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Paramedics are health professionals who provide specialist out-of-hospital emergency health care and unscheduled care to the community. Paramedics are frontline health professionals, providing lifesaving medical interventions to the sick, while ensuring they’re condition is stabilised during transport to hospital. Often the term Paramedic is used in conjunction with Ambulance, the name ‘Ambulance Paramedic’ denoting the most common workplace for these health professionals and where the outdated terms “Ambo” or “Ambulance Officer” were first derived.

Paramedics are highly skilled individuals. While there remains no national standard on the education and training of Paramedics, most states in Australia require that Paramedics complete a university degree varying in duration from 3-4 years, while undertaking further clinical in-field training of 12-24 months duration. Unlike nursing and medical staff, the role of a Paramedic appears to be far more defined, specialising predominately in medical emergencies and the management of high acuity patients. While Paramedics are often thought to attend motor vehicle accidents and severe trauma, the nature and frequency of the clinical presentations of patients varies considerably.

Paramedics respond to both urgent and non-urgent calls for community assistance. The most common medical emergencies relate to traumatic and cardio-respiratory conditions, however Paramedics regularly attend diabetic emergencies, seizures, falls, severe allergic reactions and other life-threatening complications. However, the role of Paramedics is also changing. As the population ages and with the rise in mental illnesses affecting the community, Paramedics are increasingly at the forefront of dealing with social and mental health problems. Due to the unique nature of their work, Paramedics are also in the best position to provide medical advice, education and health promotion to the community.

While there remains no national standard for the types of skills Paramedics undertake, most university trained Paramedics receive the award of “Advanced Life Support” – a nationally recognised skill level. While roles vary between jurisdictions, Advanced Life Support Paramedics are trained to administer a variety of drugs and perform invasive interventions including intravenous cannulation and advanced airway management. Further postgraduate education and training can lead to the attainment of higher skill levels, including the Intensive Care Paramedic (or similar) which highlights the panacea of out-of-hospital emergency care for the community. Intensive Care Paramedics are highly skilled individuals who administer complex medications and undertake highly invasive medical procedures often only performed by an anaesthetist or senior doctor.

Paramedics are respected members of our community. In fact, for the last 6 years Australians have awarded Paramedics the title of “Australia’s most trusted professionals” (Reader’s Digest Survey – July 2009). So what makes the Paramedic such a valued member of the health team? Due to the unique nature of the work that is undertaken by Paramedics, they are often confronted with stressful and complex situations. They are invited into people’s homes and perform under difficult and adverse conditions. Paramedics are often thought to see the community at their worst, and in their greatest time of need. This challenging and unique environment makes the role of a Paramedic both fulfilling and rewarding.