Ambulance Service Vehicle
Ambulance Service Vehicle
Ambulance Service Vehicle
6.0 Uniforms and Appearance One should place the patient at ease by presenting a reassuring
appearance. The ambulance personnel should wear clothing that is neat and clean, providing a hygienic
as well as professional appearance. Uniforms are to be worn by all on-duty shifts or as approved by the
department head.
1.1 The new uniforms are to be worn in its entirety during regular shifts while on duty. 1.2 Jeans are not
acceptable in combination with regular uniform while on duty for regular shifts 1.3 The uniform code for
the “piketdienst” is exceptional however a combination should be made for easy identification of an
ambulance staff member. 1.4 Excessive jewelry is discouraged due to the inherent problems associated
with small children and convulsive patients. Wedding bands are acceptable. 1.5 Excessive hair is
discouraged. Men: Above the collar, medium afros are acceptable. Beards and sideburns must be well
trimmed.
Women: Hairstyles are to be neat and clean with little adornment and should be pinned if necessary not
to interfere while carryout work. Needs to ensure that long hair does not become a safety hazard
(entanglement or assault) and that finger nails are kept short.
1.6 Shoes should be black. Steel toes are highly recommended for ambulance teams aboard the
ambulance. Clogs, sandals and athletic shoes are not acceptable. 1.7 Name tags shall be worn over
the left breast pocket. 1.8 All ambulance nurses and assistants are required to carry their own watch
with second hand, as well as a penlight and stethoscope.
6.1 REPORTING FOR DUTY AND SCHEDULING It is most necessary that ambulance nurses/ ambulance
assistants and dispatchers coming on shift are on time so they may orient themselves to the conditions
with which they must work. A minimum of 15 minutes prior to changing of shifts is required and is
acceptable.
Shifts hour are from 07:00 AM to 15:00 PM, 15:00 PM to 23:00 PM and 23:00 PM to 07:00 AM. Once the
ambulance nurses, assistants and dispatchers have reported for duty, he/she may not leave the
department without first notifying the operational leader or ambulance nurse in charge.
The Ambulance teams is not allowed to take a nap (sleep) during the various shifts except for night shifts
however must at all time be ready to respond immediately to any emergency call.
Regular and administrative staff working hours ranges from 08:00 AM – 17:00PM.
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Note: No staff member may leave their duty station without appropriate coverage as approved by the
operational manager or department head.
1. The Government of St. Maarten, represented by Ministry of Public Health, Social Development &
Labour 2. The St. Maarten Medical Center Foundation
II OBJECTIVE To administer medication aboard the ambulance by the ambulance nurses according to
fixed protocols under the final supervision by the emergency room physicians of the SMMC.
The emergency room physician will also conduct case management and carry out workshops with the
ambulance teams in order to improve pre-hospital care on St. Maarten.
III PHASE 1 Only medications mentioned in the intervention protocols of SOSA-trained ambulance –
nurses will be placed on the ambulance. For the first three months only the cardiac-arrest protocol will
be applied and therefore in that period, the available medications are:
• Atropine
• Epinephrine
These medications will be administered according to the SOSA protocol manual to patients who are in
cardiac arrest without prior consultation with the emergency room physician.
The ambulance nurse must contact the emergency room physician for approval when attending to a
patient who is not in cardiac arrest but with life threatening arrhythmias. The ambulance nurse must
submit at all times a copy of the run form (“rittenformulier”) to the emergency room physician for
review after administering above listed medication. Thereafter, the administering of other necessary
medication will be considered.
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IV PHASE 2
After the three months period, it will be decided to expand the medication on the ambulance according
to the skills of the ambulance-staff. To improve the skills the nurses will receive at least an additional
400 hours per year of continuous education including additional classes by the staff of the ambulance
department at the emergency room and the intensive care unit of SMMC. (For specifications see
appendix “Clinical Program”)
V MANAGEMENT OF MEDICATION SUPPLY The Head of the Ambulance Department will be responsible
for the selection and purchase of the medication, once authorized by an appointed doctor. The
medication will be purchased from the pharmacist of SMMC, who will monitor the storage and
distribution of the medication by the Ambulance Department.
