For the past years, paramedics are to be considered as one of the fastest response teams that deal with emergencies and medical interventions. These medical emergencies pertain to sudden illness, minor injuries, criminal violence, fire incidents and other casualties affecting one's health. One paramedic job description is to assess the patient health condition on the incident scene as well as start medical care intervention and treatment prior to hospital admission.
Being a paramedic is not that easy like "ABC or 123." Just like the other health professions, paramedics are also viewed as the first line of defence in giving medical intervention by the medical health professions. They can be questioned if there is a problem or negligence in health practice. Understanding the job descriptions of a paramedic is essential to become a fine practitioner in the field of medicine.
The Duties to Be Fulfilled
The primary paramedic job description is to apply instant medical treatment needed by a person or persons in the area and this immediate treatment is commonly known as first aid. Different patients require different needs. With that said, paramedics must know and should be well-equipped with the basic life support techniques, applying splints, administering drugs, oxygen and drips, and also can render different health assistance prior to hospital transfers.
Kinds of Paramedic Jobs
There are two kinds of paramedic and these are the ambulance and flight paramedics.
• Ambulance Paramedics
Ambulance paramedics works by land and they respond to 24/7 emergency calls that includes driving to the designated location. Assessment, initial taking of vital signs, and examining injuries are one of the basic rapid responses of ambulance paramedics. Compared to emergency medical technicians that are part of the team of the dispatched ambulance, ambulance paramedics administer different types of medications, insert endotracheal tube, interpret electrocardiograms, and other invasive medical equipments.
While driving the patient to the hospital for proper admission, ambulance paramedics seek advice with the assigned emergency doctors by means of telephone or radio to acquire medical authorization to conduct certain invasive procedures. After arriving and handing over the patient to the hospital health team, they document and endorse important details taken in the area up to the hospital care. In addition, they are also responsible in cleaning the ambulance prior to other important emergency responds.
• Flight Paramedics
Flight paramedics are commonly seen in different airline companies and are part of an aircraft flight crew. The basic flight paramedic job description is to ensure the safety of both the passengers and flight crews during and after air travel. Basically, flight paramedics are also well-equipped with the basic emergency health treatments and different medical procedures. However, flight paramedics receive special training with regards to special attention needed to air travel.
They are also responsible to recognize or intervene in any potential or possible medical threat on board. This includes managing patients with contagious diseases as well as administering other medical interventions to prevent the spread of the disease within the aircraft. Flight paramedics are also tasked to coordinate with the ambulance paramedics for patient transfer to the nearest hospital upon the landing of the aircraft. They are also expected to document as well as endorse the important details when making the transfer.
As a conclusion, whether a person belongs to a flight or ambulance paramedic category, each paramedic job description entails ensuring rapid responses to one’s health problem to avoid serious complications resulting to death prior to transferring the patient to the nearest hospital. Understanding the job description of a paramedic reveals how fully committed and determined they are to save the lives of individuals who need their health assistance.