Assistant to the paramedic, a paramedic’s main function is to transport the patient to the emergency room. He is usually the first medical professional on the scene of an accident and the level of care he provides can range from the management of life-threatening conditions to minor illnesses and injuries. In addition to transporting the patient in an ambulance or light medical vehicle (VSL), he must sometimes assess the patient’s condition and provide an appropriate response which may include resuscitation and stabilization of patients, use of medical equipment such as defibrillators, application of spinal splints and administration of infusions. But what salary can an ambulance attendant expect?
Although his salary does not border on the heights, the paramedic has a large number of responsibilities. It operates on board two types of vehicles, namely ambulances and light medical vehicles (white cars with 3 blue crosses). When operating on a VSL, he is the sole master on board. In an ambulance, he assists the paramedics. As such, he may be required to perform a certain number of actions.
On the way to the hospital or at the scene, he may be called upon to provide immediate treatment, use technical equipment, including ventilators to facilitate breathing and defibrillators to treat heart failure, to resuscitate and stabilize patients. He can also perform, if necessary, certain surgical procedures, such as intubation (insertion of a breathing tube).
He must monitor the patient’s condition and decide whether admission to hospital is necessary. He must also decide which health center to evacuate him to. Depending on the case, he may be required to liaise with members of other emergency services, such as the police, fire or coast guard and other ambulance services, to ensure the level of appropriate response.
He must work closely with doctors and nurses in hospital emergency departments, briefing them as patients arrive at the hospital. He must clean, decontaminate and check the vehicles, as well as the equipment in order to maintain them in an operational state.
This professional, formerly referred to as a Category 1 paramedic, generally covers emergency situations, which include injury, sudden illness, road and rail accidents, criminal violence, fires and other incidents. The emergency ambulance service operates all hours of the day and therefore an ambulance attendant will need to work to cover these hours. Like the other employees, he has a volume of 35 hours per week, with the only difference that he can work in the evening, at night, on weekends and on public holidays. He may be required to perform additional guards, especially in remote areas. Flexible hours, such as part-time work, are however available.
A paramedic will need to have a number of skills and competencies to hope to succeed in this job. He should be attentive, outgoing and helpful. He should have a responsible and highly motivated approach to work. He must also have good interpersonal skills to deal with patients, their friends and family.
The paramedic will need to have strong teamwork skills to be able to work alongside paramedics and hospital staff. Oral and written communication skills, as well as excellent driving skills are required. To do this, he must have a very good knowledge of the highway code and master the rules relating to emergency driving.
The paramedic must have the capacity for initiative and decision-making in stressful situations. A calm and reassuring attitude on all occasions is a major asset. He must also be able to handle patients safely and be able to use medical equipment. The paramedic must also have the ability to relate to people of various socio-economic origins, without distinction of race, religion and culture.
A good physical constitution and resistance to stress are essential, because the paramedic spends long periods at the wheel, not to mention the many traffic jams he has to face every day. Knowledge of the health district road network is required. A paramedic must also have a good sense of direction and be able to communicate by radio. Mastering the phonetic alphabet is a prerequisite. Finally, he must know the procedures for decontamination and maintenance of the vehicle. He must also be able to repair minor breakdowns of the vehicles on which he operates.
Training of ten days, with an hourly volume of 70 hours, is required to access the job of paramedic auxiliary. The training must take place in an Ambulance Training Institute (IFA). Apart from knowing how to read and write, no diploma or minimum level of study is required. However, the number of places per year is limited and only the best profiles are retained.
Candidates for this training must have a permit for a minimum of 3 years. This seniority is, however, reduced to 2 years if the candidate can prove that he has carried out accompanied driving. Candidates must also be in possession of an ambulance driving license issued by the prefectural authorities. To be selected, the candidates must have carried out a certain number of vaccines, something which they must justify with a medical certificate. The aspirants must also justify that they are able to assume the function of paramedic auxiliary by producing a certificate of non-contraindication.
In terms of content, the training is structured around several modules. Pupils are trained on topics such as emergency procedures, medical transport, handling procedures, ethics and hygiene. Combining both theoretical notions and concrete case studies, the training is sanctioned by a training certificate which allows access to the job of paramedic. Students are also awarded a level 2 emergency care and handling training certificate (AFGSU).
At the end of the training, the student must be able to take care of a patient and perform first aid in the event of an emergency. He must be able to assess a patient’s condition and decide what action to take. He must know the rules of hygiene and be able to curb the spread of contagious diseases. He must master the use of a stretcher, as well as the appropriate gestures to install a patient there in complete safety. He must be able to communicate effectively with a patient and his entourage. Finally, he must be able to collect and transmit appropriate information for the follow-up and care of the patient, once the latter has been transferred to the hospital.
Different structures can hire an ambulance attendant. This health professional can work both for the private and for the public. He can be hired by medical transport companies or by a medical center. NGOs can also hire paramedics for field missions in regions affected by war or natural disasters.
Between the job of paramedic and that of paramedic, there is only one step. Indeed, regulatory provisions greatly facilitate the transition. Ambulance auxiliaries, who can provide proof of 1 year of full-time experience over 5 years, are exempt from the 140-hour internship and the oral examination which condition access to employment as an ambulance driver.
Despite the immense services they render, paramedics do not run on gold. The paramedic’s base salary is the SMIC (Minimum Interprofessional Growth Salary). Based on a duration of 35 hours of work, an assistant can expect to receive at least a net monthly salary of €1,153. This salary can increase if the paramedic is on call and works during the weekends as well as on public holidays. He also receives meal allowances.
Being an ambulance assistant is above all a vocation. Transporting the elderly, the sick or people between life and death requires not only a great sense of professionalism, but also compassion and humanism. This professional is not content with healing physical wounds, he must also know how to speak words of hope, soothe desperate loved ones and restore hope for life.
Qualifications may be required to access this job, but they are not enough. Apart from technical knowledge, it is also necessary to know human psychology and to make gestures that do not shock. Paying these professionals a salary equivalent to the SMIC is more than an injustice towards these people who just watch and night to help their fellow human beings. Raising the salary of the paramedic auxiliary is more than a necessity. It is even an imperative. The duration of the current training, which is only 72 hours, must also be reviewed, because we cannot reasonably prepare them for what they will face in just ten days.