People who are certified as paramedics can work in a variety of jobs, depending on their level of education. Paramedics can work in a variety of settings, including a fast-paced ambulance service or a research facility where paramedics provide medical care to test subjects. Despite the fact that paramedics are frequently associated with emergency situations, many paramedic jobs involve non-emergency situations.
Emergency medical transport is one of the most well-known paramedic jobs. Ambulances, helicopters, boats, and other modes of transportation with paramedics on board respond to emergencies and transport patients. Paramedics in these types of jobs provide pre-hospital interventions that can save a patient’s life or drastically improve their prognosis. Fire trucks and rescue vans used fire stations can also have paramedics on board, providing emergency medical care at the scene of fires.
Tactical paramedics work alongside law enforcement and the military to provide on-the-spot medical care. People who want to work as paramedics in these situations must be able to work well under pressure and quickly assess situations for their level of danger. As a tactical paramedic, you may provide care to members of your team, bystanders at a scene, or people injured during an engagement; tactical paramedics must be able to care for criminals or the enemy, as well as coworkers and people injured in accidents and emergency situations.
Other paramedic jobs are available in the hospital setting. An emergency room may be staffed paramedics who provide immediate care and treatment to incoming patients. They can collaborate with registered nurses and doctors to process incoming patients, triage them, and perform medical procedures. Paramedics can also work in blood banks or for a company or corporation, where they provide basic medical care to injured people on the spot. Clinics may also hire paramedics, nurses, and physician assistants to help with staffing, reducing the burden on doctors.
People who want to be paramedics should look at the different levels of certification required for different paramedic jobs to ensure that they meet the educational requirements for the paramedic positions they want. In general, the higher a paramedic’s certification, the more employable he or she is, because he or she can perform more interventions and provide more services. People can also choose to begin working with a low level of certification and then continue their education to earn higher levels of certification over time.