What are the Benefits of Becoming a Paramedic?
Whenever there’s an accident or a medical emergency, the first to arrive on the scene are known as first responders. These individuals are behind the wheels of ambulances speeding to salvage situations during emergencies. If you want to help those in dire need of medical attention, a paramedic degree program could be for you.
What Exactly Are Paramedics?
Paramedics are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) at the highest level of medical certification and training in handling emergencies. They provide preliminary treatment and care to patients before they can be taken to the hospital or a medical facility for proper attention. Paramedics also provide assistance during inter-facility patient transfers.
Paramedics have more training than their counterparts, and can administer intravenous injections as well as perform advanced medical procedures. Just like most medical personnel, paramedics work long hours, sometimes a 12-hour shift.
You could be scheduled at any time--at night, weekend or holiday--to provide assistance. This profession requires resilience, physical strength, and problem-solving skills to excel.
What Are the Benefits of Being a Paramedic?
Despite the challenging nature of a paramedic’s job, there are perks of becoming one. Here are some of the benefits you could enjoy when you start practicing:
Satisfaction of Assisting People
There’s no greater feeling than seeing a patient return to life after a brush with death. Many people may think they have job satisfaction, but these people have never saved a life on the job. A paramedic may respond to medical emergencies and crime scenes, relying on their knowledge and skills to resuscitate victims, slow or halt bleeding, and much more.
If you are passionate about giving back to society, being a paramedic is one of the many ways you can do so.
Variety of Experiences
If the thought of tackling new challenges daily excites you, you could be much happier being a paramedic than working in an office at a desk. No single day is the same--you could get different calls for different types of emergencies. One day you could be attending to fire victims; the next day you are called to assist victims of natural disasters. There’s no boredom when you are a paramedic!
Sense of Adventure
Most of the paramedics’ job includes going out to the field to attend to emergencies. There is a lot of travel involved. Paramedics also attend many events as they are always on standby in case of medical emergencies. This is not limited to unsafe events only!
How Can I Become a Paramedic?
Becoming a paramedic requires post-high school training, certifications and meeting licensing requirements. The training programs will need you to complete field training in addition to your coursework. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, paramedics may require associate degrees, which include about 1,200 hours of instruction. A degree could prepare you for a wide range of areas ranging from pharmacology and medicine to emergency medical service operations.
Since paramedics are always the leaders of their rescue teams, they have more advanced training than the rest of the professionals. First, you must complete the EMT-B which is the most basic training level for any emergency medical technician. Then you have to be certified before you can become a paramedic. However, you can be employed with your initial training as you plan to enroll for any other paramedic training program.
Your training will be useless if you are not licensed, because you won’t be able to practice. The final step, therefore, involves obtaining a license, which requires you to take an examination. Completing all the educational requirements helps you get all the necessary knowledge needed to better handle patients and use advanced equipment. You can then work in a variety of places, including educational institutions, fire departments and even law enforcement agencies.
Ready to Start Your Paramedic Education?
Are you excited about a degree in emergency medical service field? Do you have a passion of becoming an EMT? If you want to an Applied Science Degree in Emergency Medical Service, consider ECPI University. For more information about this program, get in touch with a friendly admission representative today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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