Being a paramedic is a very noble job. You get the opportunity to affect peoples lives like never before. But before you can step foot in an ambulance you must first go through paramedic training. Paramedic training can be pretty rigorous. All together you will spend about 2 years in training. During that time you will go through classroom training, clinical training and live, hands on training in an actual ambulance.
Paramedic training is different for each state. At this point there is no standard for all 50 states. However, things are moving in that direction and eventually everyone, no matter what state they are in, will go through the same paramedic training.
Before you can start paramedic training you must first finish EMT school. Many paramedic schools require you to have EMT certification before you can even apply to paramedic school. And while many people think that Emergency medical technician training and paramedic training are one in the same, but they are not. Paramedics are trained to perform invasive procedures and EMT’s are not. Paramedics are also permitted to give several different medications to a patient.
A Break Down Of The Curriculum
The length of your training will depend on the state you live in. If your state does not follow the nation curriculum set forth b the Department of Transportation then your training will last 1 year. If your state does follow the national curriculum training will last about 2 years.
During the in classroom portion of paramedic training you will learn about things such as anatomy, physiology, medications, cardiac function and other things pertaining to the human body. Once you complete the in classroom portion you will move on to the clinical portion. This is where you will start to get some hands on training.
During the clinical phase you will attend clinical rotations at a hospital, nursing home or other facility that provides health care. Generally speaking you will spend a lot of time around the emergency room as this is the main focus during the clinical phase. Once you pass this phase its time to do a ride along in a real life ambulance service or paramedics service.
This is where you will put everything you have learned into action. During the ride along you will be practicing and learning under the supervision of a skilled paramedic. You will be required to spend several hours in the ride along phase. Once you prove that you can do the effectively you will be able to graduate paramedic school.
Congratulations, you are now an EMT-Paramedic. The next thing for you to go is go out and find a job. The health care field is ever growing so you shouldn’t have a hard time finding employment. Some schools provide job placement so ask your counselor if this is available to you.
Tips On Choosing A Training Program
As you can imagine there are a lot of institutions that offer paramedic training. However, not all institutes are created equal. It is very important that you do your research before hand. Picking the right paramedic training program is vital to your success.
The first thing you should do is make sure the school is properly accredited. If a program doesn’t have the proper credentials you need to find a different one. When choosing a program you should first consider your personal preferences. The program you choose should fit around your current schedule. If going to an actual campus won’t work for you, you can always consider online training.
If you choose to go with online training know that you will still be required to do the hands on portion before you can graduate. You can only do the classroom portion online.
Another thing you should look for is what equipment is available to the students. When it comes to paramedic training you want to make sure you have access to the best equipment. A good paramedic school will help you learn by giving you access to emergency room equipment, mannequins and ambulance equipment.
You should research at least 3 or 4 different schools before you make a decision. Get a list of all accredited paramedic schools in your area and go from there. Check for things such as school reputation, teaching methods and costs. A good paramedic school will teach you things such as medical terminology, diagnosis and so much more. They will also make sure you are prepared to pass the NREMT, or National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, exam. You must pass this exam before you can work as a paramedic.
You should also speak with a guidance counselor to see if the school will help with job placement and internships. If they do make sure they provide internships with reputable hospitals. An internship will better prepare you for what you will have to deal with as a paramedic. It will give you first hand experience and allow you to see if this is really something you want to do.
The great thing about internships is that they can line you up for the position you want. An internship is your opportunity to not only get hands on experience, but to also show the hospital or ambulance service that you know what you are doing. If you do good on the internship there is a good chance you will be offered a position.
Being a paramedic can be a very fun, exciting and rewarding job. It can also be a very stressful and emotionally taxing job as you will often times have to take care of patients in very chaotic situations. And sometimes the results won’t be what you hoped they would be.
But being a paramedic is about more than just saving lives. Yes that is a big part, but it is also about showing compassion for those you provide care to. You will without a doubt save a lot of lives, but it is how you make a patient feel that will have the biggest impact.
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