The person who you are so relieved and pleased to see when the ambulance arrives is a paramedic.Paramedics are specialist healthcare professionals registered under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. They respond to emergency calls for medical help outside of a hospital. Often first on the scene at home, work and accident emergencies, and a reassuring presence at many sporting events. Paramedics are skilled at calmly taking control and providing urgent medical and accident care in life’s most critical and stressful moments. The scope of practice of a paramedic varies among countries, but generally includes autonomous decision making around the emergency care of patients.
If you are dynamic, compassionate, can think on your feet and have the drive to complete tertiary study, paramedicine may be the career for you. Career opportunities
Attributes of a Paramedic
How to become a Paramedic To become a paramedic, you must gain an undergraduate degree from a tertiary institution. There are currently two paramedicine degree providers in New Zealand - Auckland University of Technology and Whitireia New Zealand. Once employed, students will typically practice as an Emergency Medical Technician and, after a period of mentoring, will be eligible to seek authority to practice as a paramedic. After sufficient years of clinical experience, paramedics can specialise by completing post-graduate study (for example, to become an Intensive Care Paramedic). Already working as a Paramedic?
|