Ambulance technician
Respond to 999 calls, providing vital medical care to sick and injured people. You'll work with paramedics and can also be the lead clinician, managing patient care at the scene.
Also known as: emergency care assistant
About the job
What it's like
Ready for a fast-paced career where you'll be saving lives?
As a key member of a two-person ambulance crew, you'll care for people in a wide range of emergency situations. You'll drive to incidents, assess patients and make sure the vehicle is clean and well stocked.
Being able to think and act quickly is important. You'll often arrive on scene with limited information. People who are upset, in pain, stressed or angry will be looking to you for support. You'll need to communicate well and reassure patients and their families in difficult circumstances.
Most jobs are in the National Health Service (NHS), working for the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Your tasks might include:
performing scene safety checks to assess any risks
assessing, treating and monitoring patients - you'll make decisions about their care
transferring patients safely to and from the ambulance
giving a clear handover report to hospital staff
making sure the ambulance is clean, roadworthy, and fully stocked
working closely with other emergency services, such as police officers and firefighters
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
NHS Scotland Careers – learn more about becoming an ambulance technician
Scottish Ambulance Service – why work with us?
The UK Registry of EMTs – find out about the registration body for emergency medical professionals
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- making decisions
- filtering
- social conscience
- questioning
- problem solving
- verbal communication
- listening
- resilience
- adaptability
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Biology
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Care
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Human Biology
You can apply for a trainee role with the Scottish Ambulance Service.
You'll need National 4s or Standard Grades in Maths and English. You can also take an online numeracy and literacy test instead.
As a trainee, you'll complete a 16 month programme that includes:
10 weeks of classroom training
a 4-week Certificate in Emergency Response Ambulance Driving
placement at an ambulance station
You'll need to pass two qualifications to become an ambulance technician:
Level 4 Diploma for Associate Ambulance Practitioners, equivalent to SCQF level 7
Certificate in Emergency Response Ambulance Driving at SCQF level 6
Once training is complete, you’ll start working at an ambulance station where you’ll continue learning with support from qualified staff.
Some experience in care work can help you build a career as an ambulance technician.
to pass the Scottish Ambulance Service entrance test including a fitness test
a full current UK driving licence including category C1, with no more than three points
to be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland
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