Profession paramedic in emergency responses

Paramedics in emergency responses provide emergency care to sick, injured, and vulnerable persons in emergency medical situations, before and during transport to a medical facility. They implement and oversee the transfer of the patient in connection with transport. They provide assistance in acute situations, implement life-saving emergency measures, and monitor the performance of the transportation process. As allowed by national law they may also provide oxygen, certain drugs, the puncture of peripheral veins and infusion of crystalloid solutions and perform endotracheal intubation if needed for the immediate prevention of threats for the life or health of an emergency patient.

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Personality Type

• Social / Investigative

Knowledge

• Intubation

  The artificial respiration and intubation and the potential complications.

• Defibrillation

  The use of semiautomatic defibrillators and the cases where it applies.

• Human anatomy

  The dynamic relationship of human structure and function and the muscosceletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, integumentary and nervous systems; normal and altered anatomy and physiology throughout the human lifespan.

• Transportation methods

  Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and optimal work strategies.

• Health care system

  The structure and function of health care services.

• Pathogenic microorganisms

  The main classes of pathogenic microorganisms, the spread of infection and the use of universal precautions.

• Clinical science

  The research and development of the techniques and equipment used by medical staff to prevent, diagnose and treat illness.

• Stages of normal development

  The main sequential stages of normal development, the cognitive, emotional and social measures of maturation through the human lifespan.

• Behavioural science

  The investigation and analysis of subject behaviour through regulated and lifelike observations and disciplined scientific experiments.

• First aid

  The emergency treatment given to a sick or injured person in the case of circulatory and/or respiratory failure, unconsciousness, wounds, bleeding, shock or poisoning.

• Operational tactics for emergency responses

  The characteristics and proceedings of operational tactics for emergency responses especially at major incidents and catastrophes.

• Hygiene in a health care setting

  The procedures related to maintaining a hygienic environment within a health care setting such as hospitals and clinics. It can range from hand washing to cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment used and infection control methods.

• Emergency cases

  The emergency cases with different disease patterns and syndromes, the special emergency cases and their appropriate interventions.

• Principles of paramedic practice

  The theories and science that underpin the theory and principles of paramedic practice.

• Sociology applied to paramedical science

  The fundamental role of sociology for paramedics in developing and maintaining effective relationships, psychological and social factors that influence an individual in health and illness.

• Emergency medicine

  Emergency medicine is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Physical science applied to paramedical practice

  The principles and theories of physics, biomechanics, electronics and ergonomics that can be applied to paramedic practice.

• Medical devices

  Equipment and devices used in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of medical issues. Medical devices cover a wide range of products, ranging from syringes and protheses to MRI machinery and hearing aids.

• Medical dispatch

  The concepts of a medical dispatch system and its use which consists in performing criteria based medical dispatch, answering emergency calls, and operating computer aided dispatch systems.

• Disorders of vital functions

  The characteristics and disorders of vital functions, consciousness and unconsciousness, respiratory and circulatory system, bleeding, shocks, artificial respiration.

• Pharmacology

  Pharmacology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

• Intravenous infusion

  The vein access and infusion, the hygienic aspects and potential complications.

• Sanitary technology

  The characteristics and usage of medicinal products and sanitary technical equipment.

Skills

• Select hazard control

  Perform appropriate selection of hazard control measures and risk management

• Prioritise emergencies

  Determine the level of risk of an emergency situation and balance the dispatch of ambulances to emergency situations accordingly.

• Advise on healthcare users' informed consent

  Ensure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

• Manage acute pain

  Handle patients with acute pain and ease their pain accordingly.

• Manage major incidents

  Take immediate action to respond to major incidents that affect the safety and security of individuals in private or public places such as road accidents.

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

  Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Apply organisational techniques

  Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.

• Manage patients with acute illnesses

  Manage patients of all age groups with acute and urgent illnesses or injuries such as episodic undifferentiated physical and behavioural symptoms or disorders.

• Transfer patients

  Use the most appropriate techniques to handle and move patients in and out of an ambulance, hospital bed, wheelchair, etc.

• Apply context specific clinical competences

  Apply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within one`s own scope of practice.

• Provide pre-hospital emergency care of trauma

  Provide pre-hospital emergency medical care of simple and multiple system trauma, controlling haemorrhage, treating shock, bandaged wounds and immobilising painful, swollen, or deformed extremities, neck, or spine.

