Remote paramedic jobs are often less appealing than suburban deployments on first glance, but they have a lot of hidden benefits that bear closer inspection. A paramedic in a remote location can enjoy a lower cost of living, less stressful shifts, the support from a small working team, and the gratefulness of their local community.
As the population ages in most countries with socialised healthcare, families are spreading out and often moving away from the hustle and bustle of dense suburban areas, especially as they move towards retirement. The elderly and those with young families have the highest need for paramedic and emergency personnel coverage, and this creates need which governments are frantic to meet.
Having someone pay a relocation allowance can be a great boost to your savings if you’re working towards a home purchase or similar, or can be used as a great nest egg that will fund a few months travel overseas if you’d rather.
Often the payment is a set figure which is fairly generous, and it’s easy to relocate far cheaper with some ingenuity and flexibility.
Once you’ve redeployed to a remote paramedic job, the pay may be the same as in more densely populated areas, or even slightly higher. What you’ll find particularly lucrative is overtime, double shift and penalty rates.
Because of the huge distances involved in remote paramedic work, if you get a call-out towards the end of the shift, you might be travelling for two hours before arriving at the scene, treating the patient, and then several hours in another direction to drop-off at a hospital or local surgeon’s. When penalty rates start kicking in, your hourly rate of income can double or triple, and that stacks up quickly.
There are many non-fiscal benefits of working a remote paramedic job. Generally speaking, the smaller the local population, the better everyone knows each other. If you’ve never lived in a town where people in the street are on better-than-nodding terms, you’ll know what we’re referring to.
It’s a rewarding feeling and one not to be underestimated. Tight-knit communities come together in times of crisis, support each other in tangible and intangible ways, and are generally very welcoming of people joining them.
This is especially true for paramedics; you’ll find yourself recognised as a boon to the community and instantly well-regarded. There is much less of the feeling of thankless anonymity that comes from working as part of a large team in a metropolitan paramedic force.
Because of the long hours and less chance for relief, it is easy to become physically exhausted, particularly if you’re pulling weekend shifts. Keep up your exercise and diet, even in stressful periods. Try and avoid resorting to take-away or fatty foods.
It’s worth the extra expense to even consider going to the effort of getting someone else to prepare food for you – if you have neighbours and explain the situation to them, being able to pick up a serve of food in exchange for footing some of the food bill can make a huge difference to your sense of wellbeing.
Make sure you cultivate some local friends and acquaintances, as well. Consider taking up some hobbies enjoyed by local people so that you can meet with them. Don’t let yourself get sucked into living a life of seclusion. Limit your time spent gaming, watching TV and the Internet.
These are all minor irritants, though, on what can be an exceptionally rewarding deployment. Many remote paramedics, once they adjust to the different pace of life on a remote deployment, love it so much that they strenuously avoid returning to the craziness of metropolitan emergency work.
As the population ages in most countries with socialised healthcare, families are spreading out and often moving away from the hustle and bustle of dense suburban areas, especially as they move towards retirement. The elderly and those with young families have the highest need for paramedic and emergency personnel coverage, and this creates need which governments are frantic to meet.
Benefits of Remote Paramedic Jobs
Because of the dire need for paramedics in remote locations, many state governments are paying remote paramedics a location allowance, or will pay for the costs of relocation and settling in to a remote area. In exchange, it’s normally expected you’ll keep at your remote posting for anywhere between one and three years.Having someone pay a relocation allowance can be a great boost to your savings if you’re working towards a home purchase or similar, or can be used as a great nest egg that will fund a few months travel overseas if you’d rather.
Often the payment is a set figure which is fairly generous, and it’s easy to relocate far cheaper with some ingenuity and flexibility.
Once you’ve redeployed to a remote paramedic job, the pay may be the same as in more densely populated areas, or even slightly higher. What you’ll find particularly lucrative is overtime, double shift and penalty rates.
Because of the huge distances involved in remote paramedic work, if you get a call-out towards the end of the shift, you might be travelling for two hours before arriving at the scene, treating the patient, and then several hours in another direction to drop-off at a hospital or local surgeon’s. When penalty rates start kicking in, your hourly rate of income can double or triple, and that stacks up quickly.
There are many non-fiscal benefits of working a remote paramedic job. Generally speaking, the smaller the local population, the better everyone knows each other. If you’ve never lived in a town where people in the street are on better-than-nodding terms, you’ll know what we’re referring to.
It’s a rewarding feeling and one not to be underestimated. Tight-knit communities come together in times of crisis, support each other in tangible and intangible ways, and are generally very welcoming of people joining them.
This is especially true for paramedics; you’ll find yourself recognised as a boon to the community and instantly well-regarded. There is much less of the feeling of thankless anonymity that comes from working as part of a large team in a metropolitan paramedic force.
Drawbacks Of Remote Paramedic Jobs
There can be some drawbacks to remote paramedic jobs, but these can be mitigated. In decades past, working remotely meant you were isolated from the rest of the world. Now, this is less true. A decent Internet connection, a webcam, and Skype will keep you chatting face-to-face with friends and relatives from anywhere in the world.Because of the long hours and less chance for relief, it is easy to become physically exhausted, particularly if you’re pulling weekend shifts. Keep up your exercise and diet, even in stressful periods. Try and avoid resorting to take-away or fatty foods.
It’s worth the extra expense to even consider going to the effort of getting someone else to prepare food for you – if you have neighbours and explain the situation to them, being able to pick up a serve of food in exchange for footing some of the food bill can make a huge difference to your sense of wellbeing.
Make sure you cultivate some local friends and acquaintances, as well. Consider taking up some hobbies enjoyed by local people so that you can meet with them. Don’t let yourself get sucked into living a life of seclusion. Limit your time spent gaming, watching TV and the Internet.
These are all minor irritants, though, on what can be an exceptionally rewarding deployment. Many remote paramedics, once they adjust to the different pace of life on a remote deployment, love it so much that they strenuously avoid returning to the craziness of metropolitan emergency work.