Paramedic: What Is Required to Enter the Profession, Positives, Negatives and Experiences?

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Paramedic: what is required to enter the profession, positives, negatives and experiences? Paramedics are highly skilled practitioners who work in challenging, exciting and dynamic environments at the frontline of the NHS. At any accident or emergency scene, the paramedics are usually the first healthcare professionals to arrive. They are the senior ambulance service experts at any emergency. They usually work in a two person team, with the second member being an emergency care assistant or ambulance technician. However, they might work on their own, using a motorbike, emergency response car or even a bicycle to reach their patient (NHS careers,2012). Their expert knowledge and skills are vital in ensuring patients are provided with the best possible care in the pre-hospital and wider community setting. The role requires paramedics to have a broad knowledge in areas such as anatomy, physiology, illness, and disease, clinical assessment and treatment therapies, legal and ethical issues and communication and teamwork (Edgehill,2012). Therefore a paramedic must be well trained, and possess the special skills and characteristics for what is required to enter the profession, making sure they understand the positive and negative aspects of the profession and using any skills and experiences already gained to help with the transition into a new job role. Anyone contemplating a career in Paramedicine really needs to plan and research the role. Before you can work unsupervised as a paramedic you need to be registered with the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC). To join the register, you need to complete a HCPC approved qualification. There are two ways you can work towards HCPC registration. Traditionally you could join the ambulance service and work your way up with experience and training from care assistant, through ambulance technician to paramedic.

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