Paramedics — Tasks

Task statements

• Administer drugs, orally or by injection, or perform intravenous procedures.
• Perform emergency cardiac care, such as cardioversion and manual defibrillation.
• Perform emergency invasive intervention before delivering patient to an acute care facility.
• Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
• Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
• Comfort and reassure patients.
• Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
• Operate equipment, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), external defibrillators, or bag valve mask resuscitators, in advanced life support environments.
• Perform emergency pharmacological interventions.
• Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
• Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment.
• Instruct emergency medical response team about emergency interventions to ensure correct application of procedures.
• Coordinate with treatment center personnel to obtain patients' vital statistics and medical history, to determine the circumstances of the emergency, and to administer emergency treatment.