# is anyone here a paramedic?  i'm considering a change of career.



## el-ahrairah (Sep 11, 2012)

hello helpful urban people, i wonder if anyone here could offer me some advice.

i am considering making a move from the tedious world of the 3rd sector and looking to do something more useful and become a paramedic.

i looked on the london ambulance service website and i like the look of their on-the-job training scheme, but they aren't taking anyone this financial year.

does anyone know of anything i could do to increase my chances of being taken on next year, or of another way in? 

thanks in advance


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## purenarcotic (Sep 11, 2012)

There are degrees you can do; the university of Greenwich offers both a foundtion and honours degree in London. Obviously that all depends on whether you can afford to go, but it's always worth investigating.  A lot of universities have pots of bursary money sitting around that people don't take up because it's not very well advertised, so something that seems unaffordable can be within reach.  Always worth asking, because the worst that'll happen is they'll say no. 

Doing some voluntary work wouldn't hurt; something involving working with people, particularly vulnerable people would be good (unless your job is already something in that field).  Some hospitals also allow you to shadow teams and stuff.  You'll need to get in quick if you want something in a hospital though, places are quickly filled by those who want to do medicine. 

Get yourself some science / medicine based magazines and keep up to date with what's going on in the field.  The BMJ have a wide variety of their articles free to access online, so regularly read up.  This should also give you an idea of how keen you are; if you are bored shitless by everything you read, then a medical based career is not for you. 

Not a paramedic, but seriously considered it last year so did a fair bit of research.


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## silverfish (Sep 11, 2012)

Its a long shit process, the only real route now is degree...

Which if you talk to old school paramedics is breeding young medics that know the internal dimensions of an orange put don't know how to peel it and protocol driven misery (not my view at all)

Heres the basic info from the "Horses mouth"

http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explor...eers-in-the-ambulance-service-team/paramedic/

I think its a satisfactory way to live your life, if you can deal with the utterly mental system you have to work within

try "randon act of reality" the blog for the "reality"


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## likesfish (Sep 11, 2012)

Personally i think paramedics should be armed with tasers at least (like most public service workers) the amount of shit idiots give them

Stupid should fucking hurt


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## Corax (Sep 11, 2012)

silverfish said:


> Its a long shit process, the only real route now is degree...
> 
> Which if you talk to old school paramedics is breeding young medics that know the internal dimensions of an orange put don't know how to peel it and protocol driven misery (not my view at all)


Similar thing's happened to nursing. They made it a graduate only job, and then were surprised when the newly qualified weren't too enamoured with the idea of cleaning patients' arses.



silverfish said:


> try "randon act of reality" the blog for the "reality"


Off topic - I read the book he made of his blog. It was interesting in many ways, but I came away with the impression that Reynolds is essentially a bigoted cunt.


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## silverfish (Sep 11, 2012)

Corax said:


> Similar thing's happened to nursing. They made it a graduate only job, and then were surprised when the newly qualified weren't too enamoured with the idea of cleaning patients' arses.
> 
> 
> Off topic - I read the book he made of his blog. It was interesting in many ways, but I came away with the impression that *Reynolds is essentially a bigoted cunt*.


 
Its safe to say he is very negative about his punters and has a low "jaded" threshold. plus he was only a "tech" not a paramedic so chippy as fuck

He is now a "Nurse practioner" which suits him better......


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## stuff_it (Sep 11, 2012)

Got a mate who has driven ambulances for years but can't get funding in their area to train as a paramedic - it keeps getting put back and put back.


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## dylanredefined (Sep 11, 2012)

Corax said:


> Similar thing's happened to nursing. They made it a graduate only job, and then were surprised when the newly qualified weren't too enamoured with the idea of cleaning patients' arses.
> 
> 
> Off topic - I read the book he made of his blog. It was interesting in many ways, but I came away with the impression that Reynolds is essentially a bigoted cunt.


      Think it comes with the territory anyone who deals with the public ends up thinking their a bunch of cunts.


