Paramedic Practice CAREER INSIGHT
LJMU CAREERS TEAM 0151 231 2048/3719 ❚ careers@ljmu.ac.uk
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
Introduction The Paramedic Practice course provides students with the theoretical knowledge, practical skills and experience to work as a paramedic in a healthcare setting. On completion of the Paramedic Practice course, which is approved by the Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) and endorsed by the College of Paramedics, you will be eligible to apply for HCPC registration and then practice as a paramedic. 50% of time on the course is spent on placement in a range of settings, including frontline emergency care, accident and emergency departments, health centres, ambulance control centres, hospital operating theatres and critical care facilities. These placements provide the opportunity to develop skills and apply theory in a practical setting. In recent years, securing a graduate role has become increasingly competitive, so building on your placement experience through other relevant work or voluntary experience within in a care setting is important. Engaging in extracurricular activities alongside your studies will demonstrate to prospective employers that you have the motivation to succeed in your chosen area and have developed the required skills. Ensure you make the most of available career resources, attend career events or employer talks, and take every opportunity to network with professionals to find out as much as possible about the career area that interest you.
Career options Paramedic Entry Requirements Each NHS trust has different entry requirements for their paramedic positions. It is important that you carefully read through the person specific for the position and ensure that you meet all the essential criteria, which should be addressed with evidence and examples in your application. Experience dealing with the public, particularly in a care setting will really help your application. Voluntary work with the St John Ambulance or the British Red Cross is also highly valued by employers. Generally the following skills are required for the role:
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The ability to make quick decisions, remain calm and be decisive in a crisis
Excellent interpersonal skills and good oral and written communication skills
A caring attitude and helpful personality
Strong teamwork skills
Stamina and a good level of fitness to cope with the moving and handling of patients whilst using appropriate equipment. You will need to pass a fitness test, occupational health screening (normal colour vision and manual dexterity are important) and medical assessment including eye tests (spectacles are acceptable).
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
The ability to relate to people from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, races, religions and cultures
A commitment to continuous professional development and education
A current, full driving licence held for a minimum of one year (often two), and preferably experience of driving larger vehicles and carrying passengers
Once qualified as a paramedic various opportunities to progress your career within the NHS will become available to you. After time as a fully qualified and experienced paramedic, you might be promoted to senior paramedic or Advanced Paramedic. Further promotion might lead to management posts in roles such as operational manager. Later, progression may be to senior posts such as operations locality manager, assistant director of operations, or a senior position in the Emergency Control Room. Studying for management qualifications on a part-time basis can form part of the route to managerial positions. It will be important to develop your leadership skills throughout university and beyond if this is the path you think you wish to go down. Once completing your undergraduate programme you can move towards Masters and beyond. The role of paramedic is developing to include roles in new clinical areas. For example, paramedics may work alongside doctors and nurses as part of a multi professional team based in:
health centres GPs' surgeries minor injuries units hospital accident and emergency departments community hospitals prisons
It is also possible, with further training in critical care and trauma, to move into the senior role of critical care paramedic. Opportunities also exist in some locations for specialist work with motorcycle, rapid response car or air ambulance (helicopter) units. In some locations air ambulance positions are open on a secondment basis but these are moving more into permanent positions as given the charitable status of most air ambulance services and the amount of training provided the preference is for people to stay in post. You could also move to related occupations in health care, either in a clinical role, such as nursing, or into non-clinical careers, such as NHS trust management and administration, training and development, health and safety, and personnel, obtaining specialist qualifications en-route. Careers in other uniformed services, such as the armed forces, police or fire service, are also an option, as are lecturing posts on paramedic courses.
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
Once you have completed your course at LJMU those who want to continue studying can progress onto the BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care Development. Other career options within the health and social care sector include: Adult Nurse: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/adult_nurse_job_description.htm Social Worker: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/social_worker_job_description.htm http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/social/becomingasocialwork er/b00200996/step-up Support Work: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/fami lysupportworker.aspx https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/resid entialsupportworker.aspx Youth and Community Work: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/youth_worker_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/community_development_worker_job_description.htm Other general options include: Working in the NHS: the NHS is a major graduate employer in the UK, not just in medical roles, but in a range of administration-related positions. http://www.nhsgraduates.co.uk/ and http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/index.html Social Researcher: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/social_researcher_job_description.htm http://www.the-sra.org.uk/ Roles within the charity and voluntary sector: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/charity_officer_job_description.htm http://www.prospects.ac.uk/volunteer_coordinator_job_description.htm Civil Service Fast Streamer: http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/the-different-streams/ The suggestions listed here are by no means exhaustive so we would encourage you to conduct further research to find out about additional careers open to you and consider other relevant options, e.g. based on previous work or voluntary experience, skills and interests. To explore job options by sector, check http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm. You can also use career planning tools like http://www.prospects.ac.uk/myprospects_planner_login.htm and http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-report to generate initial career ideas. Ensure you check entry requirements for each area, e.g. will you need a degree in a specific subject? Is a 2:1 degree classification essential? Will you need to complete a postgraduate degree? Is any specific work experience required? If it is, how could you go about gaining the required experience?