• Communicate effectively in healthcare

  Communicate effectively with patients, families and other caregivers, health care professionals, and community partners.

• Ensure safety of healthcare users

  Make sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing conditions.

• Respond to changing situations in health care

  Cope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare.

• Adapt to emergency care environment

  Adapt practice to ensure that needs of patients within the emergency and urgent care environment are met.

• Employ specific paramedic techniques in out-of-hospital care

  Use appropriate techniques in paramedical practice such as IV therapy, drug administration, cardioversion, and emergency surgical techniques.

• Work in multidisciplinary health teams

  Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.

• Cope with blood

  Cope with blood, organs, and other internal parts without feeling distressed.

• Inform policy makers on health-related challenges

  Provide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.

• Immobilise patients for emergency intervention

  Immobilise the patient using a backboard or other spinal immobilisation device, preparing the patient for stretcher and ambulance transport.

• Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship

  Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.

• Contribute to continuity of health care

  Contribute to the delivery of coordinated and continuous healthcare.

• Address problems critically

  Identify the strengths and weaknesses of various abstract, rational concepts, such as issues, opinions, and approaches related to a specific problematic situation in order to formulate solutions and alternative methods of tackling the situation.

• Write reports on emergency cases

  Record the patient`s condition or injury from the start of the takeover in the ambulance, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs and treatment.

• Conduct physical examination in emergency

  Conduct a thorough and detailed physical examination of the patient in emergency situations, using assessment skills such as observation, palpation, and auscultation and formulating diagnoses across all age ranges, followed by the calling for specialist when available.

• Tolerate stress

  Maintain a temperate mental state and effective performance under pressure or adverse circumstances.

• Work in a multicultural environment in health care

  Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.

• Provide health education

  Provide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management.

• Empathise with the healthcare user

  Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.

• Listen actively

  Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.

• Transport patient to medical facility

  Assist in lifting and carrying of the patient into the emergency vehicle for transport, and into the receiving medical facility on arrival.

• Administer medication in emergency

  Administer medications in an emergency, as prescribed by a monitoring physician.

• Interact with healthcare users

  Communicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.

• Apply health sciences

  Apply a broad range of bio-medical, psycho-social, organisational, educational, and societal aspects of health, disease, and healthcare to improve healthcare services and to improve quality of life.

• Observe confidentiality

  Observe the set of rules establishing the nondisclosure of information except to another authorised person.

• Operate an emergency communication system

  Efficiently operate common communication systems used in emergencies, such as base station mobile transmitters and receivers, portable transmitters and receivers, repeaters, cellular phones, pagers, automated vehicle locators, and satellite phones as required.

• Accept own accountability

  Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.

• Position patients undergoing interventions

  Position or immobilise patients correctly for safe and effective interventions.

• Comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice

  Apply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associations and authorities.

• Maintain order at scenes of accidents

  Maintain order at emergency scenes dispersing crowds and keeping family and friends from touching the patient.

• Comply with legislation related to health care

  Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.

• Operate specialised equipment in emergency

  Operate equipment such as external defibrillators and bag-valve mask resuscitators, spinal and traction splints and intravenous drips in advanced life-support environments, taking electrocardiograms when required.

• Manage healthcare users' data

  Keep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, written and electronic) are treated confidentially.

• Brief hospital staff

  Brief hospital staff at arrival with a patient, giving an accurate report of the patient`s condition, circumstances of the accident, illness or injury and treatment given.

• Assess nature of injury in emergency

  Assess the nature and extent of injury or illness to establish and prioritise a plan for medical treatment.

• Deal with emergency care situations

  Assess the signs and be well-prepared for a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's health, security, property or environment.  

• Use e-health and mobile health technologies

  Use mobile health technologies and e-health (online applications and services) in order to enhance the provided healthcare.

• Follow clinical guidelines

  Follow agreed protocols and guidelines in support of healthcare practice which are provided by healthcare institutions, professional associations, or authorities and also scientific organisations.

• Provide first aid

  Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid in order to provide help to a sick or injured person until they receive more complete medical treatment.

• Monitor patient's vital signs

  Monitor and analyse vital signs of heart, respiration, and blood pressure.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB