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CONTENTS

1. Routes to becoming a paramedic

2. Skills you’ll need

3. Finding work experience

4. How to get a job as a paramedic

5. What it's like to be a paramedic

Routes to becoming a paramedic

As first responders to an emergency scene, paramedics are tasked with providing preliminary care, treatment and transportation for those requiring urgent assistance. You’ll work within a team across emergency and non-emergency situations to assess patient needs and make quick decisions.

Registering with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is essential to becoming a paramedic. You can do so once you’ve graduated with an HCPC-approved Paramedic Science degree.

During a Paramedic Science degree, you’ll be taught:

• How to stabilise patients and deliver immediate aid
• How to use medical equipment for treatment
• The anatomy and physiology of the human body

There are both undergraduate and postgraduate course options available. Courses typically blend theoretical in-class teaching with time spent learning in a clinical setting.

Undergraduate degrees

Bachelor’s degrees in Paramedic Science are widely available and can be called Paramedicine or Paramedic Practice. They take three or four years to complete if studied full time, and some courses offer an integrated foundation year.

You’ll have access to a £5,000 bursary each year, provided by the NHS. This will help you pay your tuition fees and doesn’t need to be repaid.

Our Paramedic Science subject guide is where you can learn more about these undergraduate courses, including entry requirements, what topics you’ll cover and how you’ll be assessed.

Degree apprenticeships

Paramedic Science degree apprenticeships are a route to becoming qualified. They give you the chance to study part-time for a bachelor’s degree while you work.

You can apply through an ambulance service trust, who will set their own entry requirements. Vacancies can be found on and . Having experience in a paid or volunteer position will improve your application.

Being on a degree apprenticeship means you won’t be eligible for any loans or grants towards your tuition fees. Your employer will cover the cost of tuition.

Postgraduate degrees

Master’s and doctoral degrees in Paramedic Science are available. They can also be called Advanced Clinical Practice, Paramedicine, or Physician Associate Studies. Master’s degrees take one or two years to complete, with doctoral degrees taking longer.

Studying for a postgraduate degree isn’t necessary to become a paramedic, but those wishing to specialise in a certain area often do. This can lead to more advanced specialist roles when you graduate.

Graduate-entry pre-registration courses are available too for those who didn’t study Paramedic Science. Your first degree must be in a related health subject such as Midwifery or Nursing.

Skills you’ll need

You'll need the following to succeed as a paramedic:

• Interpersonal skills to deal with patients, families, and other health workers
• A supportive and empathetic disposition
• A calm and reassuring demeanour
• Thorough knowledge of medical equipment
• Rapid decision-making balanced with careful consideration
• Teamwork skills and strong collaborative capabilities
• Calmness in pressure situations

Finding work experience

Having work experience will improve your application onto a course. It’s not required but it shows admissions tutors that you’re enthusiastic about Paramedic Science and eager to learn. You’ll be more likely to earn a place on your desired course and be better prepared for on-course clinical placements.

Try the following for work experience:

• Help at any
• Volunteer with a local ambulance service
• Volunteer with charities such as St John Ambulance or British Red Cross
• See what’s available at the College of Paramedics (CoP)
• Chat with a paramedic about their role and ask whether you can shadow them
• Take a first aid course and earn a certificate

Any form of work experience is valued, whether paid or voluntary.

How to get a job as a paramedic

You’ll need a qualification in Paramedic Science to become a paramedic – either at degree level or through a degree apprenticeship.

Once qualified you can then apply to the ambulance services and register with the HCPC. Registration costs £49.06 and can take up to ten working days to process.

You can search for vacant roles at , , or the . Note that you’ll only be considered once your HCPC registration’s been approved.

Having good physical fitness and two years of driving experience will help you with finding a job. Before being offered a role, you’ll likely have to complete some interviews, tests, driving tasks and fitness assessments.

What it's like to be a paramedic

A typical day for a paramedic is unpredictable, but you can expect to:

• Respond to both emergency and non-emergency calls
• Assess unknown situations at the scene
• Work quickly and calmly to stabilise patients
• Use medication and equipment to treat patients
• Deliver babies
• Support relatives, friends and members of the public at the scene
• Make sure equipment and records are of a high standard

You’ll often work in an ambulance with an emergency care assistant or technician. You could be working alone on a bicycle or motorbike or advising over the phone from a control room. You’ll work closely with the police and fire and rescue services, as well as other healthcare professionals like doctors, therapists, nurses and specialists.

Paramedics are based at an ambulance station but spend a lot of time on the road, working in all environments and weather conditions. A working week is typically 37.5 hours, which often includes nights, weekends, early starts and bank holidays. There is also on-call work.

Pay for paramedics is on the Agenda for Change system (the NHS staff grading and pay scale), usually on band 5. The NHS will offer you access to generous pension schemes, holiday allowances and health service discounts.

Is a role as a paramedic right for you?

Being a paramedic isn't for the faint-hearted. You’re often in the middle of unpredictable situations and required to think on your feet. The job comes with a lot of responsibility, but it's also an incredibly rewarding profession. You’ll be helping many people and literally saving lives.