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Ambulance Attendants and Other Paramedical Occupations
What they do?
Workers in this unit group perform some or all of the following duties:
A. May assist with triage of emergency patients.
B. 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
C. Administer pre-hospital emergency care, such as oxygen therapy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), spinal immobilization, bandaging and splinting, to patients
D. Establish and maintain intravenous treatment (IV), apply adjunctive equipment for ventilation and circulation complications, administer medications and provide other advanced emergency treatment to patients
E. Transport patients by air, land or water to hospital or other medical facility for further medical care
F. Document and record nature of injuries and illnesses and treatment provided
G. Assist hospital personnel with provision of medical treatment, if necessary
What education do I need?
1. To be an ambulance attendant or work in another paramedical occupation, you usually need a college, hospital-based or other recognized program in emergency medical technology or courses in emergency health care and supervised practical training.
2. Depending on type and length of training, you need to be licensed by a regulatory body in Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.
3. If you'll be operating emergency vehicles you need the appropriate class of licence.
4. Most recent entrants have a community college diploma.
High School Subject that will help:
1. Math
2. English
3. Sciences
4. First Aid
What can you expect to make:
The average hourly wages for Ambulance Attendants and Other Paramedical Occupations is $20.96/HR, which is close to the average for occupations in the health sector and close to the average for all technical, professional, and skilled occupations. These wages grew at an above-average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Average Wage
Expected Wage by Age
Unemployment:
2% of Ambulance Attendants and Other Paramedical Occupations are unemployed. This rate is below the average for technical, professional, and skilled occupations.
Unemployment
Trends in Unemployment
Current Job Outlook:
The job outlook for Ambulance Attendants and Other Paramedical Occupations is considered Above Average because:
1. Employment grew at an average rate.
2. Hourly wages ($20.96) are close to the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is close to the average.
3. The unemployment rate (2%) is below the 2004 average (7%).
Future Job Prospects:
Your job outlook will continue to be Above Average because:
1. The employment growth rate will likely be average because of the aging population, return of health care funding, increased coverage of health care plans, and new technological advancements.
2. Although the retirement rate will likely be average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings.
3. The number of job seekers will likely match the number of job openings.
Highest Concetration:
The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of Ambulance Attendants and Other Paramedical Occupations are found in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia while the lowest concentrations are in Prince Edward Island and Quebec.
Unionization Rate:
The unionization rate (77%) is above the average (32%) for all occupations.
Useful Experience:
1. Business procedures
2. Interpersonal skills
Part Time Workers
Part time workers:
10% of Ambulance Attendants and Other Paramedical Occupations are employed only on a part-time basis. There were 16,800 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, an increase of 26% since 1997.
Age Demographics
Age Demographics:
The retirement rate to 2009 will likely be average influenced by a similar-to-average age of workers (40).
