If you have ever thought about becoming a paramedic, then this article is for you. You’ll learn almost everything you ever wanted to know about becoming a paramedic. It will go over what a day in the life of this career could look like.
Paramedics need a certain skill set to be perfect for the job ; It is best to be a good communicator and listener, to be in good shape physically, to enjoy physical work, to enjoy working in teams, to be good at synthesizing information and analyzing situations quickly, to love being in contact with the public and to be able to manage stress well.
Paramedics transport patients to medical facilities while providing the appropriate medical care and stabilizing patients to the best of their abilities.
Yes, a paramedic provides specific care according to protocols and techniques. A paramedic also evaluates and stabilizes a patient to prevent deterioration before arriving to a hospital. They transfer the patient to the nurses present and report what they observed and the treatments that were given to the patient.
In Montreal and Laval, paramedics work for Urgences-santé, but everywhere else in Quebec they work for cooperatives or private companies. So, paramedics do not work for hospitals, they work for separate companies.
You need a cegep diploma in Pre-hospital Emergency Care, which is a 3-year technical program. You can study this program in English at John Abbott College
The starting salary is about 23 dollars per hour and the highest salary you can make is about 35 dollars per hour.
Despite having 3 years of education for this job, paramedics need to keep learning during their career as science evolves in the health care area.
Paramedics are often the first people to arrive on scenes of dangerous accidents. The job is also very physical and it can be easy to get hurt.
The chances are very slim. Being a paramedic is a human job that is almost never the same, you need to love to be in contact with people, to understand and solve problems.
Since being a paramedic is a very physical job, people tend to retire early on or find a new career to pursue after this one.
As a second year student in the Pre-hospital Emergency Care program, this information would have immensely helped me choose this career earlier and I hope it does for you now.
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