In emergency medical services, paramedics play a critical role in providing advanced medical care and treatment to patients in a variety of emergency situations. However, there are various types of paramedics, each with different levels of training and specialties. In this blog, we will explore the different types of paramedics and other medical roles in emergency services.
In Australia, there are four types of paramedics:
2009 Paramedics Australasia role description | Jurisdictional ambulance service title | Jurisdictional ambulance service |
Paramedic | Advanced Care Paramedic 2 | QAS |
Advanced Life Support Paramedic | AV | |
Ambulance Paramedic | AT, ACTAS, SJWA | |
Paramedic | SAAS, SJNT, SJNZ, WFA | |
Qualified Paramedic P1 | NSWA | |
Intensive Care Paramedic | Critical Care Paramedic | QAS, SJWA |
Intensive Care Paramedic | AT, ACTAS, NSWA, SAAS, SJNT, SJNZ, WFA | |
Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance Paramedic | AV | |
General Care Paramedic | Community Paramedic | SJNT |
Extended Care Paramedic | AT, ACTAS, NSWA, SAAS, SJNZ, WFA | |
Local Area Assessment and Referral Unit Paramedic | QAS | |
No equivalent role | AV, SJWA | |
Retrieval Paramedic | Critical Care Paramedic | NSWA, SJWA |
Critical Care Paramedic Flight Paramedic | QAS | |
Critical Care Response Unit Paramedic | SJNT | |
Flight Intensive Care Paramedic | ACTAS | |
Intensive Care Flight Paramedic | AT, WFA | |
Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance Flight Paramedic | AV | |
Retrieval Paramedic | SAAS | |
Special Operations Team Rescue Paramedic | SAAS |
Source: Wilkinson-Stokes, Matt. (2021). A taxonomy of Australian and New Zealand paramedic clinical roles. Australasian Journal of Paramedicine. 18, pp. 1-20.
Patient transport officers are responsible for transporting stable patients between medical facilities or from their home to a medical facility. They provide basic patient care during transport, such as monitoring vital signs and providing basic first aid.
Ambulance transport attendants are responsible for transporting stable patients between medical facilities or from their home to a medical facility. They provide basic patient care during transport, such as monitoring vital signs and providing basic first aid.
Emergency medical technicians are trained to provide basic life support and emergency care to patients. EMTs may work alone, or under the direction of a paramedic and assist in providing patient care. They are commonly employed by private ambulance services and event medical services, though some state ambulance services also maintain a workforce of EMTs.
Private/Event medics are responsible for providing medical care at public events, such as concerts, festivals, and sports events. They provide basic first aid and emergency care to patients in these settings. They are commonly employed by private ambulance services and event medical services.
A Medical Emergency Services Officer (MESO) or ESO is typically responsible for medical care (and sometimes also fire rescue, security, training and WHS) on large industrial sites, particularly mine sites. They generally sit within the mine safety team.
Choose from these qualifications: