paramedics

Paramedics are healthcare professionals who provide emergency medical care before and during transport. They are trained to deliver advanced life support (ALS) and often operate under protocols established by a medical director. The role is typically distinguished from basic EMTs by a broader scope of practice, including pharmacology, advanced airway management, and invasive monitoring.

Training and certification: Entry usually requires EMT-B certification, CPR, and completion of a paramedic program accredited by the appropriate regulatory body. Programs commonly award a certificate or an associate degree and cover anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, trauma, and medical emergencies. Paramedics must pass a national, state, or provincial certification exam and maintain licensure through continuing education and periodic re-certification.

Duties: On scenes and in transit, paramedics conduct rapid patient assessments, perform airway management and ventilation, establish intravenous or intraosseous access, administer medications and fluids, interpret ECGs, perform defibrillation or synchronized cardioversion, control hemorrhage, immobilize fractures, manage pain, and facilitate rapid transport to appropriate facilities. They coordinate with physicians and EMS personnel via medical direction and the dispatcher.

Workplaces: Ambulance services, fire departments, helicopter EMS, and disaster or mass-casualty response teams. Scope of practice varies by country and jurisdiction, with protocols governing permitted procedures and medications. Professional standards emphasize ongoing training, patient safety, and coordination with higher-level care teams.