Making a real difference
Paramedics give life, deal with death, and cope with everything in between. They are often the first medical staff on the scene of an accident and, as such, it’s a very high-stress job.
The traditional role of working on an ambulance can be physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, and the shift patterns can be difficult to manage.
On the other hand, however, job satisfaction is high.
“Paramedics employed in the out of hospital setting deal withpeopleatsomeofthemost vulnerable times of their lives and with this comes the ability to make a difference – to do something that matters, to help someone in their time of greatest need,” says Liz Harris, from the College of Paramedics.
“A modern paramedic is an autonomous practitioner who has the knowledge, skills and clinical expertise to assess, treat, diagnose, supply and administer medicines, manage, discharge and refer patients in a range of urgent, emergency, critical or out of hospital settings.
“Being a paramedic means being a part of a valued, exciting and evolving profession, and the College of Paramedics is committed to seeing paramedics achieve their full potential for the benefit of patients across the UK.”
Clearly, being a paramedic is a high-pressure job – and not everyone is cut out for such a role.
“You’ll need to have excellent skills such as communication, problem solving and critical thinking,” says Liz.
“You’ll also need an ability to work autonomously and function under pressure whilst maintaining the patient’s needs and perspective at the forefront of any decision making is vital.
“Employers will also look for attributes such as integrity, honesty and empathy.”
Traditionally, newly-qualified paramedics would begin their employment within an NHS Ambulance Service on Agenda for Change pay band 5, which currently starts at £22,128, plus an additional unsocial hours payment in most situations.
However, graduate paramedics are increasingly being employed outside of ambulance services, where starting salaries can be more.
According to UCAS, Paramedics need to complete a foundation degree, diploma of higher education (DipHE) or degree in paramedic science, or get on a student paramedic course at an ambulance service trust.
To do a paramedic science degree, you’ll usually need five GCSEs (A-C) including maths, English and science, plus at least two A levels, with one a science subject.