An introduction to the demands of working in health and social care. This document looks at two roles in the industry in detail. Paramedic and social worker. Included detail on roles, responsibilities and job description as well as much more!
C1: Within health and social care there are lots of different jobs, each job has its own set of roles and
responsibilities to the service user. Each job has a job description that outlines what their roles and
responsibilities are within their role. They also have a person specification that states the personal traits that
are required to be successful within their sector.
Here are some examples of health and social care workers and their person specification and job description:
Paramedic
What is their job description?
A paramedic is a first responder mainly to medical emergencies where urgent medical attention is required,
they are usually always first on the scene, they also respond to 111 calls and GP referrals. Their role requires
them to deliver advanced levels of care in medical emergencies and traumatic situations. They respond to 999
calls from the general public and are responsible for driving and staffing ambulances that are used to get the
place where someone needs medical attention, meaning they are field based however they can be hospital
based and treat minor injuries. They must assess the needs of the patients they are providing emergency
treatment to and communicate this to the patient themselves and their family or friends that are present.
They use high tech equipment such as defibrillators. They can also use spinal and traction splints, administor
intervenous drips and provide oxygen. They need to ensure that they get their patients to the nearest hospital
to get the proper treatment that they need. Some paramedics can work independantley either by motorbike,
bycicle or emergancy response cars. The job summary on the NHS states “be accountable for assessment,
treatment, diagnosis, supplying and administering of medicines, managing, discharging and referring patients
in a range of urgent, emergency, critical or out of hospital settings.” (NHS Employers 2023.) Typically,
paramedics work in a two-person ambulance crew alongside an ambulance technician. The level of care they
provide can range from life threatening to minor illness or injuries. “Paramedics treat up to 50% of medical
cases within patient’s homes.” (Jisc 2023.) In addition paramedics work closeley with other professionals such
as nurses and doctors when they transfer patients into their care.
What is their role?
Their main role as the mobile arm of the health service by responding to emergency calls and responding to
treat life-threatening illnesses and injuries. They also offer support to other emergency services in cases of
emergencies.
What are their responsibilities?
Paramedics have many different responsibilities, and their prime responsibilities may change
depending on the situation. “Work will vary greatly depending on the patient and their condition.”
(Jisc 2023.) Some of their responsibilities are:
To listen to their patients to see how their feeling and asses their needs efficiently while gaining their
consent to ensure they are comfortable with the process of the assessment. This is an important
responsibility as it determines the patient's course of treatment and the paramedics initial diagnosis.
Be able to use the medical equipment within an ambulance to treat their patients in the correct way
and give them the intervention they need until they get to hospital.
It is also their responsibility to decide if it is appropriate to admit a patient to a hospital for further
treatment or if they are okay to be discharged from medical care if they make the wrong decision and
a patient deteriorates it is their responsibility.
They need to be able to effectively liaise with fellow health and social care professionals such as A&E
teams, social workers, nurses and doctors and pass on important information to do with their patients
and their conditions.
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