In most urban areas, citizens pay little attention to the background din of sirens until they need help personally. Emergencies occur at any hour, and people feel more secure knowing that trained medical technicians will arrive quickly, administer aid, and provide safe transport to the hospital. The technicians providing this service not only save lives, but also illustrate the need for advanced practice paramedic training and services.
In the not-very-distant past there were no actual teams dealing with field emergencies. Less than fifty years ago, only a handful of states actually had written descriptions of the standards and practices for this kind of care, and prior to cell phones many ambulances did not even enjoy basic communications. Response personnel usually had certification from the Red Cross, but little formal medical training.
During that period auto accidents killed more people than wars, and the need for advanced field treatment specialists with advanced emergency training became obvious. By the 1970s funding was established, and the current network of services had begun to coalesce. The goal was was to respond quickly to a crisis, providing care both at that location and in an ambulance en route to an emergency room.
Today there are two primary categories of personnel working on the front lines. EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians) are the most common, and are considered to the be entry level technicians. Training is comprehensive and extensive, and these individuals are often the first to arrive. Both basic and intermediate EMT personnel can help patients up to a specific point, but cannot inject medications or break skin.
Administering medication via needle is one of those restrictions, and must be performed by a paramedic. Paramedics are not considered doctors, but do receive additional instruction in anatomy, physiology, and cardiology, as well as keeping current on the latest methods of resuscitating and sustaining heart attack victims. They know how to clear air pathways, inject drugs, and connect intravenous solutions.
Many of them got their start as an EMT. While the current system is far ahead of the old in terms of capability, technology, and lives saved, the need for an additional level of expertise has been noted since the beginning. Many consider it to be the most logical next step. When additional instruction was first seriously proposed, however, it was shelved, largely due to bureaucratic and hierarchical concerns.
Additional training can actually prevent emergencies from happening. Paramedics that have undergone advanced instruction are now making house calls intended to inform and instruct patients, as well as monitor and control conditions like diabetes, asthma, or chronic heart failure, all of which can result in a crisis. This not only cuts down on immediate critical care needs, but frees personnel for other duties.
Additional training would help fill the gaps that currently exist in emergency services, and opens the door for job advancement. Many valuable paramedics have abandoned field care in favor of in-hospital positions because they want to further their medical careers. Making these improvements will not only help patients, but will also help keep the most talented workers where they are crucially needed.
In the not-very-distant past there were no actual teams dealing with field emergencies. Less than fifty years ago, only a handful of states actually had written descriptions of the standards and practices for this kind of care, and prior to cell phones many ambulances did not even enjoy basic communications. Response personnel usually had certification from the Red Cross, but little formal medical training.
During that period auto accidents killed more people than wars, and the need for advanced field treatment specialists with advanced emergency training became obvious. By the 1970s funding was established, and the current network of services had begun to coalesce. The goal was was to respond quickly to a crisis, providing care both at that location and in an ambulance en route to an emergency room.
Today there are two primary categories of personnel working on the front lines. EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians) are the most common, and are considered to the be entry level technicians. Training is comprehensive and extensive, and these individuals are often the first to arrive. Both basic and intermediate EMT personnel can help patients up to a specific point, but cannot inject medications or break skin.
Administering medication via needle is one of those restrictions, and must be performed by a paramedic. Paramedics are not considered doctors, but do receive additional instruction in anatomy, physiology, and cardiology, as well as keeping current on the latest methods of resuscitating and sustaining heart attack victims. They know how to clear air pathways, inject drugs, and connect intravenous solutions.
Many of them got their start as an EMT. While the current system is far ahead of the old in terms of capability, technology, and lives saved, the need for an additional level of expertise has been noted since the beginning. Many consider it to be the most logical next step. When additional instruction was first seriously proposed, however, it was shelved, largely due to bureaucratic and hierarchical concerns.
Additional training can actually prevent emergencies from happening. Paramedics that have undergone advanced instruction are now making house calls intended to inform and instruct patients, as well as monitor and control conditions like diabetes, asthma, or chronic heart failure, all of which can result in a crisis. This not only cuts down on immediate critical care needs, but frees personnel for other duties.
Additional training would help fill the gaps that currently exist in emergency services, and opens the door for job advancement. Many valuable paramedics have abandoned field care in favor of in-hospital positions because they want to further their medical careers. Making these improvements will not only help patients, but will also help keep the most talented workers where they are crucially needed.
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