In Nova Scotia, the paramedic profession is structured into different levels, each with an increasing scope of practice and responsibility. Each level of paramedic requires specific education and certification.
Emergency medical responders (EMR) support and work alongside paramedics, providing basic resuscitation and patient assessment. The addition of this new role will increase the number of paramedic teams available to Nova Scotia communities and reduce wait times.
The entry-level designation for paramedics in Nova Scotia is Primary Care Paramedic (PCP). PCPs are trained to provide basic emergency medical care, including CPR, defibrillation, administration of certain medications, and basic trauma care. They can perform assessments, manage medical and trauma emergencies, and provide patient transport.
The second level designation is Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP). ACPs have additional training beyond the PCP level. They can perform more advanced medical procedures, such as endotracheal intubation, intravenous therapy, and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and are also trained to administer a wider range of medications.
The highest level of designation in Nova Scotia is Critical Care Paramedic (CCP). CCPs have specialized training in managing critically ill or injured patients, often in situations requiring advanced life support during transport, are skilled in advanced airway management, complex pharmacology, critical care monitoring, and more.
Choose the designation below for more details on that paramedic’s role, responsibilities, scope of practice, and certification requirements.
ACPs in Nova Scotia provide advanced emergency medical care including administering medications, performing advanced airway management, and interpreting electrocardiograms (ECGs). ACPs in Nova Scotia have some of the widest scopes...
In Nova Scotia, critical care paramedics can work in the air and on the ground, tending to those in need of the most acute medical care. EHS LifeFlight, Nova Scotia...
Emergency medical responders (EMR) provide fundamental out-of-hospital care working with other healthcare providers in a wide variety of settings. When working on ambulances they can assess, stabilize and transport patients...
PCPs in Nova Scotia provide basic emergency medical care including assessment, treatment, and transport of patients in pre-hospital settings. As with advanced care paramedics, PCPs in Nova Scotia have some...