I recommend this FAQ to paramedic students, or people that are considering this program, because it can give them a realistic idea of the job, before they even commit fully to it. I feel motivated to write it because I wished I had this tool before I started my studies.
Being a paramedic is an extremely rewarding job. You get called to the worst day of someone's life, and you make it better. Although it is rewarding, it is very stressful. In fact, the patient's life depends on you and there's no place for errors.
Paramedics stabilizes and secures patient's health, until they are brought to the hospital. They do life saving treatments and make sure your friends and family members stay alive.
Paramedics wait in their truck until they get a call. Once they have an affectation, they go to the address, treat the patient, bring them to the hospital, do some paperwork and clean the ambulance. Then, they do it all over again.
Paramedics work everywhere. They wonder in the streets ready to help, but they're also at every place that accumulates many people. For example, hockey games, F1 games, parades, etc. The variety of places where paramedics work is endless.
To become a paramedic in Quebec, you have to do a three-year program called "Soins Préhospitaliers d'Urgence". Once these studies are done, you have to pass some health ministry exams to have your official license.
According to "Indeed", the average salary of a paramedic is $62,433 a year, which equals to $34,94 per hour.
Once the collegian program and the ministry exam are done, you have a probation period. Which means that you are a paramedic, but you can only work with paramedics of experience, to make sure no errors are made. Not only but you could go to university to become an advanced care paramedics, but this is another diploma.
Being a paramedic is a dangerous job, because not only do you going into strangers' houses, but you have to interact with all kind of people. Not only is there a physical risk related to the job, but psychological and emotional risk is also very important. Paramedics are confronted to many hard scenes, things normal people shouldn't see or even hear about. They see it every day. With time, they create a protection for themselves and have normal reactions to abnormal events.
None. The most important quality of a paramedic except self composure is adaptation skills, which is something robots do not have. But, robots will probably play a part in the job, for example, just now technology occupies a big place ion the job, like the tool "Lucas"
According to "BC Pension" the normal retirement age for a paramedic is 65 years old, but some take their retirement early at only 50 years old.
I hope this FAQ helped you get a better view of this beautiful career. For me, I'm in my second year of the program and plan to graduate next year. Hopefully all goes well, and I chose the right profession. If you are a paramedic student, I hope you can join me in a couple years in the ambulance!
Rationale: to inform or educate
Date: recently published
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: cites sources
Authority: government
Date: recently published
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: cites sources