paramedics

columbomac

im doin my leaving and want to be a paramedic. but cant find any info on courses! any help!

Piste

By paramedic do you mean EMT?

Careerdirections says: Staff are first recruited as Emergency Medical Technicians - Trainee grade where they undergo the Emergency Medical Technician Training Programme as prescribed by the National Ambulance Advisory Council in the National Ambulance Training School in the Phoenix Park, or equivalent. Students follow a nine-month training programme. Stage 1 is a 7-week course conducted in the training school followed by an exam. Stage two lasts 26 weeks and is work placement based. Stage three is a one-week pre-hospital trauma life support course and the final stage is the final exam module in which being successful awards you with an EMT Certificate.

Alternatively, some candidates undertake the above training before applying. If their application is successful, they are recruited as Emergency Medical Technicians.

Refresher training, re-validation training, may be required annually and updating of certain skills will be required at the discretion of the Chief Ambulance Officer from time to time.


Qualifications

There are no formal minimum requirements for entry to this job, but a good general standard of education is required.
Adult Opportunities

timmywex

No piste, he means paramedic, emt was upgraded to paramedic, im in the same boat as you tbh, want to end up as a paaramedic

Check out the emergency services forum under soc, its mostly garda stuff though

also check out www.irishambulance.net thats a great site!


There is no college course that you can enter. You can not go into this job until your 21, as you have to have a full D and C license, you cant get the D until your 21, thats the reasoning.

Id advise doing some sort of a college course, join a first aid organisation, and get the licenses sorted. When you have the licenses, and the hse advertise, put in an application and hope for the best! The degree will stand to you hugely! If you are succesfull you will be sent on a training course in either dublin or ballinaslow, resulting in you getting a diploma in emergenyc medical technology, this will also result in you being a paramedic, you will be assigned a station and start work

In later years, there is an opertunity to do a higher diploma, leading to an advanced paramedic qual, which is higher than a nurse but lower than a doctor basically, ability to canulate, put in iv, give drugs etc!




My best advice then, go to college expirience life, then apply! Thats the plan for me! Also, give your local ambulance station a ring and theyll have a chat with ya or whatever you need to know!


Any other questions, dont be afraid to ask, im fairly sure i know most of it!

Tera

Hi There,I'm also interested in becoming a paramedic.someone told me that there is a EMT training centre in parkmore in galway?have you heard of it?I cant seem to find anything on the internet about it.

degausserxo

I dunno if this is any help, but my dad worked as a fireman for the DFB and because he was a fireman, was trained as a paramedic too.

ironictoaster

Yep, Some Firemen from the Dublin Fire Brigade came into our school a couple of months to talk about this issue. He said they only look for new people every 5 years as the demand is extremely high and pretty much full up. He went to on to say that you're better off going to college, getting your degree and get some life experience, then apply.

timmywex

degausserxo wrote: »

I dunno if this is any help, but my dad worked as a fireman for the DFB and because he was a fireman, was trained as a paramedic too.

Thats a good point infact, all the firefighters in dublin fire brigade are paramedics also and rotate between ambulance duties and fire duties, so thats another entrance route.

In terms of the emt cuorse in parkmore in galway, this is the crowd that do it; http://ambulancetraining.webs.com/

It is only an emt course however. Most people get misxed up and think emt's are the people who work on emergency ambulances, theyre not, an emt might get a job with a private ambulance service, which is glorified taxi man role nearly.

Paramedics are a step above emt, a significant step, above paramedic is advanced paramedic.

Prehospital emergency care is organised as follows
First aider => Cardiac first responder => Emergency first responder => EMT => Paramedic => Advanced Paramedic

Heres a link to the different education standards, http://www.phecit.ie/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=0&tabid=957

Tbh, if your wondering whether you should do the emt course, it would help you on application to the ambulance service, but it is only an emt course after all, only a few weeks long, imo, joining a voluntary org or the reserve medical corp of the rdf would be better, there may be a chance to train to emt level with these and there is significant patient care/interaction duty also, which would come as a huge advantage

also if you go to www.careersportal.ie and look for paramedic, there is an interview with a paramedic and theres some info there on entry/what the job is like etc

timmywex

creggy wrote: »

Yep, Some Firemen from the Dublin Fire Brigade came into our school a couple of months to talk about this issue. He said they only look for new people every 5 years as the demand is extremely high and pretty much full up. He went to on to say that you're better off going to college, getting your degree and get some life experience, then apply.

Indeed, the dfb recruit as required, they set up a panel of over a hundred people and then call them as they are needed, train them etc, then recruit more people to the panel, itll be hard to say when next they will recruit or how often, as depends on retirements.....and budgets!

A word of warning, ambulance work with dfb is very different to the hse!

