Emergency Care

The Emergency Care Practitioners are often the first health care professionals entrusted with the care of the critically ill or injured patient. A career in emergency care is both exciting and demanding, requiring mental alertness and rigorous physical fitness to make life and death decisions in an environment that can be difficult and dangerous.

Professionals in emergency medical care are equipped with advanced life support and medical rescue skills and knowledge, and must be eligible to register with the Rwanda Allied Health Professions Council as Emergency Care Officers.

The following professions are under the auspices of the Professional Advisory Board for Emergency Care, namely:

·         Emergency Care Practitioners

·         Paramedics

·         Emergency Care Technicians

·         Ambulance Emergency Assistants

·         Basic Ambulance Assistants

While primarily based in the pre and out-of-hospital emergency and urgent care settings, emergency care officers (paramedics) may also work in a wide variety of both clinical and non-clinical settings. These include GP surgeries, walk in centres, minor injury units, urgent and emergency care centres, education/teaching, research, management, military and commercial settings. The paramedic/emergency officer role is diverse and includes supporting patients through an increasing number of environments that form part of modern day paramedic practice.  The role encompasses detailed technical expertise in areas such as history taking and physical examination, documentation, clinical presentations, diagnosis on the information available in unique settings, and processing scientific diagnostic testing, as well as demonstrating attributes, values and behaviours such as, empathy, compassion and understanding in treating and caring for patients and supporting relatives and others.

 

Emergency care officers are personally responsible for making sure that they promote and protect the best interests of service users. They respect and take account of these factors when providing care or a service, and do not abuse the relationship they have with a service user. They demonstrate that they are maintaining their expertise, skills and knowledge through undertaking continuing professional development, and are accountable as professionals.