subject: Ambulance Training [print this page] Mainly, paramedic or ambulance staff duty is to transport the patient and provide emergency intervention for the patients condition. Ambulance services have several levels of ambulance staff. Common ambulance staff are:
First Responder
* His or her primary duty is to arrive first at the scene of the accident. Initially, that person will initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or using an automated external defibrillator (AED). Usually, the first responders are dispatched by a private ambulance service.
Ambulance Driver or Patient Transport Service (PTS) Driver
* As an ambulance driver, their job is limited to driving only they transport the injured, disabled, or elderly patients from place to place. In order to be qualified as an ambulance driver, either in an emergency or non-emergency unit, a driving license is required. Training courses for the job depend on the employers qualifications.
Ambulance Care Assistant
* Their main duty is to transport the patient on a stretcher or a wheelchair. For this kind of job, it is up to the employer to decide whether or not to train the employee in first aid or extended skills such as use of an AED, oxygen therapy, and other life saving or palliative skills.
Emergency Medical Technician
* Also known as Ambulance Technician or EMT-Basic and EMT-Intermediate. At times, they perform emergency care such as defibrillation, spinal immobilization, bleeding control, splinting of suspected fractures, assisting the patient with certain medications, and oxygen therapy.
Paramedic
* They possess the highest level of EMT training and usually are required to perform extensive skills such as cannulation, tracheal intubation, and cricothyrotomy.
Registered nurse (RN)
* Nurses can be a big help in any aspect of ambulance work. They can perform extra work in conjunction with a technician or paramedic. The nurse can also provide emotional support especially for those patients who are in trauma, or in cardiac situation.
Emergency Care Practitioner
* Also known as Super Paramedic. This person is responsible for the link between ambulance care and the care of a general practitioner. ECPs are staff who have undergone further Paramedic training, such as training for prescribed medicines for long term care facilities and training for additional diagnostic techniques.
Each role mentioned above has various educational ambulance trainings. Schools and universities offer trainings for each position. The Department of Transportation has implemented a set of regulations that must be followed by all prospective applicants. Many schools offer ambulance training leading to certification and a college degree. If you wish to join the ambulance team, it is best to study the Paramedic course and other EMT training courses because ambulance teams always have a need for Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians. Moreover, becoming Paramedic or Emergency Medical Technician (First Responder, EMT-Basic or EMT-Intermediate) gives you financial and work stability.
Ambulance training is by no means easy; it requires lot of skill, decision making, and being focused on what to do in an emergency situation. All applicants for ambulance staff positions must undergo training even if they are only applying as a driver in an ambulance. The specifics of work may vary from state to state in terms of qualifications and titles. If you want to enroll in an ambulance training, specifically to become a paramedic, contact your preferred school to get all the details you need.
