This article is for those who always wanted to become a paramedic. If you really want to know what is it like to be a paramedic, what kind of day they are going through, how to become one, what kind of scholarship is requested, is it dangerous, when can you expect to retire, how much money do they make and all the advantages and disadvantages.
The paramedic is the first health care providers of the medical chain link. When you are a paramedic, you can make the difference between life and death in some situation and that is a lot of pressure on one's person shoulders. It is to be available for those in needs.
Paramedics will often be the first ones arrived one the scene when the emergency line is called. They can take care of different illness and injuries like heart attack, trauma situations, car crash, drowned victims, people who got shot or stabbed and any minor complications that can make someone calls the emergencies. The patient is then stabilized on the spot and moved to a specialized healthcare facilities. The paramedic provides care to the patient while simultaneously investigating the history of the injury. He will then transfer his patient to nursing personnel and report their observations and treatment procedure to the attending physician.
They first confirm that the ambulance and equipment are working and ready to operate. They then move to a strategic location provided by the dispatch center where they will wait for an emergency to occur. They can do as many calls as they can get in a shift, which can be somewhere between 0 and 8 depending on the time necessary and the gravity of the situation.
They usually work in cities/town. Different locations are served by different company. Different locations can be more or less active depending on density of the population.
You first need to apply to any College that teaches the technique like the College Ahuntsic for example. You will then go through approximately 2800 total class hours for at least 2000 specific hours. During this 3 year technique, you will have to spend at least an additional 8 hours weekly of personal work and studying.
Starting at 24$/H and going up to 40$/H, paramedics can earn an average of 63 000$ every year.
They first will have to obtain the 4A divers license for emergency vehicles during their training. When they graduate, paramedic have to do at least 32 hours of continuing education every year to stay updated and competent.
Despite having to lift overweight people risking a career breaking injury every day, paramedics are also put through traumatizing situation where they will see other's misery, stressful situation, really graphic scene and more often than never, not being able to save a patient. Paramedics must be physically and emotionally unbreakable.
Somewhere between zero to none. In life and death situation, paramedics have to take decisions and improvise around some of the severest injuries. I cannot conceive a future in which robots are capable of adapting when a patient's case is worsening, give birth or come up with a life saving stitching skill.
After 25 long years of devotion, serving the population, helping the hopeless, a paramedic is now allowed to retire.
I am now half-way through my second year in the program. As I get closer to the end, I can see the edge of my new career arising, and I can't wait to dive in. there is so much I want to do. I want to work in the city as a paramedic, but I also wish to try to serve in the military. I want to go to university to seek for upgrades and learn new languages to sharpen my comprehension of the different social classes I will have to deal with on the road. Five years from now, I will be working for about 2 or 3 years, still making place and gaining the trust of my peers. In ten years, I wish to be either at the university while working, or going through my military services learning something different to keep my mind open and my skills sharp. In 15 years, I wish to have a place of my own, a partner I trust and a stimulating job.
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: research journal
Date: recently published
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
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Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: government
Date: recently published
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Sources: cites sources
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: government
Date: recently published
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: cites sources