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
We also recommend that you download a copy of our “Planning your Career” guide from the Careers website at http://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/careers/123871.htm. This includes a list of useful questions to help you explore your career options and introduces you to the DOTS model to help you with your career planning.
Main employers Most graduates work for the NHS but other employers could include:
Private ambulance services Private paramedic agencies (for example, for sporting fixtures of for film and TV companies) Armed forces: http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/, http://www.army.mod.uk/join/, http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/Careers Registered Charities: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/find-charities/
All occupational profiles listed on http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm include a section on typical employers and vacancy sources, so use these as a starting point to research potential employers within the career areas that interest you.
Useful links and websites NHS Jobs:
http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/
NHS Ambulance Trusts in England: http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/AmbulanceTrustListing.aspx College of Paramedics
https://www.collegeofparamedics.co.uk/
Ambulance UK :
http:/www.ambulanceukonline.com/
Health Service Journal:
http://www.hsj.co.uk/
Paramedic Resource Centre:
http://www.paramedic-resource-centre.com/
LJMU Vacancy website
http://ljmu.prospects.ac.uk/
Social Work and Care
www.socialworkandcare.co.uk/socialwork
Prospects (careers info and graduate jobs) http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ TargetJobs (careers info and graduate jobs) http://targetjobs.co.uk/ Milkround (careers info and graduate jobs) http://www.milkround.com/ Jobs in the public sector Vacancies in higher education and research
http://www.lgjobs.com/ http://www.jobsgopublic.com/ http://www.jobs.ac.uk/
Graduate Talent Pool – Graduate internship opportunities http://graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
CommunityCare - Website for “everyone in social care”: Information on upcoming events, legal changes, vacancies in the youth justice and voluntary sector http://www.communitycare.co.uk/ Information about postgraduate study
http://www.postgrad.com/
Careers in Care and Social Work http://www.skillsforcareanddevelopment.org.uk/Careersincare/careers_in_care.aspx Community Service Volunteers
http://www.csv.org.uk/volunteering
Vacancies in charities and the not-for-profit sector http://www.charityjob.co.uk/ News and careers advice for ethical careers
http://www.ethicalcareers.org/
Graduate Management Programme in the not-for-profit sector http://www.charity-works.co.uk/graduate-management-programme/ NHS graduate training scheme
http://www.nhsgraduates.co.uk/
Civil Service Fast Stream
http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/
Follow relevant companies/websites through Twitter:
@LJMUparamedic @NHS_Careers @stjohnambulance @NWAmbulance
Sources of work experience Download our mini-guide on “Making yourself employable whilst at University” from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm for an overview of the different types of work experience available and some general suggestions about finding work experience opportunities. Many undergraduate students secure work experience through a ‘speculative’ or ‘creative’ approach, i.e. after contacting organisations directly through networking events, via email or through LinkedIn. Make sure you research the organisation beforehand and find out the best person to get in touch with. It is important that you demonstrate that you are interested in the organisation and have spent some time finding out what they do. Even when applying to secure work experience for the first time in this industry, show the employer what you have to offer. Briefly outline any relevant skills or knowledge you gained from your course. Look at the skills outlined under entry requirements in the occupational profiles on Prospects (http://www.prospects.ac.uk/types_of_jobs.htm) and try to outline these on your CV, drawing on examples from your course and other work experience or extra-curricular activities to demonstrate how you developed these skills.
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
Useful websites to research a range of voluntary opportunities include http://www.doit.org.uk/ and https://www.liverpoolguild.org/main-menu/volunteer. You could also contact LJMU Volunteering Manager Chris Prescott on 0151 904 6356 or c.j.prescott@ljmu.ac.uk to enquire about current opportunities. It is also worth researching relevant organisations/charities and contacting them directly to find out about voluntary roles on offer.
