Paramedic
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Job Description
Administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses. May administer medication intravenously, use equipment such as EKGs, or administer advanced life support to sick or injured individuals.
Job Tasks
- Administer drugs, orally or by injection, or perform intravenous procedures.
- Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
- Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
- Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
- Comfort and reassure patients.
Annual Salary
- Median wages (2019) $17.02/hr., $35,400 annual
- Projected growth (2019-2029) Faster than average 5%-7% growth
Required Education
High school diploma/GED, EMT/Paramedic License
Local Career Spotlight
Brandy Debarge
Education & Training Supervisor
I always wanted to go into the field of medicine when I was in high school. I wanted to become a researcher and find a cure for cancer. I was accepted into a pre-med program and a few weeks before college started my grandmother passed away this devastated me. I dropped out of college and started to explore other options. I remembered a very personal incident involving watching a fire-fighter perform CPR (I was only 8 at the time but it stuck with me).
The year after giving up on college I started my journey in EMS. I took my EMT course and started working as an EMT and then went to MassBay CC where I received my certificate in Paramedicine. Over the last 25 years I have held multiple roles EMT, 911 dispatcher, paramedic, training officer, supervisor, clinical manager and my current role as Education and Training Supervisor. I quickly learned that I liked teaching others what I do and started taking classes in everything EMS that I could become an instructor in. The list is too long to share all.
Today I teach dispatchers, EMT, paramedics, police officers, firefighters, and nurses to name a few. I travel over a large portion of Massachusetts to teach most of it in the MetroWest area.
I am very passionate about sharing my knowledge with others and then watching them perform a skill that I taught them on a real patient. The field of medicine is ever changing and if you are not prepared for a lifetime of learning this is not the career path for you.
Resources
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