Career Programs in Paramedic Care

The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system, of which paramedics are a part, is a complex health care system made up of personnel, equipment, and resources established to deliver aid and emergency medical care to the community. It comprises of both pre-hospital and in-hospital care. The roles and responsibilities of the paramedic in this system have changed dramatically in the past 10 years. Advanced Paramedic is an enormous responsibility for which the paramedic must be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared.
Students must realize that they will be responsible for providing not only competent Paramedic but also emotional support to patients and families. Students also need to realize that during their careers as paramedics they will be exposed to many kinds of physical and emotional stress. They will face situations involving infectious diseases, fear, physical danger, death and dying. They must thus become familiar with the use of equipment and strategies that will help them remain physically and emotionally safe and healthy. By understanding safe practices, they will be better able to avoid harm from violent people, roadway hazards and infectious diseases.
They will also be able to make appropriate choices about how they live rather than having a physical or emotional injury make that decision for them. They will also learn how they can take action to prevent illness and injury, not only in their own lives but in those of their co-workers and the patients they encounter.