Tera

Hi there,thank you for all your replies and the links which are very helpful. I am 27 and have done a BA,MA&other courses and have been working for the last four years, so at least I dont have to worry about age being a factor!

I really want to be a paramedic and have just started a evening course in Anatomy and Physiology in the GTI to brush up on my basic knowledge. I have a meeting tomorrow with the Volunteer officer for Galway to see if I can volunteer for the Red Cross or someone similar.

I also want to start a certified first aid course with the red cross/order of malta or maybe the dept of civil defense.

I have been doing lots of research on the web but am finding a lot of conflicting information. I thought I need a EMT qualification first to become a paramedic?

I am now on the Irish Ambulance Network website and contacted the plp who run the part time EMT course in parkmore but their next course isnt until september and at 2,500 for 6 weeks,that seems very expensive?

Any ideas on what else I could be doing to improve my chances off getting into a paramedic course would be fanastic.

I know there is a paramedic training centre in Ballinasloe hospital[thank goodness] but I still cant find out how to apply for a course there?

timmywex

Hi Tera,

It would be a great idea to try and do some volunteer ambulance work, and a great idea to do a first aid course! Anything will help! Make sure to get driving licenses sorted!

2500 for 6 weeks is expensive, but thats the cost of it, its not that much in terms of comparison to other courses, it would be the norm! You cant apply for the paramedic course as a private individual, the only entry route in this country at the moment is through the hse, so they are the only way of getting on that course!


There is alot of info mixed up on the internet, and its mainly because of the title change from an emt to paramedic! An amt qualification is not required, but would be a huge help in the interview area! There is no great infromation on the career unfortunately!


If anyone is interested, there are a few courses which can be done in england, or the london ambulance service are currently recruited trainee paraemedics(equivilant to our advanced medics).

Kwekubo

Senior College Dún Laoghaire is launching a "Fire and Ambulance Service Access" course this year. No idea whether it will be much use in practice, but see their website to look it over for yourself.

Tera

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your replies. I have a provisional B license and want to have my driving test passed in the next few months, as I'm not sure if I need to have that first before I apply for a c and d license?, even if I dont need a B license first,I need it for other things.

The plan is by the end of summer to have applied for my c&d license and to start lessons in a vechicle that size. hopefully it wont be too difficult to find a driving instructor.

I didnt realise I can't apply for the course as a private individual, that explains why I couldnt find a prospectus for ballinasloe ambulance training hospital.

Do I need to be working for the Hse to get onto the course or do I apply to the HSE to do the course?

My family and boyfriend are here in Galway, so going to Dublin or abroad isn't possible, so I need to try and get all my qualifcations here and eventually work in galway or maybe mayo in the future.

Who are the RFD?

I recently saw that the dept of civil defense are holding 'emergency response' classes in the fire station in galway on a monday night, so might go along to that once my anatomy course is finished in march.

I've found some useful definations of what excactly the job involves and once I have my first aid course and start volunteering, I will hopefully understand what it takes and what it means to be a paramedic in the west of Ireland.

Thanks again for all the advice

Kwekubo

Tera wrote: »

Do I need to be working for the Hse to get onto the course or do I apply to the HSE to do the course?

You need to be working for the HSE National Ambulance Service. In practice the NAS books all the places for the EMT and paramedic courses in the NASC, so it operates more or less like an in-house service.

Tera wrote: »

Who are the RFD?

In what context?

Perhaps this topic should be moved to the Emergency Services Recruitment subforum.

timmywex

Kwekubo wrote: »

Senior College Dún Laoghaire is launching a "Fire and Ambulance Service Access" course this year. No idea whether it will be much use in practice, but see their website to look it over for yourself.

Yeh, ive read of it, but tbh, itll helpl but id nearly think a level 7/8 degree would be more benificial, that course content is mainly things you could do yourself like, aed and the like

Tera wrote: »

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your replies. I have a provisional B license and want to have my driving test passed in the next few months, as I'm not sure if I need to have that first before I apply for a c and d license?, even if I dont need a B license first,I need it for other things.

The plan is by the end of summer to have applied for my c&d license and to start lessons in a vechicle that size. hopefully it wont be too difficult to find a driving instructor.

I didnt realise I can't apply for the course as a private individual, that explains why I couldnt find a prospectus for ballinasloe ambulance training hospital.

Do I need to be working for the Hse to get onto the course or do I apply to the HSE to do the course?

My family and boyfriend are here in Galway, so going to Dublin or abroad isn't possible, so I need to try and get all my qualifcations here and eventually work in galway or maybe mayo in the future.

Who are the RFD?

I recently saw that the dept of civil defense are holding 'emergency response' classes in the fire station in galway on a monday night, so might go along to that once my anatomy course is finished in march.

