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School Of Emergency and Critical Care (SECC)
About Netcare 911
The success of the Netcare brand was recognised in the Sunday Times/Markinor annual Top Brands Survey in 2008 with it being stated that “Netcare 911 had helped Netcare to leap to the top of SA’s healthcare brands in the healthcare facilities section of Top Brands”.
As a company whose every employee embraces the Netcare values, this award comes as no surprise. These values are entrenched in every action, decision and intervention Netcare 911 has with its patients, their families, the wider communities we serve, fellow colleagues and all stakeholders.
The fact employees and healthcare partners truly live out these values has led to the company delivering the kind of quality care that only the best healthcare professionals can feel proud of.
Healthcare is probably the most difficult sector within the services industry when it comes to pleasing clients and building a strong, positive brand. In healthcare and emergency services in particular you deal with people’s lives in a much more profound manner than you would in any other sector.
Daily you have to confront emotions, life and death situations and heartbreakingly sad stories. Yet you also get to share in moments of great joy and witness medical miracles. By genuinely believing in the Netcare values and living them out on a daily basis, our staff and healthcare partners manage to meet and exceed the expectations and perceptions of those we serve.
About the Industry
Emergency medical services within South Africa consist of three areas namely the Government, Private and Military sectors.
The largest employer is the government sector, closely followed by the private sector. The military sector is the smallest.
The profession is regulated by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) which is housed under the Professional Board of Emergency Care. There are approximately 60 000 emergency care practitioners registered with the HPCSA with the majority of emergency workers being registered at the basic level.
Employment opportunities with in the industry are wide ranging from primary roadwork, special events, call centre, training as well as specialised rescue and remote site work. Trained individuals are continuously in demand.
How many jobs are available to graduates in the sector?
This is difficult to quantify but perhaps the answer here below will assist in this regard.
View Netcare 911 Careers >>
- Qualifications
List types of jobs one can get in the sector with qualifications needed (courses that can be studied, etc)
- Training facilities
In conjunction with Netcare, Netcare 911 operates the largest private emergency medical services training centre in Africa. The school of Emergency and Critical care is led by a dynamic team of experienced instructors and academics in the field of emergency medical services.
There are three major levels or qualifications of emergency care practitioners at present in South Africa. As indicated all emergency care practitioners register with the HPCSA who is also the body that sets the requirements for the training institutions.
There are two routes to becoming an advanced life support paramedic at present; one is to pursue the in-service training route of obtaining a qualification, then gaining practical work experience before progressing to the next level of training. The alternative is to enter a B-Tech programme at one of the universities presenting the curriculum and exiting four years later with an advanced life support qualification.
- 1st Qualification - Basic Life support (BAA)
This course is presented over a six week period and at the conclusion of the course the successful candidate can administer oxygen and oral glucose, is proficient in CPR and AED use, in delivering a baby and safely extricating a patient from a motor vehicle accident. Students are also trained in the management of medical conditions as well as in how to treat a trauma patient.
This qualification is the entry level requirement for those who want to work in emergency medical services. Netcare 911's School of Emergency and Critical Care presents this course at all three of our campuses respectively based in Midrand, Durban and Nelspruit.
- 2nd Qualification - Intermediate Life Support (AEA)
This course is presented over a 13 week period and includes a six week practical rotation. At the conclusion of the course the successful candidate in addition to all the BLS skills can perform ECG monitoring and defibrillation as well as several invasive life saving techniques. Candidates are allowed to administer life saving inhalation as well as intravenous medications. Netcare 911's School of Emergency and Critical Care presents this course at two of its three campuses namely Midrand and Durban.
- 3rd Qualification - Advanced Life Support (CCA)
The CCA course is presented at the SECC's Midrand campus over a period of 10 months. The ALS course is exceptionally challenging and the successful candidate will be able to handle any emergency with confidence.
Short course training will be phased out by 2010 to be replaced by a two tier system consisting of the two year Emergency Care Technicians programme and the four year Bachelors of Emergency Medical Care programme.
- Personality traits of individuals ideal for the sector
What type of person would thrive in the sector? What do you need to succeed?
The industry attracts A-type personalities who are looking for career opportunities that involve shift work in an outdoor environment. Individuals need to be versatile and able to adapt to changing situations on a daily basis. Passion, commitment and professionalism form the foundation in dealing with patients in physical and emotionally stressful situations.
Individuals must also be willing to adopt an attitude of life-long learning and continuous education. Professional development is important to personal and professional growth.
- Pros & cons of working in the sector
Possible disadvantages include staff having to work under stressful circumstances and often also in high pressure, stressful environments. Working hours can be long where shifts are usually 12 hours. Paramedics are also often on stand-by after hours. Personnel are exposed to many communicable diseases and have a higher risk of contamination when it comes to illnesses.
Benefits include working in a dynamic and exciting environment that is highly rewarding and fulfilling. There is at present a great shortage of qualified personnel and as a result career opportunities are abundant with excellent scope for growth. Qualified South African paramedics are highly regarded in other countries and scope exists for qualified practitioners to work abroad.
Comment from a YOUNG professional explaining what they do and love about working in the sector
Jacques Lourens (Advance Life Support Paramedic)
“Working as a Paramedic in South Africa is a job unlike any other. In the space of a single day you can experience a wide variety of calls, including ICU transfers, trauma, medical and rescue emergencies. This job requires motivation, enthusiasm and the ability to think on your feet. There is never a dull moment as you work as part of a team in a dynamic environment where you are constantly faced with new challenges!”
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