Ambulance paramedic

Paramedics treat people's injuries, illnesses and provide life-saving care. Whether you're dressing a minor wound or resuscitating someone – you'll make a difference every day.

It's a fast-paced role where you'll need to think and act quickly. You'll respond to emergency calls from people in need of medical attention. You could be going into someone's home or workplace, or to the scene of an accident or crime. You'll need a lot of medical knowledge to deal with a wide range of injuries and illnesses.

When you get to the scene, you'll check the patient's condition then calmly and quickly decide what action to take. Patients might be in serious, even life-threatening condition. They could also be in shock or distress. They'll rely on you to help them and ease their pain. You'll need to keep the patient stable and transport them to hospital for further treatment.

You could work on a traditional ambulance as part of a team or alone using a car, motorbike or bicycle. With experience, you can progress to work in a specialist role, such as joining the Air Ambulance Team.

Your tasks might include:

• using life support techniques, such as electric shocks, to resuscitate patients

• carrying out surgical procedures, such as inserting a breathing tube

• dressing wounds, giving pain relief and applying supports to broken bones

• stabilising patients and transferring them to, or between, hospitals

• telling hospital staff, such as nurses and doctors, about a patient's condition quickly and accurately

• keeping accurate records of your cases and maintaining the ambulance equipment

• NHS Scotland Careers – find more information about becoming a paramedic

• Scottish Ambulance Service – why work with us?

• College of Paramedics – check out the professional association for paramedics

• NHS Scotland Careers – see behind the scenes with a paramedic