Why chose paramedic science?

“I’m Phoebe and I’m just going into my 3rd year of Paramedic science. I chose my course because at the end of it I will be a fully qualified paramedic. This will enable me to work on an ambulance helping people when they are ill or injured. This appeals to me as I want to be able to make a difference in people’s lives and being able to help and support people at what is often a very scary time and it is a very privileged position to be in.”  

“When you attend to a patient you aren’t just attending to the person who is ill or injured, you are also responsible for reassuring and supporting their family members or friends who are also concerned for their loved one. Being able help all those people is what drew me towards this course.” 

Studying Paramedic Science will train you to become a fully qualified Paramedic.  

Some reasons you may decide to study Paramedic Science are to:  

• Save lives and make a real difference. 
• Get to be constantly challenged. 
• Have variety day-to-day. Every day is different. 
• Learn parts of other subjects, such as psychology and sociology as well as the healthcare side. 
• Have good graduate prospects as Paramedics are always in demand. 

There are different pathways to become a Paramedic and you will learn about those later. 

Care

The care that paramedics provide can range from life threatening conditions to minor illnesses and injuries, or a range of mental health crises, such as panic attacks, psychoses or suicidal thoughts and feelings. The patients they are trained to help can be anyone from a new born baby to an elderly person.  

Paramedics work out what is likely to be wrong with a patient and then provide treatment with specialist equipment and medications whilst transporting them to the best hospital for further treatment.  

Patients

Paramedics are trained in taking the history of a patient’s condition, taking patients physical observations, such as heart rate and blood pressure, working out what the likely diagnosis is for a patient and then deciding on a course of treatment for that patient. They may then transport the patient to hospital if that is what is required.  

Paramedics also make sure that the ambulance has the right medications and medical equipment for the start of their shift. 

What's it like being a Student Paramedic?

Phoebe talks about her experience being on placement: 

“A typical day on placement for me would be waking up at approximately 5:30am to get to the ambulance station by 6:20am to ensure I am ready to start my shift at 6:30am.”  

“The first thing we do is check the ambulance’s equipment to ensure we have everything we need to treat patients. We then wait until we get our first call of the day, for example, a patient with chest pain. We would drive on blue lights to the patient and once we arrive we would go in with all the necessary equipment. I would then conduct an assessment of the patient with support from my paramedic mentor, by gaining a history of the patient’s condition and obtaining basic observations such as oxygen levels and a picture of the patient’s heart (ECG). If we decide the patient is having a heart attack we would administer certain medications and transport the patient to hospital on blue lights.”  

“We are likely to go to two more calls before our break, and they could be anything from a patient who has broken their leg, to someone who is breathless or someone giving birth.”  

“No two jobs are the same in the ambulance service! In a 12 hour shift you may go to anywhere between 2 and 8 or 10 calls of a varying nature.” 

What skills do you need to be a Paramedic?

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• Excellent communication skills:

  “Paramedics have to be able to talk to everyone. Anyone could be your patient, so you need to be comfortable talking to people from all parts of society, and all backgrounds to give them the best care possible.” 

• Ability to problem solve:

  “Not everything is straight forward when you are a paramedic, you may need to be able to work out how to get a patient out of a tight location or figure out how best to manage a situation.”  

• Strong teamwork skills:

  “Paramedics often have to work with other members of the ambulance service such as Emergency Care Assistants, or other paramedics to ensure that a patient gets the care they need.”  

• Willingness to learn:

  “Paramedics are always learning. You will get your initial education before you become a paramedic but even after that you are always learning new pieces of information and skills.”  

• You will also need to be able to:

  • use initiative and make decisions 

  • remain calm and focused under pressure 

  • have resilience when confronted by strong emotions 

  • have a caring and helpful attitude  

  • have good general fitness to cope with lifting patients and equipment 

  • use oral, written and listening skills for reporting conditions 

  • drive well under emergency conditions (most NHS ambulance trusts will require you to be able to drive an ambulance under emergency conditions) 

Test your skills as a Paramedic. What would you do in these situations?

How do you become a Paramedic?

Option A 

1. Take a full-time approved qualification in Paramedic science (e.g. at a university) and then apply to an ambulance service as a qualified Paramedic.​ 

2. Register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). 

Option B 

1. Become a student Paramedic with an ambulance service and study while you work​. 

2. Register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). 

Option C 

1. Apply for a degree standard apprenticeship in Paramedic science with an ambulance service trust.​ 

2. Register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). 

Phoebe's pathway to studying paramedic science

“I completed A levels, and then went into an apprenticeship at a leisure centre, followed by an apprenticeship at an outdoor centre – both of which gave me some exposure to situations that required first aid and/or the attendance of an ambulance. I then went to work in an ambulance call centre taking 999 calls for the ambulance service.”  

“The exposure and experience gained through this work is what ultimately helped me decide that I wanted to become a paramedic.” 

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Paul trained as a Paramedic while working for London Ambulance Service: 

Paul trained as a Paramedic while working for London Ambulance Service: 

Interested in this career?

Phoebe says: “Go for it, be aware that it’s not all guts and glory. You will be exposed to people from all walks of life, but if you truly want to help people there is no better job.” 

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