paramedic certification | Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

New Roles For Paramedics

A team of paramedic and emergency medical technicians are known to be the street heroes as they race patients to the nearest hospital. However, as of this writing, paramedics have new roles to deal with in order to have a safe and healthy environment. They are taking a new role of promoting good health to people to keep them out from being admitted to hospitals.

Paramedics are now entering the new field in health care called community paramedicine. Their role is to train people on how to respond to chronic illness attack and promote home safety. The emergency team is being sent to different areas to provide health teaching and to inspect health hazards. This is a good step made by experts that will connect health and people living in remote areas.

Basically, what paramedics usually do in the area is to take and assess vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, glucose count, and other significant physical assessment. They also provide health procedures such as giving intravenous medications, and even performing laboratory tests. Moreover, the main goal of paramedics is to provide helpful health teachings to the community. In order to have a good outcome, paramedics also work with other health professionals such as doctors, nurses, psychologist, and dietitians.

In this new health role, paramedics and other members of the emergency team, are expected to do more community outreach like visiting not just the community, but other facilities such as mental and senior care homes. This new role of paramedics not just promotes health, it also helps decrease the number of accidents, illness and occurrence of new hazards. Moreover, this new program helps hospitals that face penalties from health insurance companies from being submitted to debts caused by a patient’s longer hospital stay.

Community paramedics deployed in different areas are well-experienced and skilled medics. They know that their main goal is to promote health and focus on primary care that will keep people healthy at all times thus preventing diseases and other illnesses from getting worse.

On Paramedics

Paramedics are entirely different from a nurse. But they are healthcare professionals, who are concentrated with giving pre-hospital care such as doing first aid.

But paramedics work mainly at the location of an emergency as part of an emergency first response team. Most of the time, they are working closely with an ambulance unit, or with medical technicians before a patient outside a hospital. Paramedics have working relations with a variety of medical organizations, and their services may vary depending on the company’s system.

Their role has evolved over time along with the expansion of diversified practices, from providing basic health care to specialized medical assessments. Part of the evolution of paramedics are their involvement with the community. In some extreme cases, a paramedic is an essential part of a rescuing team, included as part of an aviation medical mission perhaps, where they would transport a patient through a chopper to receive medical attention from a nearby hospital.

In other instances, paramedics have replaced the roles of physicians, nurses and even medical technicians in rescuing patients, such as in the event of a calamity or in giving medical assistance on critical areas. Paramedics often work hand in hand with police officers, marine doctors, army engineers, or search and rescue teams. Often times they are called tactical paramedics.

A paramedic is either employed by the emergency medical arm of a municipality or a private medical organization. They could be an attachment unit with the locale’s public ambulance system, the fire department or even a community hospital. They could even volunteer on a particular project in need of medical assistance such as doing research on remote areas or an additional group of an association.

EMTs and Paramedics

You constantly see the EMTs and the paramedics whether on the news or in the movie. You see them in their uniform responding to any accidents or disaster giving aid to victims. Sometimes you’ll see them in ambulances, fire trucks, hospitals or helicopters. They are assigned in areas where help is needed. Both the EMT and the paramedics work in a variety of roles and are usually the first in area of accidents, medical emergencies, and natural disasters.

In the field of emergency medical services (EMS), there are different levels of accreditations for providers of care. Emergency Medical Technicians are the most typical kind of providers in all of EMS. They are the entry-level patient care provider accompanied by EMT-Intermediates and then paramedics.

Both EMTs and paramedics have the skills and knowledge to move or transport patients and provide them with emergency care. The most important distinction between them is the quantity of education they receive as well as what they are permitted to do for patients.

EMTs usually complete a program that may reach 120-150 hours in length. Paramedic classes may be between 1,200 to 1,800 hours. EMT and paramedic courses consist of lectures, hands-on skills training and clinical internships. EMTs are educated in several skills including CPR, assisting patient with oxygen, providing glucose for diabetics, and assisting others with treatments for asthma attacks or allergy symptoms.

Paramedics are superior providers of emergency medical treatment and are highly educated in matters like anatomy and physiology, medications, cardiology, first aid and medical procedures. They expand their EMT education and learn more skills such as providing medications, starting intravenous lines, delivering advanced airway management for patients, and understanding how to resuscitate and assist patients with significant issues like heart attacks and severe injuries.

Difference Between Paramedics and EMTs

Being a paramedic or EMT (emergency medical technician) is something to look forward to. They risk their life just to rescue those who need immediate emergency care. They work 24/7 and at times risk their own health since they are exposed to different kinds of virus and diseases such as HIV/AIDS. EMT and paramedics risk their own life-saving all types of situations such as dealing with psychotic, manic or suicidal patients.

A lot of medical related students wish to work as one, either an EMT or a paramedic. The question is, do they really know the difference between the job description of an EMT and a paramedic? We will talk more about that in this article.

