Tips to Help You Start Your Career as a Paramedic

Paramedics are heroes, there’s no getting around it. They are there for the worst days of people’s lives and they get them the help they need. A paramedic will save lives, sometimes putting their own lives and health at risk to do so.

There are plenty of reasons to want to be a paramedic. As you can imagine, this is an incredibly rewarding career, and it offers skills that you can use in your daily life as well. However, it’s also a difficult career, with a lot of potential for burnout.

So, whether you’re new to the job market or you’re changing careers for something more exciting, here are some tips to help you get started as a paramedic.

Paramedic Training

Before you can become a paramedic, you need to go through the appropriate training. When you apply, you might be pointed toward the qualifications that you need. 

Generally, this involves a degree or an apprenticeship degree as a paramedic. You’ll be taught how to deal with medical emergencies, as well as how to drive an ambulance. Once you’re qualified, you can apply to an ambulance service like the Royal Ambulance to start work and more training on the job.

You will also have to register as a paramedic according to the local government. Depending on where you live, these qualifications might change, so be sure to do your research.

Prepare for Tragedy

Being a paramedic is an incredibly demanding job physically, as you might have to lift people and do a lot of physical work throughout the day. But it’s also a very demanding job emotionally.

Paramedics do save lives, but for every good call where someone gets to go home or they receive life-saving treatment, there might also be a tragedy. It’s almost impossible to truly prepare yourself for what you might see as a paramedic. 

If possible, talk to other paramedics about their experiences and ask them how they coped with it. This might give you an idea of what you will encounter on the job.

Preventing Burnout

High-stress jobs often have a much higher rate of burnout. This includes jobs in the medical field, and especially for first responders like paramedics. You have to deal with long, stressful shifts and sometimes traumatic situations that you can’t really talk about at home.

The only real way to prevent burnout is to be aware of the symptoms and what you can do to give your body and mind a break. Be modest about your abilities. 

It’s better to take breaks than to push yourself past your limits and end up being burned out for a while.

Talk to a therapist or your coworkers about what you’re experiencing. If you can take some time off, then take it. Try to leave your work at work, and if this is impossible, find ways to relieve some of the stress of your job. This means that you will get more out of your job as a paramedic.