Level Of Training

[SandpitMedic]

You would be surprised. I have worked along side them on various contracts for about 3 years. Although many poses 3 year vocational type degrees (similar to our AAS), their skill sets and actual clinical knowledge and education vary greatly by country and is often below what I would expect, especially scope of practice wise. They often have to receive additional training by the employer to be on par with U.S. medics scope of practice (excluding Aussie ICP's and SA ECP´s). That being said... despite this, it would appear from speaking with them the degrees have brought them many other benefits in their home countries and internationally for reciprocity purposes.

This. I was very surprised when I worked with some of them to find out they were not the super providers they were rumored to be in the US. Not to say they were not skilled or competent because they are, but rather just not "super." For instance, no cardioversion, no adenosine, no versed, no ketamine, no RSI, and preference of a SGA over controlled airways were the biggest surprises to me.

 

[irishboxer384]

This. I was very surprised when I worked with some of them to find out they were not the super providers they were rumored to be in the US. Not to say they were not skilled or competent because they are, but rather just not "super." For instance, no cardioversion, no adenosine, no versed, no ketamine, no RSI, and preference of a SGA over controlled airways were the biggest surprises to me.

The UK is getting more and more strict on everything limiting the paramedics. A friend working for the NHS said they're even talking about the idea of taking ET intubation out of their ALS protocols

 

[SandpitMedic]

Yeah, a lot of guys I talked to said they never even did one. They were completely content with using the iGel in their war stories.

Intubation, they said was shunned by the ER docs and they never really even considered it, even in codes.