Thread: Yay, I passed!
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Old 05-07-2004, 20:03   #36
Jerrek
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Re: Yay, I passed!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Salu
Defining exactly what a paramedic is, is tricky as there is so much varience, even within countries. In the UK a paramedic in Newcastle for eg can give a certain drug that the ones in North Yorkshire can't.

The training is different lengths and the assessments vary.

When I did my training in the 90s it was over 8 weeks in the classroom and you trained over 2 years on the job with regular assessments from A&E consultants and Anaesthetists. Very intensive and demanding.

The medical knowledge is much more detailed than nursing and the pay is only marginally higher than a basic ambulance technician (QAT/EMT). About £1000 more....

Jerrek what sort of training have you had? I wonder if your training is akin the QAT/EMT over here? You mention that you can shove tubes down throats. What tubes? Endotracheal tubes, Oropharyngeal or nasogastric airways.

How long was it?
Hmm, I have:

- standard first aid [1 day]
- "C" level CPR (adults, children, and infants) [1 day]
- wilderness first aid [4 days]
- marine first aid [1 day]
- AED [1 day]
- WHMIS [1 day]
- Medical Responder Level I [5 days]

There is no clear definition of paramedic. I'm just a volunteer one. The fulltime paramedics usually have a 2-year diploma [which I don't have] in emergency services.
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