Paramedics serve a vital role in healthcare because of their ability to show compassion. The actual role of the paramedic is he/she can examine, evaluate, and treat patients with equipment and medications that is usually found in the emergency department of the hospital.
Licensed Paramedic (LP) is the highest level of Emergency Medical Technician and involves a significant amount of training in advanced life support (ALS) practices. A licenced paramedic is subject to additional requirements set by his or her sponsoring hospital and regional EMS council.
Let’s look at the list of requirements you will need to satisfy prior to becoming a licensed Paramedic in the State of Connecticut:
Paramedic License Requirement
- In CT, prospective paramedic students must have a current NREMT-B or state of Connecticut EMT certificate.
- One must be a high school graduate who is at least 18 years old. If you don’t have a high school diploma, a GED will suffice.
- Immunizations are certainly required due to clinical rotations. You’ll likely need to go through a criminal background check and drug screening, too. Written references may also be required depending upon the program you choose.
- Paramedic training courses can typically be found at community colleges. An EMT-P course often provides students with a mixture of classroom and in-hospital clinical experience, as well as some field experience.
- You will want to make sure that the program you select is accredited.
- Valid drivers license not a requisite for an EMT license but may be required for better job prospects
Educational requirement
Find a local approved training facility and register for the Paramedic training. At a minimum you will have to complete the Paramedic certificate program, but you should also note that there are degree programs available that build upon the certificate. A degree is not necessary for becoming a Paramedic, but if you ever wanted to become an instructor, it would be advisable to do the degree.
Prior to contacting the training facility you should get proof of immunization and verify with the training facility what other immunizations you will need prior to registering.
It is very important that you only register for an approved training program at a state approved facility.
Application process
In order to submit an application an applicant must do the following:
- Complete the application form (http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/ems/pdf/paramedic_app.pdf), add a photo and get it notarized.
- Bring the application to your EMT training provider.
- Upon successful completion of the training and related exams your instructor will complete the application and send it back to the OEMS.
- Include payment of initial certification fee of $150 (certified check or money order)
Examination requirement
Paramedic license applicants must pass the NREMT exams, which are made up of two parts, a written cognitive exam and a psychomotor exam.
Cognitive Examination
The cognitive examination will cover the entire spectrum of EMS care. This includes ventilation, oxygenation, Medical and EMS operator, Trauma, Cardiology, etc. The maximum amount of time you will be given to pass this portion of the examination is 2 and half hours.
Psychomotor Examination
The psychomotor examination consists of 12 different skills laid out in a scenario-type format to approximate the ability of the EMT-paramedic to function in the out-of-hospital setting.
Those taking the test are actually allowed to bring their own equipment to the exam provided it is approved for testing by the national registry representative in attendance at the examination.
For the written exam an applicant will need to register with the NREMT (http://www.nremt.org) and pay the $110 application fee. When the applicant is ready to take the exam they will need to get in touch with Pearson Vue (http://www.vue.com) who provides the computer based testing for the NREMT exam.
For the psychomotor examination you should check with your Paramedic training provider whether they are able to provide such certification in conjunction with the Paramedic course. Alternatively contact your local EMS Agency for details about test schedules. Note that this exam tests the applicant for 12 separate skills and is likely to incur a fee by the training facility.
Once the applicant has received certification for both exams they will be issued with an NREMT certificate which is valid for 2 years; this certificate is needed for the state EMT license application and should be forwarded to the EMS Authority.
Paramedic schools in connecticut
- Capital Community College – Hartford, CT
950 Main Street
Hartford, CT – 06103r
- Central connecticut Paramedic Educational Program Consortium – New Britain, CT
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
185 Main St
4th Floor
New Britain, CT 06051
United States of America
- Goodwin College – Hartford, CT
Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic Program
80 Seymour Street
PO Box 5037
Harford, CT 06102-5037
United States of America
- Yale-New Haven Sponsor Hospital – New Haven, CT
Yale New Haven Sponsor Hospital Program
77-D Willow Street
New Haven , CT – 06511
FAQs
- Do I need EMT experience to apply to a paramedic training program?
This varies from school to school, so check be sure to check around for a program that fits you best. Typically, you don’t need EMT experience.
- How long will it take me to become a paramedic?
This really depends on the college and training program you select. Typically, a paramedic program can take anywhere from 6 months to two years to complete.
At the Goodwin College Paramedic Program, for example, the hours of education and experience you’ll receive breaks down like this:
670 hours for classroom time; 360 hours for clinical rotations; 225 hours for field internship.
- How much will paramedic training cost?
You can expect to pay between $1,000 and $10,000 for a paramedic program. There are programs that exceed this cost, however.
