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Step 1
Gain a basic understanding of the Italian health-care infrastructure. Unlike the United States' health-care system, the Italian system is generalist. Its main purpose is to provide all citizens with free, complete and accessible care. The Italian health-care infrastructure is divided into 21 regional authorities and grants health-care assistance to everyone regardless of whether an individual is a registered citizen or a nonregistered migrant.
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Step 2
Learn about the Emergency Medical System currently in place in Italy. It can be activated by dialing 118, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A physician attends to each emergency call in a car and is met by a volunteer (who drives the ambulance to the hospital separately). While some volunteers MAY have some Basic Life Saving training (BLS), all Advanced Life Saving work is done by the attending physician.
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Step 3
Understand why people in Italy become paramedics. There is no training required to become a paramedic in Italy since it is a volunteer position. Most volunteers take a position as a paramedic because they feel an obligation towards their community. The use of registered nurses (RNs) is becoming more popular in emergency medical situations in France and Italy, but currently, the emergency situations require only a physician and an untrained volunteer.
