Paramedics

Administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses. May administer medication intravenously, use equipment such as EKGs, or administer advanced life support to sick or injured individuals.

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics assess injuries and illnesses, provide emergency medical care, and may transport patients to medical facilities. When transporting a patient in an ambulance, one EMT or paramedic may drive the ambulance while another monitors the patient’s vital signs and provides emergency medical care. Some paramedics work as part of a helicopter’s or an airplane’s flight crew to transport critically ill or injured patients to a hospital. In addition to transporting patients from the scene of an emergency, EMTs and paramedics transfer patients from one medical facility to another. Some patients may need to be transferred to a hospital that specializes in treating their particular injury or illness or to a facility that provides long-term care, such as a nursing home. EMTs and paramedics must decontaminate the interior of an ambulance after treating a patient who has a contagious disease. They also may need to report the case to the proper authorities.

Paramedics provide more extensive prehospital care than do EMTs. In addition to doing the tasks of EMTs, they are able to administer a wider range of medications, such as through intravenous methods. Paramedics also perform advanced airflow management and interpret electrocardiograms (EKGs)—which monitor heart function—and other types of equipment.

Paramedic postsecondary programs require applicants to have EMT-Intermediate certification. Most programs at community colleges typically lead to a nondegree award or an associate’s degree. Some programs are offered by 4-year universities and lead to a bachelor’s degree. Paramedic programs include courses such as anatomy and physiology, EKG interpretation, and maintaining airflow. They typically include supervised field experience.

With additional education, paramedics may transfer into other healthcare occupations. For example, paramedic-to-RN programs offer an accelerated pathway to becoming a registered nurse.