Recruitment schedule The NHS recruits paramedics as and when required. Again, research is key to ensure that you do not miss relevant opportunities. If you are considering postgraduate study, find out if there are any specific closing dates for applications. If you complete an undergraduate degree programme you may also want to consider graduate schemes with health and social care companies such as BUPA or the NHS. Many graduate training schemes with large companies will accept applications from students of any degree background. If you are interested in these roles, you will need to be aware of the graduate recruitment cycle. Many recruiters begin the graduate recruitment process during the autumn term for final-year students. Most closing dates are in November and December, but some are earlier so it is important to start researching companies that you want to apply to early on. The application process for graduate training schemes usually involves completing an online application form, which may require you to answer ‘competency based questions’. This may be followed by psychometric tests, a telephone interview and an assessment centre. You may also need to submit your CV. Most of the large recruiters have a section on the student/graduate pages of their website that outlines the different steps of their selection process, so check these to find out what is required. For more information about graduate schemes, download the ‘Graduate Schemes’ guide from https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/Careers/123871.htm. You can get advice about the recruitment process by booking a one-to-one appointment with a careers or employability adviser or you can attend relevant workshops arranged by the Careers Team.
Case Study Matt Taylor sucessfully completed the Paramedic Practice course at LJMU in 2015, he shared his experiences on the course as a student… What have you enjoyed most about your paramedic course to date? I have enjoyed working with a close team of staff and students to learn new skills and then put them into practice in the class room in a familiar setting so that when I have been on placement I have felt confident in using these skills.
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
What have you been doing during your time at university to develop your skills outside of placements and lectures? I volunteered to help out at the official opening of the universities practice suites. This involved doing two hours of continuous life support demonstrating a cardiac arrest scenario for visitors. I then gave a radio and newspaper interview on how the new facilities have helped us to develop our skills. I am also one of two student representatives for my cohort of paramedic practice students. In this role I have attended training in my own time and also attend the board of studies meetings to give a student’s perspective to the board and also voice the views of the entire cohort of students on certain issues or topics. I have also organised and attended group study sessions in order to enhance revision of anatomy and physiology. I have also been a mentor to students who have struggled with practical assessments (OSCE’s) and have given my spare time to help them develop their skills. How have you benefited from this? From doing these extra activities I feel I have grown professionally in that I have developed skills such as listening, patience, confidence, critical thinking and decision making. I feel I have gained respect from colleagues, mentors and staff who have also commented on how much effort I have put in. I feel I have had extra opportunities to practice skills that I may not have developed if I didn’t volunteer to help others out. I have had the opportunity to have my name and picture published in media and have my views heard on study facilities and the future training of paramedics which has made me feel proud. What advice would you give to other students to improve their employability? I think you should think about employability before you start a university course. I made myself create an idea about what I wanted to offer the ambulance service upon completion of my course. Look up the job description or qualities of your chosen area and make a realistic plan as early as possible. Remember employability is more than just academia it is personality, confidence, communication and much more.
Key events and networking
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Liverpool Careers Fair: usually held in the autumn and spring of each year, see fairs website http://www.liverpoolfairs.org.uk/ for additional events Manchester Careers Fairs: open to students and graduates from any university; check http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/events/ for details Careers and Employability events at LJMU Keep an eye on our events pages at https://worldofwork.ljmu.ac.uk/events/ for details of upcoming employability workshops, networking sessions and employer talks. LiverpoolSU Clubs and Societies: https://ljmu.unioncloud.org/groups?parent_link=clubs-societies-menu-wrapper LinkedIn: You could also consider setting up a LinkedIn account (http://www.linkedin.com/) to network online with professionals and organisations in your chosen industry
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
Other information Centre for Entrepreneurship The Centre for Entrepreneurship supports students and graduates who want to set up their own businesses. Whether you want to develop a new business idea, work as a freelancer or launch a product or service, the Centre for Entrepreneurship can help. To book a place at one of their free workshops or a confidential business advice session with one of their business advisers, call 0151 231 3300 or visit their website https://www2.ljmu.ac.uk/startup/
Careers Zones Campus-based Careers Zones provide easy access to careers support in convenient locations at Byrom Street, Aldham Robarts Library and at IM Marsh, staffed by the Careers Team. Support available includes CV and application form reviews, Careers Adviser appointments, drop-in quick queries, practice interviews and access to careers resources and information. The Zones also host regular employer visits during term time where you can meet and network with employers and discuss job and placement opportunities. For the latest updates and details of locations and opening times, try our Twitter and Facebook pages or call 0151 231 2048/3719.
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
NOTES
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Career Insight: Paramedic Practice
NOTES
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