VI STORAGE The medicine will be stored in medicine storage cases in the advance life support kits on
the ambulances. The ambulance nurses will be responsible for daily inspections of the medicines for
expiration dates and replacement making use of a log book.
7.6 Maintenance of Patient Care Equipment The proper operation of all patient care equipment is
essential to the provision of EMS care as a whole. It is of the utmost importance that all equipment be
maintained appropriately.
All on-duty Ambulance personnel are to complete ambulance check-lists at the beginning of their shifts.
Any equipment that isn’t in proper working order must be taken out of service immediately and
replaced with spare equipment from the storage room. An equipment failure report must also be
completed and handed over to the operational leader/supervisor or placed in mailbox.
Job Description
Ambulance drivers normally work about forty hours per week. They work very
irregular hours and also on holidays. This profession can be a high pressure one as
most ambulance calls normally mean life and death. The work requires a high degree
of commitment due to the high pressure, irregular working hours and physically
strenuous nature of the work.
Once you have completed the required education and training, you can apply for
entry-level jobs in the medical field. Many companies offer on the job training by
providing internship programs. Even if you are not able to get entry level jobs as an
ambulance driver, you can start with other positions like volunteer fire fighter and
emergency services telephone dispatcher etc. and after gaining sufficient experience,
attempt the ambulance driver’s job again. Although it is one of the most humble of
professions, it is also the noblest.
Duties and Responsibilities
Complete a mechanical checklist prior to each shift to ensure ambulance is in working order and ready
to transport patients to and from required locations, and report any mechanical issues to appropriate
service personnel
Ensure ambulance is clean and stocked properly with first aid and medical supplies prior to each shift
and between patient transports throughout the day
Accept patient transport assignments daily and drive ambulance with any necessary medical personnel
to patient location
Help patients onto ambulance gurney and load them into the ambulance, assisted by partner or other
medical personnel
Transport patient to assigned medical facility, unload patient and take patient inside facility and to
where directed by medical personnel
Accompany EMTs and paramedics on emergency calls to transport patients to hospitals when assigned
to do so
Report accident or other emergency facts to medical personnel and/or law enforcement when necessary
Complete appropriate trip sheets as required by employer to record officially each transport
Among his other duties, an ambulance driver may need to report facts to law
enforcement officials concerning the accident site or the state of the person when he
went to take him to the hospital. Another responsibility of the Ambulance driver is
replace all supplies and disposable items on ambulances and to ensure that the vehicle
is fully stocked and is ready to attend an emergency call.
The ambulance driver needs to assess a situation quickly and act accordingly. He
should be knowledgeable in customer and personal service. The ambulance driver also
should be well-versed in the knowledge of equipment, policies and procedures to
effectively help any kind of local or state operation for the purpose of protection of
people.
Ambulance drivers must have completed high school diploma or its equivalent which
is the GED (General Educational Development) Test. A college degree is not
essential. The candidate should be physically active and fit to perform the various
functions of an ambulance driver.
An ambulance driver’s duties may vary based on their seniority, whether they hold EMT certification, and the
level of certification they hold. However, there are several core tasks that are common to all ambulance
drivers, such as:
Safely driving an ambulance to transport patients as quickly as possible to medical facilities for care is a
primary part of an ambulance driver’s job.
Provide Assistance
In situations where the patient requires some level of care before reaching the hospital, such as instances of
heavy bleeding or respiratory distress, the ambulance driver provides first aid or administers oxygen.
Clean Vehicle
To keep the ambulance sanitary and germ-free, ambulance drivers thoroughly sanitize the vehicle and remove
soiled linens and contaminated supplies.
Maintain Records
Ambulance drivers make daily entries into a driving log. This information includes patients’ names and
addresses, trip times, mileage, and services performed.
They inspect the ambulance and report any deficiencies for repair. Fuel, oil, transmission fluid, coolant, and
wiper fluid levels are checked and topped off if necessary.