Ambulance Attendants and Other Paramedical Occupations (3234)

Job titles

• advanced care paramedic
• advanced emergency medical assistant
• advanced life support attendant
• View all job titles

Nature of work

This unit group includes workers who administer pre-hospital emergency medical care to patients with injuries or medical illnesses and transport them to hospitals or other medical facilities for further medical care. They are employed by private ambulance services, hospitals, fire departments, government departments and agencies, manufacturing firms, mining companies and other private sector establishments.

Fields of interest

• Providing others with care and assistance

Main duties

• Workers in this unit group perform some or all of the following duties:
• - Assess extent of injuries or medical illnesses of trauma victims, patients with respiratory disease and stress, overdose and poisoning victims, industrial accident victims and other ill or injured individuals to determine emergency medical treatment
• - Administer pre-hospital emergency care, such as oxygen therapy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), spinal immobilization, bandaging and splinting, to patients
• - Establish and maintain intravenous treatment (IV), apply adjunctive equipment for ventilation and circulation complications, administer medications and provide other advanced emergency treatment to patients
• - Transport patients by air, land or water to hospital or other medical facility for further medical care
• - Document and record nature of injuries and illnesses and treatment provided
• - Assist hospital personnel with provision of medical treatment, if necessary
• - Maintain ambulances and emergency care equipment and supplies
• - May train and supervise other workers in this unit group
• - May assist with triage of emergency patients.

Employment requirements

• * Completion of a college, hospital-based or other recognized program in emergency medical technology ranging from two to twenty-four months or courses in emergency health care andSupervised practical training are required.
• * Licensure according to type and length of training by a regulatory body is required in Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
• * Those operating emergency vehicles require an appropriate class of licence.

More information in All of Québec