Paramedic Jobs in Canada

There are several options if you are looking for paramedic jobs in Canada.

In Canada, paramedics are part of the healthcare professions, and are responsible for providing pre-hospital assessment and medical care to various victims. Most paramedics work in land or air ambulances.

The amount and intensity of training involved to become a paramedic varies by province and the level of paramedic you're preparing to become. British Columbia is the only province that requires every level of paramedic to obtain their own medical license, but there are several institutions throughout the country that offer paramedic educational programs.

Although the accreditation of paramedic educational programs also varies from province to province, the Canadian Medical Association's Committee on Conjoint Accreditation offers the most comprehensive system of national accreditation.

During 2007, paramedics in Ottawa, Ontario had the highest average salary, as they earned $27.20 per hour. Paramedics in Fredericton, New Brunswick had the lowest average salary, as they earned $18.27 per hour.

The scope of practice of paramedics is described by the National Occupational Competency Profile for Paramedics, a document developed by the Paramedic Association of Canada through funding from the Canadian government.

Most people gain experience as an emergency medical responder, which is the most basic level of paramedic work, before moving onto a higher level. The basic three levels of paramedics include:

• Primary care paramedic - This is considered the entry-level paramedic job. PCPs are responsible for performing semi-automated external defibrillation, interpreting 3-lead or 12-lead ECG's, administering symptom relief medications and performing trauma immobilization.
• Advanced care paramedic - This is a high-demand level of paramedic, although not all provinces have ACPs. Workers at this stage are responsible for carrying about 20 different types of medications, performing advanced airway management, intravenous therapy, placing external jugular IV lines, performing needle thoracotomy, performing and interpreting 12-lead ECGs, performing synchronized and chemical cardioversion, performing obstetrical assessments, providing pharmacological chemical pain relief and reversing hypoglycemic conditions.
• Critical care paramedic - As opposed to responding to 911 calls, CCPs typically transfer patients from their current hospital to other facilities that provide a higher level of care. CCPs must be able to provide all the care that PCPs and ACPs can. They also are trained for other skills, such as using medication infusion pumps, mechanical ventilation and advanced monitoring. Most CCPs work in aircrafts.

10 Steps to Improve Baltimore City Jobs in Small Business

A new 10 step plan could help support workers with Baltimore city jobs in small businesses.

Gov. Martin O'Malley recently outlined an effort to help strengthen the small business community in Maryland amid the current economic recession.

O'Malley has cited several factors that prove the local economy is improving, including increasing real estate sales, an unemployment rate that is consistently below the national average and the fact that several companies throughout the state are hiring additional staff.

The 10 step plan to strengthen small business in Maryland includes:

1. Creating the state's first ever Commission for Small Business, which will be built upon the positive momentum of the Small Business Task force.
2. Expanding assistance to state businesses through the Health Insurance Partnership, giving 1,500 businesses and 10,000 residents access to quality and affordable health insurance.
3. Creating one uniform loan application for any small business applying for state financing and streamlining the state's permitting requirements to reduce the amount of red tape.
4. Matching President Barack Obama's commitment to waive borrowing fees for Small Business Administration loans, including fees for the Maryland Small Business Development Financing Authority.
5. Working the the Congressional delegation to secure greater capital from the federal government for small businesses in Maryland.
6. Expanding efforts to advance Minority Business Enterprise, which already has a 22 percent participation rate across state government.
7. Setting aside a percentage of certain state contracts for small business through the Small Business Reserve Program and extending the program six more years.
8. Working with the federal government through the Federal Facilities Task Force to make federal procurement and contracting opportunities available to more businesses throughout the state.
9. Working with the business community to find ways to provide better skills training and promote career readiness in state schools, especially in career and technology education and science, technology, engineering and math education.
10. Working with the business community to find a sustainable solution to the unemployment insurance challenges facing small businesses in Maryland.

"If we’re going to turn the corner from recovery to prosperity, we need all of you, and we must continue to recognize that our progress as a state depends on the prosperity of small businesses," O’Malley said. "If we want a strong, growing middle class, we must have strong family-owned businesses. And to have strong businesses, we must strive to improve public safety and public education and to expand opportunity to more people rather than fewer."

Jobs in Portland Oregon's Clean Tech Industry

If you're wondering what jobs Portland Oregon has to offer, you may benefit from looking into the city's "clean tech" industry.

Forbes recently named the Portland-Salem area to its list of the top 15 U.S. metro areas for clean tech job growth. Not only is the area a hub for solar manufacturing, but Oregon offers a business energy tax credit to companies that invest in conservation, recycling, renewable energy and low-pollution fuels.

The North American headquarters of Vestas, a Danish wind turbine manufacturer, is in Portland. Another plus is that one local company, Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. has hired 100 workers since 2008 and plans to add another 40 employees by the end of the year.

The full list includes:

1. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif.
2. Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, Calif.
3. New York-Long Island, N.Y./Northern New Jersey
4. Boston-Worcester-Lawrence-Lowell-Brockton, Mass.
5. Washington, D.C.-Baltimore, Md./Va./West Va.
6. Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colo.
7. Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Wash.
8. Portland-Salem, Ore.
9. Chicago, Ill.-Gary, Ind.-Kenosha, Wis.
10. Sacramento-Yolo County, Calif.
11. San Diego, Calif.
12. Austin-San Marcos, Texas
13. Phoenix, Ariz.
14. Detroit-Ann Arbor, Mich.
15. Houston-Galveston-Brazorla, Texas

The Portland-based Northwest Power and Conservation Council projects that Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington will be able to meet 85 percent of their new electricity needs during the next 20 years through conservation, which will cost half as much as building new power plants.

A recent report from Clean Edge found that the clean tech industry has greatly benefited from federal stimulus money, state activity and venture capital investment, as well as efforts by traditional corporations to improve their energy efficiency, reduce pollution and increase renewable energy.

Those interested in clean tech jobs also can expect to be paid well. A recent report from PayScale found that median salaries in the industry are as high as $106,000 for a mid-level renewable energy project developer, $75,000 for a mid-level solar system integration engineer and $72,000 for an entry level geothermal power engineer.