Paramedics and emergency medical technicians work in high-pressure environments and carry a demanding CPD reading workload: JRCALC clinical practice guidelines, ILCOR resuscitation guidelines, NAEMSP position papers, trauma life support updates, and journal literature — most published as PDF. Rest-break study on a Kindle or Kobo is far more comfortable than squinting at PDFs on a phone screen, and much quieter than watching video CPD in a shared rest room.
This guide covers the main PDF types paramedics encounter, where to find them freely, and how to convert them for comfortable e-reader study.
| Document type | Examples | Free / access route |
|---|---|---|
| JRCALC clinical guidelines | Cardiac arrest, trauma, medical emergencies, obstetrics | JRCALCPlus app / trust intranet |
| ILCOR resuscitation guidelines | 2020 ILCOR consensus, AHA guidelines | ilcor.org (free) |
| NAEMSP position papers | Airway management, pain management, REBOA | naemsp.org (free) |
| PHTLS updates | Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support 10th edition updates | NAEMT / institutional access |
| NHS ambulance trust protocols | Clinical operating procedures, medicines management | Trust intranet |
| Journal articles | Emergency Medicine Journal, Resuscitation, Prehospital Emergency Care | NHS OpenAthens |
| College of Paramedics resources | Position statements, practice guidance, CPD frameworks | collegeofparamedics.co.uk |
| HCPC CPD standards | Standards of proficiency for paramedics | hcpc-uk.org (free) |
| UK Ambulance Clinical Quality Indicators | NHS England CQI reports | england.nhs.uk (free) |
Exam preparation tip: If studying for IHCD, DipIMC, or FRCEM, convert your core reading list (resuscitation guidelines, JRCALC summaries, relevant Cochrane reviews) to EPUB and load them onto a Kindle. You can annotate and highlight throughout your study period and review highlights before the exam.
Paramedics and EMTs read JRCALC (Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee) clinical practice guidelines (the primary UK reference), NAEMSP (National Association of EMS Physicians) position papers and protocols, PHTLS (Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support) manual updates, ILCOR resuscitation guidelines, NHS ambulance trust clinical operating procedures, and journal articles from Emergency Medicine Journal, Prehospital Emergency Care, and Resuscitation.
Some are. ILCOR resuscitation guidelines and the AHA guidelines summary are freely available. NAEMSP position papers are available on naemsp.org. NHS ambulance trust clinical governance documents are sometimes published openly. JRCALC guidelines are available via a subscription app (the JRCALC app) or through ambulance trust intranets. Journal articles from Emergency Medicine Journal and Resuscitation are paywalled — access via NHS OpenAthens.
JRCALC publishes its clinical practice guidelines primarily through a subscription app (JRCALCPlus) rather than as a standard PDF. For PDF-format clinical references — ILCOR guidelines, NAEMSP position papers, NHS trust protocols — download the PDF and convert via toolkit.bot. The EPUB is suitable for background study and CPD reading; for at-scene clinical decision support, use the official JRCALC app or your trust's approved reference.
The EPUB conversion preserves the text content faithfully. However, for clinical decision-making at the point of care, always use the current authoritative reference through your trust's approved channels — not a converted file, which may be outdated. EPUB conversion is ideal for CPD background reading, exam preparation (IHCD, FRCEM, DipIMC), and studying resuscitation science — not for bedside or scene reference during patient care.
The main databases are: CINAHL (via NHS OpenAthens) for allied health and nursing literature; PubMed/MEDLINE for emergency medicine and resuscitation research; Cochrane Library (free) for systematic reviews on resuscitation and trauma interventions; EMBASE (via NHS OpenAthens) for broader medical and emergency care literature. The College of Paramedics also publishes free position statements and CPD resources at collegeofparamedics.co.uk.
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