When accidents or emergencies of any type happen, several professionals must go to the location in order to assist people who need medical assistance.
They are part of what is commonly known as EMS or Emergency Medical Services.
This field within the healthcare system centers on medical emergencies that take place outside medical facilities.
The professionals that are part of EMS can include police officers, firefighters, and also healthcare professionals, such as EMRs, EMTs, and Paramedics.
In the next sections, we’ll briefly discuss the main characteristics of Paramedics, how to become one, and the cost of training and certification.
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What Is a Paramedic?
A Paramedic is a healthcare worker that has the highest training among EMS professionals.
This training allows them to treat several kinds of emergencies.
Their main responsibilities are to examine patients, provide first-aid, life support, or any other treatment or exam the patient might need, transport them to medical facilities in ambulances, and carefully document and report the assistance given to patients to doctors, nurses, or any other specialist that is needed.
What Is the Difference Between a Paramedic and an EMR?
An Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) tends to be the first to arrive when an emergency occurs.
Their main responsibility is to give immediate life-saving assistance to patients until EMTs and Paramedics can arrive at the scene.
Therefore, their training is much more basic than EMTs and Paramedics.
What Is the Difference Between a Paramedic and an EMT?
An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) also provides medical services to people that require them outside a medical setting.
The main difference is that EMTs cannot perform certain procedures or handle advanced medical equipment, such as administering medication orally, and intravenously, or reading EKGs (Electrocardiograms) results.
What Do I Need to Become a Paramedic?
The requirements to become a Paramedic might change depending on the state where you wish to work.
In the majority of cases, you’ll need to first enroll in an EMT training, and obtain certification before being able to apply to a Paramedic Training program.
After completing this first requirement, you can then start a Paramedic Training program, and pass the test to acquire certification to be able to work as a Paramedic.
Training
As previously mentioned, Paramedics have the highest level of education compared to EMRs and EMTs.
Training programs for Paramedics are usually taught in community colleges, technical schools, and public or private universities.
Even though these programs can greatly vary between institutions, there are basic subjects that must be taken, such as biology, math, anatomy, physiology, and English, among others.
Certification
After completing a Paramedic training program, you must also apply and pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) cognitive exam.
This will allow you to become certified and start to work as a Paramedic.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Paramedic?
Training programs to become a Paramedic tend to last between one and two years to complete when studying full-time.
It’s also important to count the time of the EMT training, which generally takes between one and six months.
How Much Does Paramedic Training and Certification Cost?
The cost of Paramedic Training can differ depending on the city where you live, the type of institution where you wish to study, and the program you choose.
It’s important to remember that you must have first taken an EMT training before enrolling in a Paramedic Training program.
The cost of EMT training is usually between $950 and $3,000.
The NREMT test fee to become a certified EMT is $98.
On average, you could spend from $6,000 to $14,000 on Paramedic Training.
The NREMT certification exam has a fee of $152.
