Paramedics have different schedule's set forth by there state, local, and federal governments. While some paramedics may work 12 hour shifts each day five days a week others may work 48 hours on call and 72 hours off duty time to spend with friends and loved ones.
Paramedics even EMT's respond to a wide variety of emergencies, but they also do a variety of other things.
Like transport a patient from a nursing home to a doctor, hospital, or for other medical reasons that a patient may need to be transported.
Most of those patients may me elderly from nursing home's or someone that may not be able to get to therapy on there own free will. So when you see an ambulance driving down a street it may be that they are doing the thing that they wanted to do when they became a paramedic.
To preserve the integrity of life, and to help those in need know matter what is put in front of them. Paramedics in their time off from there job with the ambulance service sometimes work in the hospital emergency room or volunteer there time to other things.
The one most thing that paramedics, EMT's , or any other person in the medical field such as nurse's, doctor's or any other medical professional they never stop learning.
They go to refresher course's and other learning source to keep the high standards of rescue and medical care skill's up to date and in tune. Some cities have there own ambulance's that are part of the fire department. They work the same hours as the firefighters and are on call the whole time that they are at the station. They eat, shower, sleep, and that is their home away from home.
Paramedics, firefighter's, and other medical professional's sacrifice not only themselves, but also it take's away from there family and kid's. That's called dedication to the care of helping people and saving lives without being selfish.
There family also sacrifices their loved father, daughter, son, or wife that is a paramedic so that they may be able to one day save you or one of your families lifes or to give comfort in the unfortunate event that there is a tragedy.
So you might say that if you were a paramedic, it doesn't just effect you. It also effects your family and love one's and the person or person's you are trying to give medical help to. If you are thinking about being a paramedic dont think your going to do it for the money, because you not going to make a gold pot full of money.
Most paramedics that got into there field did so without self reservation. They did to help the people they could help and comfort the one's they could in the time of loss.
A paramedic and EMT are your advocate. When you are injured and can't speak for yourself and can't tell them what is wrong it is their professional knowledge and quick thinking in a moments notice that save your life with the continued communication's with the medical doctor's and staff of the emergency room that you may being transported to.
The paramedic is your voice, eye's, and ear's to make sure that you get the proper level of care by the time that you reach the hospital. Without the paramedic's training, knowledge, and skills how do you think that you would make to the hospital in a life threatening situation. You wouldn't.
A paramedics life is not all a bed of rose's. Being a paramedic is a hard and very challenging job. So remember when see that ambulance traveling down your city street. The paramedic never stop's working or learning. It is also a very demanding job.
On a lighter note paramedic's are able to go on vacation, and spend quality time with there family when there away from work. Remember a paramedic doesn't always get that pat on the back or a job well done.
They mainly get only self gratification and to know that they may have helped make a change for the good in someone's life to the best of their ability.