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Kriselle Jones

Chris Blankenship

English 1010

12 April 2016

Becoming a Paramedic

Paramedics are the ones who provide care for injured people in emergency settings.

Becoming a paramedic takes skill, dedication, strength, and motivation. Due to this, there is a

great deal of education required to become a paramedic. This paper will discuss the training,

benefits, and career opportunities of a paramedic.

Even though general studies are not required to start a paramedic program, people who

work in the field recommend acquiring them beforehand. Scott Lucero, an advanced EMT

working in his field, states Having your general education completed will help you stand out

against other candidates as you are looking for a job (Lucero). Since GPA records are easy to

obtain, maintaining higher GPAs become more important for a successful career (Lucero). By

keeping good grades its easier to acquire a job as a paramedic with decent pay.

Though good grades are important, a high school diploma or equivalent is required before

entering a paramedic program. From there, there are a few different stages of training needed

before you are eligible to become a paramedic. First, your cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

certification is required. This is a procedure that involves chest compressions to restart blood

circulation and breathing to someone in cardiac arrest. You can receive this certification by

attending a one-day class taught by various organizations.

After receiving your CPR certification, the second step would be to get basic emergency

medical technician or EMT certification. Basic EMT certification is the lowest level of education
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when it comes to EMTs. This consists of emergency skills such as controlling bleeding,

bandaging injuries, splinting broken bones, using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and

patient assessments. (Job Duties) This program is offered at community colleges and typically

includes 120 to 150 hours of instruction. (Jones)

The next step after basic EMT certification would be to complete an advanced EMT

training course. An advanced EMT certification is the mid-level of education when it comes to

EMTs and is the step below being a paramedic. This course typically requires 300 hours of

instruction. (Jones) A certified advanced EMT has the same duties as a basic EMT and includes

additional duties such as giving some medications, using complex airway devices, administering

IVs, and monitoring EKGs. (Job Duties) An EKG stands for electrocardiogram, and is a test

that checks for problems with your heart.

After completing these stages, one would be eligible to enroll into a paramedic program.

A paramedic is the highest level of education received in this field. According to the

Occupational Outlook Handbook, paramedic programs consist of 1,200 hours of instruction, and

take one to two years to complete, (EMTs and Paramedics) and usually results in an associate's

degree of science. Paramedics have all the duties of basic EMTs and advanced EMTs with the

addition of evaluating medical records, providing blood transfusions, and performing nasogastric

intubation. (Job Duties) According to Medscape, a medical website, a nasogastric intubation is

a procedure that provides access to the stomach for diagnostic therapeutic purposes. This may be

used in situations where people cannot eat and need nutrition.

In 2014 the median pay for a paramedic was $31,700, the lowest 10 percent earned less

than $20,690, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $54,690. (EMTs and Paramedics)

As an example of how underpaid paramedics are Scott Lucero makes $11.75 an hour at Summit
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County Ambulance Service. (Lucero) Putting that into perspective, there was a sign stating

Panda Express was hiring assistant managers at $15 an hour. The pay for paramedics does not

bring in the very best and brightest, just the ones willing to accept that level of pay; thus,

hindering the quality of a paramedic. (Lucero)

Due to the low pay rate the majority of paramedics work full time. About 1 in 3 worked

more than 40 hours per week in 2014. (EMTs and Paramedics) Lucero works 12 hours on

duty and 12 hours on call. While on call he must be in the response area. Paramedics can be on

call any day of the week or weekend. Its up to them to choose their shift. Paramedics work

indoors, outdoors, and in all types of weather. The work is physically and mentally challenging,

and can be stressful. There are times the job involves life or death situations. (Lucero) According

to Lucero, the most challenging part of the job is not knowing what you will be dealing with

day in and day out.

Paramedics normally work 12 or 24 hour shifts. Because paramedics must be available

to work in emergencies, they may work overnight and on weekends. (EMTs and Paramedics)

Most of the day paramedics will be on call waiting for something bad to happen. In the mean

time they will clean the bay, do ambulance checks, complete hands on training exercises, and

perform physical training to stay in shape. (Lucero) Before a 911 call comes in, the emergency

response team need to decide a few things; who will be the leader of the situation, who is the

support, and who is the hands on guy? (Lucero) The leader is the one directing the situation.

They decide who does what. The support gathers information on what happened and who was

involved. Lastly, the hands on guy is directly involved with the patients, and their only concern

is treating the patient.

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Additional duties paramedics typically do are: respond to 911 calls, assess a patients

condition, provide first-aid treatment or life support, transport patients in an ambulance, report

observations to a nurse, document medical care given to patients, perform inventory, and finally

Cleaning or replacement of supplies and equipment after use. (EMTs and Paramedics) As the

patients are being transported to the hospital one of the paramedics will be monitoring their

vitals. Paramedics may also need to transport patients from a facility such as a nursing home to a

hospital for additional care.

A piece of advice from Lucero would be never stop learning, People never reach the

point of all knowing. Also, embrace every aspect of the job. Never stop training and learning

new skills. (Lucero) Due to the high stress and intensity of being a paramedic, it is not something

to be taken lightly. A person must enjoy challenges and have a desire for a paramedic career.

This occupation requires quite a bit of work and dedication however; the personal reward is

great. Paramedics saves lives and provide an essential service for communities.
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Works Cited

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. EMTs and Paramedics. Occupational

Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, December 17, 2015. Web. 12 April 2016.

How to Become a Paramedic/EMT: Paramedic School and EMT Training. Learn How to

Become. Jones, Doug. January 2016. Web. 12 April 2016.

Lucero, Scott. Personal interview. 5 April 2016.

What Are the Job Duties of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)? Learn.org. Web. 17

April 2016