I've found some useful definations of what excactly the job involves and once I have my first aid course and start volunteering, I will hopefully understand what it takes and what it means to be a paramedic in the west of Ireland.

Thanks again for all the advice

Yeh, you need the B before applying for the C+D.

The way of getting on the course is when the hse puts out ads:eek: for trainee paramedics, if your successfull, they send you on the training and pay for it, Luckily, with this plan of closing hospitals etc, it should mean a huge increase ambiulance work

By RFD do you mean DFB, DFB are dublin fire brigade, who handle all fire calls in dublin and nearly all 999 callouts.

Oh btw, may say it now, expect to have a hell of alot of overtime to do! Theres a lack of paramedics in this country, and itll stay that way with the current recession thing

www.nats.ie thats the people that run the courses, beware, there is a chance you would have to do the course in dublin, although im not sure what the current situation is.

Kwekubo wrote: »

You need to be working for the HSE National Ambulance Service. In practice the NAS books all the places for the EMT and paramedic courses in the NASC, so it operates more or less like an in-house service.


In what context?

Perhaps this topic should be moved to the Emergency Services Recruitment subforum.

While you are right, technically, its not an internal thing, as said above, you apply and are accepted as a trainee paramedic and sent on the course/ do

alrilad

Just to say timmywex I think your wrong saying the emt course is a waste of time i,ve done it and feel it will give me a great chance of getting into the hse as a paramedic especially since the first part of the paramedic course is the emt course, and Im not sure but I think you might need some trainnig to be a taxi driver for the privates.....!

timmywex

I think it would be more benificial to just join a voluntary organisation rather than paying onto a emt course, when recruiting, its not medical knowledge they look for, itd be expirience, if you are a people person etc etc

Of course an emt course would help, and a vol organisation might send you on one if your lucky! Personally, ive no intention of doing an emt course before i join, but i will join the rreserve defence forces, and do all the courses they have to offer!


For anyone thats interested, trainee paramedics are currently being recruited, check out publicjobs.ie

civildefence

Sorry for resurrecting this thread guys.

timmywex being bitter about not having your driving licences and making statements like "i'm not going to bother doing the EMT course coz i'm in the vols" or "paramedics are a step above EMT, a significant step", "the privates are glorified taxis" isn't saying much for you. If you really want to be in the ambulance service, get up off your arse and do the EMT course instead of criticizing it. Having work experience on a private ambulance is a massive bonus as is being an EMT. Just try taking this attitude into an interview and you'll be a significant step closer to the door.

BTW If you think the HSE's 21 age limit is there so you'll be old enough to hold a D licence, think again. It just happens to be a convenient requirement for them to throw in. HSE & DFB want recruits with a bit of experience in life, which is perfectly reasonable.

Ricky91t

lol,Why,when i saw this did i think it was something to do with the Celebrations tonight

Delta Kilo

I was talking to an ambulance driver/paramedic at a careers fair at my school a while back. He works for his dad's private ambulance company (nice car he had too, 08 BMW 530D).

I actually know the guy, he was really wild when he was younger. He was caught doing 107mph (back before there were points) and during the garda's bollocking he remarked that he "should become an ambulance driver or something". That got him thinking. So he joined loads of voluntary organisations Civil defence, order of malta etc and did an advanced drivers course. When he was 21 he got his D license and did the EMT course. He was employed by the HSE in Clifden before his dad started his own company. He said it was class, they used to bring their golf clubs to the station and they were chipping balls around the garden at the station!

He said something about having to do 100 emergency call-outs before you become fully qualified. He said it isn't as hard as it is made out to be. Nobody is asking you to play God or anything. He said the first few fatal road crashes are tough but you get used to it, you focus on the ones that are alive... you don't waste time trying to bring a dead person back when there are seriously injured people there to deal with as well.

DubMedic

If anyone here is seriously considering a career as a Paramedic and would like more information on the job, feel free to PM me.

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randylonghorn

DubMedic, thanks for that.

Given the offer, can I ask you about the best route for young people who have done basic first aid courses and would like to go further, not nec. as a career option, more personal interest, as I know a couple of people like that.

I have been suggesting they look into Order of Malta, John's Ambulance, etc., but I know they would appreciate any advice / insight you or anyone else can offer.

They will be heading to college in September, so this would be something they would be pursuing part-time.

civildefence

The Emergency First Responder course is a kind of advanced first aid course and is great for anybody who wants to enhance their skills. EFRs are permitted to assist with certain medications and can initiate oxygen. Several organisations are currently running courses for the public.

DubMedic

Randy.

If they were pursuing it as a part-time interest then I would suggest taking a Cardiac First Responder (CFR) course.
I would also recommend finding out when the local first aid organization meets and heading down for one or two meetings to see what it's like.

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