In this Paramedics CPD Guide
Why do Paramedics need CPD?
As of 2020, there were approximately 20,000 paramedics in the UK, and according to statistics, ambulance services in England alone responded to 10.2 million incidents in the same year. Paramedics are highly trained medical professionals who provide emergency care and treatment to people in need, often in life-threatening situations. They can administer medications, perform advanced procedures, and transport patients to hospitals. Their role is to provide immediate medical assistance and stabilise patients before they are taken to the hospital for further treatment.
Paramedics are crucial because they are often the first medical professionals to arrive at the scene of an emergency. They provide on-site medical care, such as administering medication, performing life-saving procedures, and transporting patients to the hospital. Their quick response and expertise can make a significant difference in saving lives and promoting better health outcomes.
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What CPD courses do Paramedics need?
As paramedics are first responders to emergency situations, they will come into contact with a wide variety of individual circumstances. This means that most of our courses will be suitable for a paramedic.
We have listed some of our popular courses for paramedics below:
Suicide Awareness – this course covers the five elements of a suicidal mind, as well as exploring the risk factors of somebody suffering from mental illness. It increases awareness of supporting someone with suicide by looking at how they might feel, the right things to say, and the impacts this has on the person, family, friends and colleagues.
Acquired Brain Injuries – this course teaches an understanding of what an acquired brain injury is, how they are diagnosed, as well as how they occur and the impacts that they have. You will also learn how acquired brain injuries are treated and the legal and financial aspects of living with them.
Anaphylaxis Awareness – this course will highlight the 14 most common sources of food allergies and some high-risk locations that people should try and void if they suffer from allergies. It includes the risk factors associated with anaphylaxis, the types of allergic reactions and how to recognise a reaction early in the process and the importance of this.
Depression Awareness – this course will help you have a better understanding of what depression is and how it is treated. The signs and symptoms of depression will be covered as well as common methods of treatment.
Diabetes Awareness – this course will enable you to improve your understanding of diabetes and raise awareness of the condition. It will include what diabetes is, the two types of diabetes, how it is managed, and the complications that can arise from the condition.
Domestic Violence – in our domestic violence course you will learn of the existing legislation surrounding domestic violence to protect individuals. You will consider the key elements of domestic violence in relation to the behaviours that are experienced by both the abuser and the victim. This awareness can support paramedics to safeguard vulnerable individuals.
Epilepsy Awareness – this course aims to increase awareness and understanding of epilepsy and its different effects on an individual. You will learn what to do in the event of a seizure and what triggers can affect an individual.
Hoarding Awareness – this course will explore the physical and mental impact of hoarding as well as the health and safety risks it presents. Paramedics often go into people’s houses during their emergency responses and may identify hoarding in the environment. This hoarding awareness can support paramedics to signpost these risks to other services.
Mental Capacity Act – this course teaches the basics of legislation as well as how to carry out best interest decisions. It covers the five principles of the Mental Capacity Act, how to assess capacity, and the various legal powers associated with it.
Safeguarding Children – this course provides detailed knowledge of how to safeguard children. It covers the legislation relating to safeguarding children, the types of abuse they can suffer, and how to spot the signs of this.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults – this course covers the legislation regarding vulnerable adults, how to spot signs of abuse, and how it can be reported to protect the individual.
Download our CPD trackerA guide to CPD for Paramedics
To become a paramedic, you typically need to complete a degree in emergency medical services and pass a certification exam. These programmes can range from several months to two years in length and may include both classroom learning and clinical experience. Additionally, you may need to meet specific physical and medical requirements and possess certain personal qualities, such as good communication and problem-solving skills.
In the UK, it is a requirement to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to work as a paramedic. Once registered paramedics must also complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to maintain their registration with the HCPC. This can include a range of activities such as attending courses and conferences, completing e-learning modules and reflective practice. The HCPC sets out specific requirements for CPD which paramedics must comply with to continue practising. This makes CPD a compulsory activity in the profession.
CPD certificates
You will be working towards a CPD certificate when you embark on any of our CPD Online College courses. This will be available for you to download electronically straight after completing your course. However, there is also the option to be sent a hard copy or print the certificate yourself. We believe that CPD courses are the best option to learn or refresh your knowledge and skills as you are tested on your course knowledge prior to receiving your CPD certificate. This acts as a knowledge checker to ensure that you have understood the course content. Having a CPD certificate is the strongest form of CPD evidence that you may need to show to your regulator or to your employer.
CPD evidence
CPD training courses can be used to create a CPD training portfolio. A portfolio is a collection of your CPD training that can be used as evidence that you have been completing CPD. It is an easy way to keep your CPD training organised so that you can refer to it or showcase it when requested.
As well as course certificates, the following activities can also be counted towards CPD evidence:
- Webinars
- Job shadowing
- Research
- Podcasts
- Industry events
- Mentoring
Logging CPD hours
The HCPC may set a target number of hours of CPD training that professionals must complete each year. To help you track this you can log your CPD hours for the entirety of the year to prove the amount of training activities that you have been doing. This can include time spent on courses, time spent reading subject knowledge, mentoring activity, and anything else that you do that counts towards your CPD.
Renewing CPD certificates
CPD certificates last for a certain number of years until they require renewal. This is to ensure that you are up to date with the latest knowledge, laws and skills in the industry. When you complete a course with CPD Online College, you will receive an email notification when your course is expiring. This helps you to stay on top of your CPD training and rebook your course to refresh or upgrade your knowledge.
