In most large urban areas people pay little attention to the constant background noise of ambulance sirens until they actually need an emergency service. Acute medical situations happen at all hours, and citizens have come to rely on well-trained personnel to treat them on site, as well as en route to the hospital. The people who make this service possible save hundreds of lives each year, making a strong case for advanced practice paramedic programs.
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.
That was an era when car crash fatalities were more numerous than battlefield casualties, making the need for advanced mobile field medical specialists obvious. Funding was begun during the seventies, leading to the current network structure existing today. The goal was formally described as being a rapid response to any medical crisis, providing care while at the scene, and during any necessary ambulance transport.
Modern services usually include two categories of emergency workers. The most common are EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), who perform all basic duties, but are considered entry level positions. Even so, their formal training is extensive and comprehensive, specifically designed for those first to arrive on scene. These technicians are allowed to treat patients for basic problems, but cannot administer shots.
Paramedics perform similar tasks, but their scope of practice is far less restricted. Although not actually doctors, they have received additional training in cardiology, physiology and anatomy, in addition to the latest field emergency medical procedures used to resuscitate heart attack victims. They are authorized to clear airways, administer intravenous solutions, and inject drugs. Many began as EMTs.
Although the current system is technologically advanced, it still retains the same internal administrative structure. Because there is a realistic need for additional field expertise, increasing the training levels is considered logical and necessary by many planners. This is not really a new idea, but one originally shelved due to concerns over departmental hierarchy and management politics.
More education and higher certification levels can prevent many emergencies before they happen. Besides answering crisis calls, these upper-level paramedics would also visit patients in their homes, assist in educating people about their conditions, and helping to monitor the diseases that most often need acute care, such as heart failure, diabetes, and asthma. This practice also frees additional workers for actual emergency response.
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.
That was an era when car crash fatalities were more numerous than battlefield casualties, making the need for advanced mobile field medical specialists obvious. Funding was begun during the seventies, leading to the current network structure existing today. The goal was formally described as being a rapid response to any medical crisis, providing care while at the scene, and during any necessary ambulance transport.
Modern services usually include two categories of emergency workers. The most common are EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), who perform all basic duties, but are considered entry level positions. Even so, their formal training is extensive and comprehensive, specifically designed for those first to arrive on scene. These technicians are allowed to treat patients for basic problems, but cannot administer shots.
Paramedics perform similar tasks, but their scope of practice is far less restricted. Although not actually doctors, they have received additional training in cardiology, physiology and anatomy, in addition to the latest field emergency medical procedures used to resuscitate heart attack victims. They are authorized to clear airways, administer intravenous solutions, and inject drugs. Many began as EMTs.
Although the current system is technologically advanced, it still retains the same internal administrative structure. Because there is a realistic need for additional field expertise, increasing the training levels is considered logical and necessary by many planners. This is not really a new idea, but one originally shelved due to concerns over departmental hierarchy and management politics.
More education and higher certification levels can prevent many emergencies before they happen. Besides answering crisis calls, these upper-level paramedics would also visit patients in their homes, assist in educating people about their conditions, and helping to monitor the diseases that most often need acute care, such as heart failure, diabetes, and asthma. This practice also frees additional workers for actual emergency response.
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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