Paramedic Job Description

Generally, paramedic job description lays emphasis on providing basic and advanced life support to patients requiring emergency medical treatment.

In additions, a paramedic is supposed to assess and monitor the patient’s condition, calculate appropriate dosages of medications, etc.

Moreover, the job description of a paramedic is likely to vary depending on the type of industry in which you are going to work.

For instance, job description for a flight paramedic is different from that of an oil rig paramedic or one working with the fire department.

Besides, some such healthcare professionals may work for non-emergency ambulance services. Thus, to help you understand more about nature of work a paramedic does, we have enlisted some basic points giving description of a paramedic’s job.

Paramedic Job Description

• Providing extensive pre-hospital emergency care, such as administering oxygen, CPR, direct IV fluids, and so on to stabilize the condition of a patient, following established guidelines and protocols.
• Assessing the extent of sickness or injury accurately and inquiring about the patient’s medical history. At times, flight paramedics are required to extricate patients from smashed vehicles, or heavy boulders, depending on the site of emergency.
• Performing emergency diagnosis and relevant treatment like airway management, heart monitoring, placing catheters for venous access and so on.
• Operating medical equipments such as defibrillator, bag-valve mask resuscitator, etc.
• Administering invasive and non-invasive therapies, including intubation and pulmonary ventilation, application of bandages, immobilization of fractures and various other tasks.
• Dealing with physical as well as emotional needs of a patient.
• Handling radio communications and coordinating with dispatch centers, police, and other emergency service agencies involved in rescue operations.
• Transporting the patient to the nearest medical facility. It is for this reason that paramedics are required to hold a valid driver’s license.
• Recording the nature of illness and treatment provided until the patient is rushed to a hospital. This documentation helps in briefing the personnel in the emergency department about the patient’s condition.
• Ensuring that the emergency care equipments function properly and replacing the supplies in the ambulance or any other vehicle being used for transporting the patients.
• May be required to assist in in-house training as well.

You need to be aware of the characteristics considered favorable for this job. Thus, you need to possess qualities like good judgment, ability to work under stress, even in non-structured settings, ability to handle confidential information, patience, self-discipline, and excellent communications skills.

Plus, you will have to take necessary precautions to guard against possible hazards such as traffic hazards, violent behavior, communicable diseases, etc. while carrying out the duties specified in a paramedic job description.

 Article Source: http://www.paramedicsalaries.org/paramedic-job-description.html

Paramedic Salary Information

An average paramedic salary is between $21,000 to $40,000 annually. If a paramedic has vast experience it may raise the salary upward to over $50,000 a year. But the salary varies in conjunction with the experience held by the paramedic. The geographical location of the job also plays a major role in determining a paramedic’s salary.

Special departments like the fire fighting departments or airline departments also require paramedics. Since the health care industry in continuously growing, the future prospects of jobs based in medical care are very bright.

As states in The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics gathered in May 2010, the hourly wage of an EMT and paramedic was roughly around $14.60 ($30,360/a year).

The majority who was in the middle 50% percentage was earning somewhere between $11.57 ($24,070/ a year) and $19.03 ($39,590/a year).

The minority who was in the lowest of the 25% percentage would only earn anywhere between $9.48 ($19,710/a year) and $11.57 ($24,070/a year).

Those who resided in the top 25% percentage could expect to earn around $19.03 ($39,590/a year) and $24.70 ($51,370/a year).

Additional EMT and Paramedic Salary Figures

One of the most reliable and quoted sources for salary information online is the website Salary.com, which provide their own figures for all most any occupations. According to the information gathered by Salary.com, the median salary for EMTs/Paramedics in the U.S. is $38,363. More specifically, the middle 50% of EMT professionals according to Salary.com make between $34,034 and $43,108, while the bottom 25% make between $30,091 and $34,034, and the highest paid 25% make between $43,108 and $47,428. Which do not deviate too far from the information above.

Article Source: http://www.paramedictrainingcenter.net/2011/10/paramedic-salary/

How To Become a Paramedic

 In the event of an accident or disaster, a paramedic is often the first one on scene to help the victims. If you like to help others in their time of need, you may wish to pursue a career in this field. Not only will you provide immediate care for someone who is sick or injured, you will also be responsible for transferring them to a medical facility and working with the doctors to provide emergency treatment if needed.

This is a rewarding field that is expected to grow as fast as other occupations do on average in the United States. One thing to keep in mind when looking at becoming a paramedic is the fact that emergency medical services operate 24 hours a day so your hours will most likely be irregular.

If this exciting career path is on your radar then your first question should be how to become a paramedic. Becoming a paramedic requires specific education and licensing requirements so read on to find out the specifics.

Paramedic Education
In order to become a paramedic, you must first obtain a high school diploma. This is a requirement for most, if not all, formal training programs. There are three basic levels of emergency medical technicians with paramedic being the highest. Here you will need to study physiology and anatomy along with other advanced medical skills. Technical schools and community colleges offer programs designed to help you achieve this goal and many will reward you with an associate degree. Expect to spend one to two years on your schooling. When coursework is complete, you will then need to take the NREMT exam.


Paramedic License
Licensing is required in the District of Columbia and all 50 states. Requirements do vary by state and most demand that the NREMT exam been completed successfully. Some states will offer their own exam and you may be given the option of which test to take. Your license must be renewed periodically. Most states have you complete the certification process every two to three years and continuing education or refresher courses are a part of this process.

In order to become fully licensed all prospective paramedics must pass a criminal background check.

Paramedic Salary
As a paramedic you can expect to make a median hourly wage of $14.10 as of May 2008. Those in the bottom 10% earned a median wage of less than $9.08 while those in the top 10% earned higher than $23.77 an hour. Local government tends to pay more than ambulatory health care services. All should be considered before you determine if this is the right career choice for you.

Good Qualities To Have

• Emotionally stable with the ability to handle extreme situations
• Good dexterity
• Great agility
• High level of physical coordination
• Ability to lift and carry heavy loads
• Good eyesight (non color blind)

Article Source: How to Become a Paramedic