title: Paramedics as allied health care providers in the pediatric emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of use and scope of practice of paramedics in the pediatric emergency department (PED).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight question mailed survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eighty directors of pediatric emergency medicine departments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twelve (62%) pediatric emergency medicine directors completed the survey of which 87 (74%) had a physically distinct PED. The PEDs saw an mean volume of 29,563 patients per year. Twenty-one percent of the PEDs surveyed had paramedics who were employed as allied health personnel. Paramedic responsibilities in the PEDs included patient transport, 89%; laboratory transport, 67 %; IV access, 78%; medication administration, 22 %; suturing, 11%; assisting, 94%; intubation, 6%; and narcotic administration, 11%. Paramedic mean starting salary was $9.55 (SD+/-1.90)/h) versus nurse mean starting salary of $15.03 (SD+/-3.58)/h (P < 0.001). PED directors who employed paramedics rated the success of their paramedic program as 7.9 (SD+/-1.7) on a scale from 1 (not at all successful) to 10 (very successful).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paramedics can function successfully as members of the PED patient care team. In a resource-scarce health care environment the use of paramedics may be a cost-effective adjunct to nursing support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Hartford, USA.
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Zempsky
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haskell
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce