Choosing a career as a paramedic

What do paramedics do?

“Paramedics are the senior ambulance service healthcare professionals at an accident or a medical emergency. Working on their own or with an emergency care assistant or ambulance technician, they assess the patient's condition and then give essential treatment. They use high-tech equipment, such as defibrillators (which restore the heart's rhythm), spinal and traction splints and intravenous drips, as well as administering oxygen and drugs.

“Paramedics are often one of the first healthcare professionals on the scene of any accident or medical emergency. They are usually one of a two-person ambulance crew, with an emergency care assistant or ambulance technician to assist them. However, they might work on their own, using a motorbike, emergency response car or even a bicycle to reach their patients. With extra training, they could also become members of an air ambulance crew.

“When they arrive at the scene, they will assess the patient's condition and take potentially life-saving decisions about any treatment needed before the patient is transferred to hospital. They then start giving the treatment, with the assistance of the emergency care assistant or ambulance technician.

“They are trained to drive what is in effect a mobile emergency clinic and to resuscitate and/or stabilise patients using sophisticated techniques, equipment and drugs. They might be called out to someone who has fallen from scaffolding, for example, or an elderly person with a suspected stroke. Based at a local ambulance station or a large hospital along with other emergency crews, they work shifts, including evenings and weekends, going out in all weathers at all hours of the night or day. They work closely with doctors and nurses in hospital accident and emergency departments, briefing them as they hand their patient over to their care.

“As well as contact with patients, they also deal with patients' relatives and members of the public, some of whom may be hysterical or aggressive. They also often work alongside the police and fire brigade.”

• Source: NHS careers

Some of the benefits of a career as a paramedic include:

A varied workload

Paramedic work could never be described as boring. While many of the calls attended are fairly routine, paramedics still have to be ready to deal with almost any kind of medical emergency.

• “This job is anything but dull! You simply never know what's coming next. I’ve dealt with all sorts of patients in all sorts of places – from a farm worker unconscious in a pigsty to a violinist collapsed in the orchestra pit at the Royal Opera House.” Eric, Paramedic

Teamwork and responsibility

Most paramedics work as part of a small, tightly-knit team of pre-hospital care providers. They are usually the senior clinician at the scene of an emergency and will be responsible for leading the care team.

• “I work with a great bunch of people who really care about the job. I know I can trust them when it matters.” Carol, Paramedic

Increasing scope of practice

Paramedics now undertake a wide range of clinical procedures and interventions, many of which were previously only available in hospital.

• “I’ll never forget the first time I went to someone with a bad MI (heart attack). My crew mate and I did a 12 lead ECG in the ambulance to diagnose the MI. I decided he met the criteria for thrombolysis so I cannulated him (put a needle into a vein in his arm) and gave him a number of IV drugs, including a powerful pain killer and a thrombolytic. Within an hour he had gone from being desperately ill to almost fully recovered.” Julia, Paramedic

Employment prospects

The range of opportunities available is increasing all the time. Paramedics may choose to work in a number of specialist roles such as critical care helicopter work, marine rescue, urban search and rescue or CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) response. For those who would like to take their career to the highest level, a number of advanced clinical leadership roles up to Consultant Paramedic are now emerging.

• “I’ve done some amazing things in my time with the ambulance service. The high point for me was a six month secondment to the helicopter service where I got to specialise in critical trauma care. I’ve also done a secondment to HART (hazardous area response team) and I’m still a CBRN responder. At the moment I’m a team leader responsible for a team of technicians and paramedics.” Ged, Paramedic

• Read more about paramedic careers at NHS careers and The College of Paramedics (the professional body for paramedics)
• Learn how to qualify as a paramedic and find out about our paramedic science courses