Ambulance Attendant/Driver
An Ambulance Attendant/Driver plays a crucial role in the emergency medical services field, transporting sick, injured, or disabled patients to hospitals and other care facilities. Working alongside emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, these professionals ensure patient stability and safety during transport while navigating traffic to reach healthcare facilities promptly. Their responsibilities extend beyond driving; they assist in administering first aid, handle medical equipment, and maintain sanitary conditions within the ambulance.
The job environment can be challenging and unpredictable, often requiring work in chaotic situations such as accidents or medical emergencies. These drivers and attendants typically work irregular hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, reflecting the need for round-the-clock medical transport services. The entry-level educational requirements typically include a high school diploma, a valid driver's license, and completion of necessary certifications, such as CPR and first aid.
With a median annual earning of around $34,420 and a favorable job outlook, positions for ambulance attendants and drivers are increasingly available across the country, making it an appealing career option for those interested in emergency medical care and transportation.
Ambulance Attendant/Driver
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Health Science, Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Interests: Working with the sick or injured, making decisions quickly, driving a vehicle
Earnings (Yearly Median): $34,420 per year $16.55 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 11% (Faster than average)
Entry-Level Education Postsecondary nondegree award
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job-Training None
Overview
Sphere of Work. Ambulance drivers and attendants transport sick, injured, convalescent, or otherwise disabled patients to hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities. They work with emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics to stabilize, secure, and lift the patient into the ambulance. In emergency situations, they report the condition of the patient to hospitals and emergency personnel in order to ensure proper and timely treatment, and must navigate the ambulance through traffic to the closest hospital. Additionally, ambulance drivers and attendants are responsible for cleaning their vehicles, replacing linens according to sanitary standards, and restocking medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and other supplies. Ambulance drivers and attendants may also be required to administer first aid alongside EMTs and paramedics.
Work Environment. When on calls, ambulance drivers and attendants work in the cabs of ambulances, which are customized vans and trucks designed to accommodate a stretcher, up to two EMTs or paramedics, and the equipment used to treat the patient. Drivers and attendants work in all types of weather conditions and environments, often at crime and accident scenes and structure fires, and do a great deal of physical activity, including heavy lifting. They usually work a standard forty-hour week, although they may work longer and more erratic shift hours as emergency situations dictate. They are frequently required to work nights, weekends, and holidays, as ambulance drivers and attendants are needed around the clock. Work may be very stressful, and there is a risk of physical injury from equipment such as needles and scalpels, as well as from uncooperative patients and others at the scene. Additionally, there is a risk of exposure to blood and other bodily fluids.
Occupation Interest. The job of ambulance drivers and the attendants who assist them is rarely routine or predictable. Drivers and attendants are frequently called into dangerous and/or chaotic situations and are expected to treat patients under any conditions and circumstances. While the hours may be irregular and the work may be stressful, ambulance drivers and attendants are part of a team that helps save people’s lives. Ambulance drivers and attendants are in demand, which means that job opportunities are available across the country.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Ambulance drivers and attendants respond to emergency as well as non-emergency calls. When they arrive on the scene, they assist EMTs, paramedics, and other emergency personnel in administering first aid, securing the patient on a stretcher (using wrist and ankle restraints if necessary), and lifting the patient and equipment into the ambulance. Ambulance drivers and attendants then drive through traffic to the hospital, coordinating with emergency personnel at the facility to keep them apprised of the patient’s condition. Once the patient is delivered, drivers and attendants restock their ambulance’s medicinal and equipment inventories. They also clean the ambulance according to strict sanitary conditions.
In addition to responding to emergency calls, ambulance drivers and attendants are frequently called to transport non-critical patients, such as the elderly or patients who are convalescing from treatment at another hospital, to nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. Once the ambulance is returned to the garage at which it is based, drivers and attendants may perform minor repairs to the vehicle as needed.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Ambulance drivers and attendants work primarily in ambulances, traveling to and from medical centers, nursing homes, and rehabilitation facilities. They work at accident, fire, and crime scenes, often in chaotic and dangerous conditions. When not on calls, ambulance drivers work at hospitals and medical facilities, restocking their supplies and ensuring proper delivery of patients, and at their base of operations (typically a fire station or a private ambulance company), where maintenance and cleaning is performed.
Human Environment. In addition to patients, ambulance drivers and attendants work with EMTs and paramedics, firefighters, police, scene eyewitnesses, and hospital staff, including doctors and nurses.
Technological Environment. Ambulance drivers and attendants use various types of medical equipment, including stretchers and gurneys, blood pressure devices, and stethoscopes. They also use equipment aboard the ambulance, such as radios, global positioning systems (GPS), and emergency sirens and lights. Ambulance drivers and attendants also use computer software, including map creation programs and basic office suites.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students should take a driver’s education course in order to receive their driver’s license. They should also take first aid courses and study sciences such as anatomy and physiology. As ambulance drivers and attendance are expected to communicate with patients, hospital staff, and other emergency personnel, communications courses are also beneficial.
Postsecondary. Ambulance drivers must be twenty-one years of age with a valid driver’s license. Ambulance driver and attendant positions generally do not require a college degree or specific postsecondary certificate. Required courses vary by state; both ambulance drivers and attendants may have to take the Emergency Vehicle Operators course, which in some cases is offered online as well as in person. Drivers and attendants should also receive certification in CPR and first aid, and are encouraged to take internships at fire stations and ambulance companies. There is also some on-the-job training.
Related Occupations
− Emergency Medical Technician
Bibliography
"53-3011 Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians." Occupational Employment and Wages Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533011.htm. Accessed 26 Aug. 2024.