In most urban areas, citizens pay little attention to the background din of sirens until they need help personally. Emergencies occur at any hour, and people feel more secure knowing that trained medical technicians will arrive quickly, administer aid, and provide safe transport to the hospital. The technicians providing this service not only save lives, but also illustrate the need for advanced practice paramedic training and services.
In earlier times there were few options for treating victims in the field. Even as recently as the 1960s, only a few locations had actual published lists of the standards and practices required and allowed for emergency personnel, and prior to cell phones some ambulances did not even have mobile 2-way radio. First responders were Red Cross certified, but received little classroom medical training.
That was an era when car crash fatalities were more numerous than battlefield casualties, making the need for advanced mobile field medical specialists obvious. Funding was begun during the seventies, leading to the current network structure existing today. The goal was formally described as being a rapid response to any medical crisis, providing care while at the scene, and during any necessary ambulance transport.
Modern services usually include two categories of emergency workers. The most common are EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), who perform all basic duties, but are considered entry level positions. Even so, their formal training is extensive and comprehensive, specifically designed for those first to arrive on scene. These technicians are allowed to treat patients for basic problems, but cannot administer shots.
Paramedics perform similar tasks, but their scope of practice is far less restricted. Although not actually doctors, they have received additional training in cardiology, physiology and anatomy, in addition to the latest field emergency medical procedures used to resuscitate heart attack victims. They are authorized to clear airways, administer intravenous solutions, and inject drugs. Many began as EMTs.
Although the current system is technologically advanced, it still retains the same internal administrative structure. Because there is a realistic need for additional field expertise, increasing the training levels is considered logical and necessary by many planners. This is not really a new idea, but one originally shelved due to concerns over departmental hierarchy and management politics.
Additional training can actually prevent emergencies from happening. Paramedics that have undergone advanced instruction are now making house calls intended to inform and instruct patients, as well as monitor and control conditions like diabetes, asthma, or chronic heart failure, all of which can result in a crisis. This not only cuts down on immediate critical care needs, but frees personnel for other duties.
Creating these positions not only fills a service gap, but also opens up a career pathway for interested paramedics. Because there has traditionally been no room for advancement, paramedics have increasingly abandoned emergency specialties in favor of actual hospital positions. Retaining the best and brightest field responders not only helps those in need, but also improves the overall system.
In earlier times there were few options for treating victims in the field. Even as recently as the 1960s, only a few locations had actual published lists of the standards and practices required and allowed for emergency personnel, and prior to cell phones some ambulances did not even have mobile 2-way radio. First responders were Red Cross certified, but received little classroom medical training.
That was an era when car crash fatalities were more numerous than battlefield casualties, making the need for advanced mobile field medical specialists obvious. Funding was begun during the seventies, leading to the current network structure existing today. The goal was formally described as being a rapid response to any medical crisis, providing care while at the scene, and during any necessary ambulance transport.
Modern services usually include two categories of emergency workers. The most common are EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), who perform all basic duties, but are considered entry level positions. Even so, their formal training is extensive and comprehensive, specifically designed for those first to arrive on scene. These technicians are allowed to treat patients for basic problems, but cannot administer shots.
Paramedics perform similar tasks, but their scope of practice is far less restricted. Although not actually doctors, they have received additional training in cardiology, physiology and anatomy, in addition to the latest field emergency medical procedures used to resuscitate heart attack victims. They are authorized to clear airways, administer intravenous solutions, and inject drugs. Many began as EMTs.
Although the current system is technologically advanced, it still retains the same internal administrative structure. Because there is a realistic need for additional field expertise, increasing the training levels is considered logical and necessary by many planners. This is not really a new idea, but one originally shelved due to concerns over departmental hierarchy and management politics.
Additional training can actually prevent emergencies from happening. Paramedics that have undergone advanced instruction are now making house calls intended to inform and instruct patients, as well as monitor and control conditions like diabetes, asthma, or chronic heart failure, all of which can result in a crisis. This not only cuts down on immediate critical care needs, but frees personnel for other duties.
Creating these positions not only fills a service gap, but also opens up a career pathway for interested paramedics. Because there has traditionally been no room for advancement, paramedics have increasingly abandoned emergency specialties in favor of actual hospital positions. Retaining the best and brightest field responders not only helps those in need, but also improves the overall system.
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