are there any medics out there that can tell me what the steps are to becoming a paramedic?

Question

it would help if u had an email so i can email u about questions

i want real answers

Answer 1

First, you need to get CPR certified. This is usually a 1 or 2 day class, and you will learn adult and infant CPR. You will need the "CPR for health care professionals course" not the "heart saver" course. The heart saver course doesn't go into enough detail.

EMT Basic course would be your next step. It's usually a part time co use over 2 or 3 months. The prerequisites are to be at least 17 to take the course and 18 to be certified, and you will need current CPR certification. You can usually find EMT-B classes at your local community college, hospital, or fire department. In this course, you will learn basic assessment techniques, how to get vital signs from a patient, how to spinally immobilize someone, how to splint fractures, how to treat common medical emergencies, how to treat trauma, how to stop bleeding, how to give oxygen, and how to assist a patient with their nitro, epi-pen, or inhaler, and how to give oral glucose and activated charcoal. After you pass this class, you will need to apply for national certification as an EMT-Basic (www.nremt.org). Then you will have to take a written and practical test. After that, you will be qualified to work on an ambulance.

Then, you will need to apply for paramedic (EMT-P) school. There are a few more prerequisites (you have to be EMT-Basic certified, you usually have to be at least 19, and the individual school may have other requirements, for example, a certain amount of experience, or some college courses). EMT-P courses are a bit harder to find than EMT-Basic courses; you can try your local community or regular college. The local fire department also might know of one in your area. Paramedic school usually lasts for a year (for certificate) or two (for associates degree). In this school, you will learn advanced assessment procedures, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, how to administer up to 60 different drugs (depending on your local protocols), how to intubate someone (putting a tube down a patients throat so they can breathe), how to read a cardiac monitor, how to shock a person's heart into beating again, how to diagnose and treat many medical and traumatic emergencies, how to start IV's, etc. It's a pretty intense course. After you pass the class, you need to get nationally registered. There is a written, oral, and practical test. After you pass the tests, you have to apply for state licensure. Usually, all the state needs to see is that you passed your national test and will be working for an ambulance company, but some states have different requirements. And that's about it! To keep the paramedic license current, you will have to continue to take classes (about 40? hours a year).

This can vary from state to state. There are a few states that don't accept the national registry's tests, and require their own. Most states, though, do use the national registry's tests as the standard for their certification.

If you are interested in becoming a paramedic, I would recommend that you work on an ambulance after you obtain EMT-Basic certification, but before you start paramedic school, just to make sure that you like it. That's a lot of money to invest, only to find out 2 years later that you can't deal with working on an ambulance.

If you are under 18, I would recommend getting involved in an Explorers program at your local fire department. It's a great place for young people to learn about working on an ambulance or at a fire department, and it's a good way to see if it is something you want to do.

For further questions, feel free to email me at [e-mail]

Have a great day!

Answer 2

I'm not a paramedic, but this is a good start:

Answer 3

take the required EMT classes, and you will find out while taking them.