Before you can achieve the title of becoming a paramedic, you need to start from the basics. Emergency medical technician is the primary stage wherein you undergo a series of basic life support trainings for six months such as basic CPR trainings, how to bandage cuts and wounds properly, stabilizing bone fractures and treating degrees of burn. These two careers are both great choices. It allows you to do something good in the society. This kind of career is now in demand everywhere since doctors and nurses cannot reach emergency cases outside the hospital.

If you wish to work as an EMT or a paramedic, you should bear in mind that emergency medical technicians are the so called paramedic’s assistant, they only do basic life support and it is the job of paramedics to do critical life support.

Paramedics go through a series of advanced life support training for two years, such as executing endotracheal intubation, Intravenous trainings. They need to take up biology and math classes for them to be absorbed in the paramedic list. In terms of the salary, paramedics are paid higher than EMTs. Paramedics earn more up to $80,000 a year, while EMTs only get half of it. There is really a big difference between the two, but both of these careers have only one goal, and that is to help those who are in need and save more lives.

Paramedics Career

Paramedics provide medical attention on ill or injured people on emergency situations. All paramedics are required in all states to get a license and get the certification in the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). Paramedics work in compensated positions or voluntary basis for emergency medical services, fire departments, police departments along with other organizations. In an accident or emergency situation, the paramedics are usually the first healthcare professionals to arrive and give preliminary treatment or medication to the patient. They are part of the senior ambulance service experts assigned to accidents and untoward incidents. A paramedic is usually a member of an ambulance crew. The other member serves as an ambulance assistant.

Paramedics face different situations and scenario each day. They constantly meet different types of patients with different conditions or located in different cities. Paramedics are emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Paramedics employed in urban centers typically work in ambulance services, hospitals and municipalities. Employment possibilities are perfect for paramedics who’ve received advanced training. Advanced training can include advanced education. Paramedics may also act as managers, administrators and company directors of emergency services. Although additional training is needed, many nurses and doctors frequently begin as paramedics.

Just like any other profession, the job of a paramedic comes with different challenges. However, the sense of fulfillment that comes with the job gives comfort and security despite the challenges. You need to prepare yourself for difficult situations if you plan to become a paramedic. You may face scenarios that you haven’t seen before, so make sure you are always prepared. Paramedic is a worthy and decent course and their presence is very important. Paramedics enjoy what they do; saving lives and giving hope to hopeless situations are their main role.

Becoming a Paramedic after Basic EMT Training

The EMTs are classified into three different levels, the paramedic is considered to be the greatest. Every person has to start with the basic EMT training before advancing towards the intermediate level. In the fundamental level, the clinical training along with the coursework is not so extensive. It provides a person a chance to handle common emergency situations. The intermediate level is much more extensive should you compare it towards the fundamental level. However, if this involves the greatest degree of EMT (paramedic) lots of learning in the emergency room is needed. This describes why most paramedic programs need a 2 year associate degree. The person is trained to handle specialized emergency cases. This might include practical and theoretical courses which cover anatomy, biology and physiology.

It is just after passing the NEMRT exams that the person could be handed an EMT certification and be a certified paramedic. These exams include written in addition to practical tests. However, based on the state you reside, the NEMRT exams is probably not enough to achieve the licensed status. You will find areas that provide additional EMT exams that are given through the state and should be passed before the person is licensed. This means that it is good to discover if the program you need to sign up for will offer you such exams. When you become a paramedic, be ready to have a good EMT salary as high as 50,000 dollars yearly. This figure is certain to differ with respect to the employer, in addition to, your height of experience.

Searching for Accredited Online Paramedic Courses

At this stage, you have likely accomplished your EMT-Basic and EMT-Intermediate course (this may differ depending on the state you are situated in), and are considering seeking further education to become a paramedic. To be able to do so, you will need to join some kind of paramedic program or training course. This content is going to be more designed towards those who may be considering an on the internet paramedic system. Online paramedic courses are quite new, and consequently, the number of accredited institutions on online paramedic courses provided is still gradually improving. These programs will prepare EMTs for certification examination one must complete to be able to become a qualified paramedic.

On the internet paramedic programs usually run anywhere one to two years, reliant on the state you are living in. In the past, the only choice was to join a system at a business, as technological innovation did not yet allow for any kind of online applications to be provided. Fortunately, with developments in technology, the number of approved online paramedic programs provided through the country is increasing annually, making it simpler for EMTs and other medical professionals to engage in further education to become certified paramedics.

The fact that online courses in the paramedic area are pretty new, your best bet is to get in touch with your regional EMS institution to figure out if there are any approved online paramedic courses in your state. This is important, as many create the error of applying and finishing a course, only to determine that it is not approved by the state. Keep in mind that the entirety of the course is not on the internet. After all, it would be improbable to give out paramedic certification to everyone who accomplished an online course. Paramedics need a great level of realistic and hands on practice. All online paramedic courses will involve several time of realistic, hands on practice. Once the course specifications have been met by learners, they will be qualified to take the paramedic examination. As a paramedic, profession alternatives are numerous. You can also select to engage in further knowledge, and perhaps join a paramedic to RN system. Doing so will again expand your profession possibilities, enabling you to work in the nursing area.