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## Balham (Sep 11, 2012)

silverfish said:


> plus he was only a "tech" not a paramedic so chippy as fuck


Only? I joined the ambulance service in 19 ... a few years ago eh, intially with Surrey. Even then it took eighteen months to get ones grade 4 (Millars badge and certificate). Later I was with London Ambulance Service. It was a good job, I enjoyed it.
el-ahrairah, have you looked at other jobs within the ambulance service, in control for example. Good luck with your search anyway.


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## Corax (Sep 11, 2012)

Is Whisky still about?  She was an ambulance driver or a paramedic IIRC.


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## weepiper (Sep 11, 2012)

Corax said:


> Is Whisky still about? She was an ambulance driver or a paramedic IIRC.


 
wiskey. I think she works in control


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## craigxcraig (Sep 11, 2012)

I applied two years back, to five universities as a mature student (40) and wasnt even called forward for an interview, rejected by all five. My guess is that they're oversubscribed and could cherry pick who they took on and having left school at 16 to join the military I had little in the way of academics.

E2a: I also had several years voluntary work with thamesreachbondway as an outreach worker - didn't matter a jot.


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## bi0boy (Sep 11, 2012)

I'd love to be a paramedic but I wouldn't be able to hack the shift patterns.


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## Balham (Sep 11, 2012)

bi0boy said:


> I'd love to be a paramedic but I wouldn't be able to hack the shift patterns.


I got used to the shifts very quickly but it is after I left the LAS the legacy of the shift work over X years was there. Still keep funny hours so I would say it is harder to get unused to them rather than used to them.


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## kittyP (Sep 11, 2012)

bi0boy said:


> I'd love to be a paramedic but I wouldn't be able to hack the shift patterns.


 
That's just what I was going to say. 
I really don't think I could cope with those kind of shifts. 
A teeny bit of the reason I dropped out of my nursing course years ago


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## Firky (Sep 11, 2012)

My brother is a paramedic. He did a cadetship. They don't do such things these days.


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## golightly (Sep 11, 2012)

I spoke to a paramedic today because my son is starting training to become one.  He said that it's a good job but, as already noted, the shifts can be harsh, especially when you're a newbie.  He also said that the training was much harder than it used to be, and expensive.


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## likesfish (Sep 12, 2012)

i think  when you get called to the same addict whose od'd for the 4th time in 4 days you might end up a little jaded  next day poor sod wasnt found till he was cold .
  Its embarrasing when you get the same crew for the same problem 
    Heavy street drinker decided the odd skin pop of heroin seemed like a good idea


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## wayward bob (Sep 12, 2012)

what you really need is a twin brother/sister who works in a civilian capacity. the lolz when "they" turn up at the door of someone who just called an ambulance have to be seen to be believed (apparently, i was too out of it to notice at the time).


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## silverfish (Sep 13, 2012)

likesfish said:


> i think when you get called to the same addict whose od'd for the 4th time in 4 days you might end up a little jaded next day poor sod wasnt found till he was cold .
> Its embarrasing when you get the same crew for the same problem
> Heavy street drinker decided the odd skin pop of heroin seemed like a good idea


 
are you a frequent flyer likesfish?


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## likesfish (Sep 13, 2012)

No former hostel worker .

Lot of chaotic drug users


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## Mr Smin (Sep 15, 2012)

Try doing a health care assistant job in a hospital. Entry is a bit less competitive and you can get some experience which will look good when you apply for ambulance work. The experience of working with the sick and frail will be genuinely useful too.

You could alternatively apply to be an ambulance care assistant. This is mostly taking people to hospital appointments, or transferring people between one hospital and another. Also good experience but can be difficult to move on within the same Trust.

A driving job may help too. The 999 driving course is challenging - people do fail it and you can't get paramedic job where you just treat patients and never drive.


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## mincepie (Sep 15, 2012)

Funny - I sometimes think of doing this. I've read the "Random acts or reality" book, and not put off. I'm in my mnd 20's - work in broadcast - always done shifts, don't mind that, sometimes I feel I should be doing something more "useful" with my life-  and I don't count TV as 'useful'
I personally think I might be a bit young tho? As in more life experience might be a good thing?
I have a degree but it's a semi technical one(bsc) relating to broadcast - no medical/biological stuff.


