lattitude and autonomy than many nurses. In addition, paramedics are often used as chief medical personnel on offshore drilling platforms and on MEDEVACs and airplanes. However, paramedics may be employed in many different medical fields that do not necessarily involve transportation of patients. Such positions may include phlebotomy, blood banks, research labs and educational fields.

In the U.S., paramedic salaries can range anywhere from unpaid, volunteer positions to around $60,000 a year, depending on location and experience. It should be noted that volunteer paramedics can provide the same level of care as those at the upper end of the pay scale. Currently, in the United States, the busiest EMS service per ambulance is New Orleans' Health Department EMS, which responds to approximately 4,000 "911" calls per month, utilizing six ambulances for the entire city of about 500,000 people.

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