30 Rules That All Paramedics Should Follow

1. Prioritizing the safety of the patient

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The number one rule for any paramedic is to do what they can to ensure the health and safety of their patient. This should be the number one priority, as long as it is safe for them to treat them. After ensuring their own safety, the paramedic should do what is in their power to give the best treatment possible.

2. Perform thorough assessments

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Thorough assessments can be the difference between life and death when it comes to saving a patient. It's not just a matter of performing assessments to tick a box, it tells you exactly what a paramedic needs to know about what they need and what is and isn't suitable for them.

3. Communicate clearly

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Clear communication is an absolute must for a paramedic because emergency service teams are always working together. For those people not at the scene they must be informed so that they know whether they need to send more medical equipment, more people, or more transport.

4. Stay calm and composed at all times

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Staying calm under the most intense pressure is something that not everybody is able to do. But for a paramedic, it; 's a crucial rule to follow. They have to face the most intensely stressful situations on a daily basis and they have to be able to deal with these calmly to be able to think and act in the best way.

5. Make sure the area is safe!

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Another rule that can sometimes easily be forgotten is to make sure the scene is safe. Is it safe for you and the patient to start treatment in this area? Or, are you near a precarious building site or a place with toxic waste? The safety of the scene is of utmost importance.

6. Apply good teamwork

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Paramedics cannot function and save lives alone. They are a huge network of people and they require teamwork to be able to operate to the best of their abilities. For example, one person may be in charge of preparing equipment whilst another gives CPR. There are so many instances in which teamwork is VITAL.

7. Report any errors!

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Errors are sometimes made, even when it comes to paramedics. It may be an error that happened previously that a paramedic notices on a medical history record or it could be an error that happens during the treatment by the paramedic. Either way, reporting it could help save a life.

8. Keep assessing patients continuously

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It's not just about the initial assessment, despite how important that may be. A paramedic must assess a patient continuously throughout and after treatment. This is because something may change, or it may be apparent that this type of treatment isn't suitable anymore.

9. Find out the CAUSE of the problem before treatment

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Once the problem has been diagnosed it's easy to assume that a paramedic can go straight in and treat it. Yet this is not the case. It's important to find out what caused it because this can completely change the method of treatment. One cause to another, even with the same problem, could equal a different treatment plan.

10. Always stay up to date with the latest medical education

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This is super important. Once a paramedic qualifies, that does not mean that the learning is over. Medical knowledge is changing and growing all the time and paramedics have to keep up to date with this in order to be able to help people in the best way.

11. Follow the correct infectious disease safety precautions

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Infectious diseases can be deadly, and paramedics may be called to help those who are suffering from them. But, aside from helping the patient in need, there's also the need to protect the paramedics and other people from spreading the disease further so all the correct precautions must be followed.

12. Manage time effectively

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Time management is rarely more important than when it comes to being a paramedic. In this job, it really is a matter of life and death and so time management has to be managed as efficiently and effectively as possible. Patients have to receive thorough care, whilst being quick enough to help multiple people who need it.

13. Regularly check your equipment

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Equipment is used hundreds of times daily and it is life-saving equipment that is absolutely necessary for paramedics to be able to help people. Paramedics have to ensure regularly that this equipment is up to date and working efficiently so that it doesn't fail or stop working.

14. Learn how to prioritize patients according to the severity of their need

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Triage means that patients have to be labeled in terms of the severity of their needs. So regardless of whether one person has waited longer, if a patient needs immediate, emergency attention and another can wait then this person has to be seen first. Paramedics have to learn to do this.

15. Always check for allergies before administering medication

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Before a paramedic administers medication they must check that the patient does not have any allergies which could mean the medication could trigger an allergic reaction. It's a rule paramedics must follow to check this thoroughly on the medical history of the patient first, and with the patient themselves if they are coherent,

16. Maintain good hygiene and cleanliness of the space

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It's super important to always have a clean workspace. Only then can the patient be treated properly. If the space or the equipment is not clean then it could expose the already vulnerable patient to new illnesses and infections and so this can never be overlooked or missed.

17. Be clear and consistent with radio communication

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Be clear when it comes to communicating, whether that is in person or over the radio. Because you are dealing with such important matters sits crucial these are clear. You may be telling somebody what medication you have given the patient and therefore this cannot be misconstrued.

18. Keep accurate documentation

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Documentation is very important because if a paramedic has not updated it and made it very clear, then it could affect the aftercare of the patient who is unclear about what care the patient has received. This could have adverse effects on their health, so the documents really do matter!

19. Provide information and emotional support to the patient's loved ones

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It's an extremely difficult situation for the loved ones of a patient to see them in this state and so as a paramedic, you are there for the patient, but you should also do your best to reassure or inform loved ones in a sympathetic manner. It's important for everyone involved that a paramedic has tact.

20. Be the advocate for your patient's best health options

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A rule a paramedic must follow is to always be the advocate for the best health option when it comes to each and every patient. Some treatment options may be cheaper, or quicker, but a paramedic must always ensure that the best has been chosen to treat their patient, or that these have been communicated to the person making the choice.

21. Always check if the patient has taken any medication

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Some medications cannot be taken together as they could cause an adverse reaction. So before administering new medication to a patient, they must find out if the patient has taken any medication previously or consumed anything that could alter the way the medication could work!

22. Be prepared to act and think quick

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Acting and thinking fast is a part of the job. Situations arise all of the time which requires a paramedic to have to make assessments and act fast according to what they believe is the best course of action. This is an essential part of the job because they have to act under pressure.

23. Maintain your own health

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Here's a rule that also has to be followed: maintaining the paramedic's OWN health. Of course, a paramedic's job is to look after other people, but in order to be able to do that properly they have to be healthy themselves. This means looking after themselves both physically AND mentally.

24. Ensure the best method of transporting the patient

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Sometimes patients cannot be transported regularly. Spinal injuries for example may mean that the patient cannot be carried to the car and they have to be airlifted out from the place they are. What transportation is suitable completely depends on the particular patient in need.

25. When the patient's condition doesn't adhere to the standard rules, contact medical control

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Sometimes paramedics will receive a patient whose condition doesn't adhere to the usual standard procedures or regulations. Sometimes, paramedics need to seek advice from the medical control team in order to know how to act. This rule has to be followed rather than acting on their own instinct.

26. Understand the legal obligations of the role

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There are also legal obligations to the role and these have to be understood to prevent the paramedic getting in trouble. They have to treat patients according to these legalities and follow the procedures in the regulated way with lengthy documentation to ensure everybody is protected.

27. Be prepared for disaster response and mass casualties

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Paramedics never know what the day will bring. And it is not only individuals that paramedics tend to, they have to be prepared at any given moment to attend a disaster scene where there may be mass casualties. Nobody can prepare for these happening, so they have to be prepared for everything.

28. Apply the training to the real-life situation

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Training is far from real life because, despite its difficulty, it is without the real-life stresses of a legitimate situation. In real life, there may be lots of stressful things happening around the paramedics but they must keep calm and apply what they learned to the situation regardless.

29. Know how to decontaminate patients who've been exposed to toxic materials

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Some patients may have been exposed to toxic materials and a paramedic must follow different rules and procedures which can help to treat them and to stop the effects of the toxicity from spreading. They must be treated in isolation and protected in different ways.

30. Understand the unique needs of individuals

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Individuals may need to be looked after in different ways, or some patients may need special attention. For example, how a paramedic deals with a geriatric patient may be different from how they deal with a younger patient due to the different needs of their body.