2000TLondon

Just started volunteering as an Ambulance driver in Texas (on a non-working visa, currently) and am thoroughly enjoying it, so much so that I am about to start taking EMT classes. (Emergency Medical Technician)

I was initally surprised that I was just allowed to take the wheel and respond to emergencies after just one day's ride along, and now I am "qualified" as a driver as I have performed 10 shifts without incident! Huge adrenaline rush, but also massive pressure, when driving to emergencies, I find!

Anyway, I believe the basic qualification takes about six months, part-time, and there are eight levels of qualification (this is the system in the US) four as an EMT and four levels of Paramedic.

Basically wondered if anyone has been / is a paramedic in the UK or abroad. How long would you expect it to take to be a fully certified paramedic, what are the options career wise after that, and how poor is the money? It is a vocation, after all!

DCI Gene Hunt

The U S of A you say...............

"It's OK lady, I'm a paramedic"........ "We take AMEX, VISA, Master card or Diners Club........" "What?!?!, you have no plastic!........ well just sit back and bleed down that drain then......"

Edited to say I hope things have changed over there now................

2000TLondon

Too true a few years ago, but they have now stopped the "wallet biopsy" and the ambulance will never refuse a paitent, anymore.... They will however pursue the paitent after for payment. The hospitals are a different story It is a terrible state of affairs if you are poor, where you will generally end up in the County Hospital, which according to one sheriff I met, is worse than jail!

DCI Gene Hunt

That's a shocking state of affairs to be in....... makes you glad we've the NHS (even though it's on it's **** at the moment)............

2000TLondon

Yep, although if you are employed it works out quite well as most companies cough up 80 - 100% of the cost, which can be up to $40 or $50k per annum! In that case, you get excellent care, bordering on luxury accomodation, the hospitals are sparkling clean and very new. However, if you're not working.........

DCI Gene Hunt

if you're not working..................

"Next............................."

TopBanana

Struggling but not quite on its **** I wouldn't say. Acute care is pretty good.

2000TLondon

Got my red shirt today, complete with fancy patches on the arms and a nice little gold plate name badge!

TopBanana

Just ordered this from Amazon:
Blood, Sweat and Tea: Real Life Adventures in an Inner-city Ambulance

2000TLondon

Sounds interesting, may be worth keeping a diary! Wonder if I could get people to sign a waiver when I arrived on scene to allow me to film them for my reality show?

David Lock

MASH - The Follow Up!

2000TLondon

Darwin awards live, more like.......

Tuts bird

For info see:

http://www.shu.ac.uk/paramedic/

http://ambulance999.co.uk/forum/phpBB2/index.php

http://www.bwts.org/

At the moment we only have first aid trained drivers on our intermediate vehicles which do GP urgent calls but not emergencies. They work with either a tech or a para. The emergency vehicles are either 2 techs, 2 paras or one of each. We tend to take it in turns driving. Techs or paras can solo respond on the rapid response cars (RRV or FRU) but they usually have to be qualified at least a year.

Technician course is 7 weeks A&P and 3 weeks driving (inc 1 weeks emergency response and 2 days manouvering at speed and driving skid cars) followed by 1 year on the road with essays, quarterly assessments, continuing professional development files and a final interview.

It's advisable to wait at least a year post tech qualification to get comfortable in your role before starting your para course.

Paramedic course is equivalent to 7 full weeks (now done 2 days per week while still doing shifts on the road) follwed by 4 weeks in hospital training and upkeep of CPD. You have to get permission from your line manager to apply (they don't have to let you) then do various entrance exams inc practicals and an interview. Then you register with the HPC when you qualify.

That's if you manage to get on direct entry, it's becoming a degree only thing in the near future.

Techs are trying to get band 5 pay (max £24,803) but could be looking at 4 (max £19,730), in most services it hasn't been agreed yet. Paras are either in band 5 or 6 (max £31,004), service depandant.http://www.nhsemployers.org/pay-cond...itions-217.cfm

You also get unsociable hours enhancements up to 25% depending on the shifts you do.

Reynolds book Blood, Sweat and Tea will give you a good insight into what we do, it's taken from his blog http://randomreality.blogware.com/blog

After qualifying as a paramedic you can become a supervisor/team leader, AOM, station officer and up, somewhere around band 8 (max £73,281) or you could do training or be an emergency care practitioner (ECP - band 6 or 7 (max £36,416)).


That help you?

2000TLondon

Yeah, cheers! As expected the process is a lot more rigid in the UK, from what I have seen so far. As I said, I'm driving emergencies in a several ton truck after just 1 day's ride along, which is pretty crazy!

I'm meeting HR this afternoon actually to sign up for my course.

The pay grades can get a lot higher than I thought, although here it looks like you start on about $25,000, which is incredibly low for me, but.......

Love the idea of a blog, though......