Emergency Paramedic
Why Is an Emergency Paramedic a Job of Tomorrow?
The healthcare industry will always be recession proof. No matter what state the economy is in, or what trends come and go, there will always be a need for healthcare professionals. Inevitable illnesses and other health-related conditions keep physicians, nurses, and other medical staff in constant demand. As the world population increases, this demand will only heighten, making healthcare one of the fastest growing industries today. Emergency paramedics will remain an integral part of the healthcare industry. Unpredictable circumstances sometimes require immediate medical attention that physicians and nurses cannot provide. For these situations, the skill of an emergency paramedic can mean the difference between life and death. With the ever-rising population count, having an adequate number of emergency paramedics on hand is a must. The field is expected to grow by 19 percent by 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average annual salary for emergency paramedics is $27,070.
What Does an Emergency Paramedic Do?
Emergency paramedics are responsible for responding to sudden medical emergencies, such as automobile accidents, heart attacks, childbirth, and victims of violence like gunshot and stabbing victims. They are dispatched by an emergency operator, and speed over to the scene in an emergency vehicle equipped with basic life-saving devices to tend to the victim. Upon arrival, paramedics must determine the nature and severity of the case, as well as administer any possible aid the paramedics can provide on the scene. Some minor injuries, such as collapse or fainting, can be treated right away without any additional attention. However, major incidents, such as if the patient is gravely injured or has suffered from a heart attack, must be transported to an emergency care facility to allow trained physicians to handle the case. In these incidents, the paramedics will administer all the aid they can give and quickly transport the patient to a nearby hospital.
What Kind of Training Do I Need to Become an Emergency Paramedic?
Prospective emergency paramedics must have a high school diploma and complete an accredited training program. These programs, depending on the level of education the student hopes to achieve, can last anywhere from one to two years. Emergency paramedics typically complete the most intensive and longest program available in order to learn more. Some paramedic programs result in an associate degree in emergency medicine. Courses cover anatomy and instructions on how to deal with bleeding, fractures, and other medical emergencies. Emergency paramedics typically must be recertified every two years to ensure that they are still current and educated.