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## Mr Smin (Sep 15, 2012)

mincepie said:


> Funny - I sometimes think of doing this. I've read the "Random acts or reality" book, and not put off. I'm in my mnd 20's - work in broadcast - always done shifts, don't mind that, sometimes I feel I should be doing something more "useful" with my life- and I don't count TV as 'useful'
> I personally think I might be a bit young tho? As in more life experience might be a good thing?
> I have a degree but it's a semi technical one(bsc) relating to broadcast - no medical/biological stuff.


 
The extra life experience is not really necessary. If you were just 20 and had led a sheltered life (I encountered a trainee like this) you might be in for some surprises and get some funny looks from your colleagues... but you are older than that and already had a different job which I imagine involves working with 'interesting' personalities.
OTOH there is some useful TV being made. A decent drama/comedy gives people pleasure, a strong documentary or news report can help shape policy.
You may also find you have to pay full fees if you do another degree at the same level as your last one - watch out for that.


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## Blagsta (Sep 15, 2012)

Corax said:


> Similar thing's happened to nursing. They made it a graduate only job, and then were surprised when the newly qualified weren't too enamoured with the idea of cleaning patients' arses.
> 
> 
> Off topic - I read the book he made of his blog. It was interesting in many ways, but I came away with the impression that Reynolds is essentially a bigoted cunt.



That's not really a fair comment on nursing. There is nothing inherent about having a degree that makes anyone unwilling to wipe arses. The changing role of nurses and stupid cost saving measures by successive governments have led to unqualified and unregulated HCAs doing most of the physical care.


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## Blagsta (Sep 15, 2012)

dylanredefined said:


> Think it comes with the territory anyone who deals with the public ends up thinking their a bunch of cunts.


Really not true IME.


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## Corax (Sep 16, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> That's not really a fair comment on nursing. There is nothing inherent about having a degree that makes anyone unwilling to wipe arses.


I'm sure that there are many that are still happy to do those kinds of jobs.  In fact, a friend of mine who was working as a data analyst with us until recently has just left to retrain as a nurse, and I'm absolutely certain that with or without a degree she'll be very willing to do the 'nasty' jobs, and will do so in a way that preserves as much of the patient's dignity as possible.  Very intelligent, analytical, and with bags of common sense, she will make an excellent matron one day - but she's not enthusiastic about that idea, because her passion is for direct patient care and she doesn't want to be away from the front-line.

Nonetheless, when looking at the workforce en masse, I think that making it degree only is inevitably going to produce a greater number that are reluctant to do that kind of thing, because they're seeking a path towards specialist nurse, matron, or nurse consultant status.  I've had quite a few conversations with matrons, ward sisters, and directors of nursing on the topic, and it's certainly a change that they feel they've observed since it was degree mandated.


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## Blagsta (Sep 16, 2012)

That's just not my experience as a student nurse.


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## Corax (Sep 16, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> That's just not my experience as a student nurse.


Interesting. Possibly the effect is more noticeable in nurses a few years _after_ graduating, when some may feel that they've 'paid their dues' and that it's time to move up the food chain?

Or maybe the phenomenon is lessened in the current climate, when employment is less guaranteed and more valued in itself.

Also quite possible that the perception of those nurses I've spoken to is false, that it's something they're seeing because they _expect_ to see it.


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## wemakeyousoundb (Sep 16, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> That's not really a fair comment on nursing. There is nothing inherent about having a degree that makes anyone unwilling to wipe arses. The changing role of nurses and stupid cost saving measures by successive governments have led to unqualified and unregulated HCAs doing most of the physical care.


Do you have something against HCA or am I misreading this?


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## Blagsta (Sep 16, 2012)

wemakeyousoundb said:


> Do you have something against HCA or am I misreading this?


You're misreading it.


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## wemakeyousoundb (Sep 16, 2012)

Blagsta said:


> You're misreading it.


thanks


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