Being an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or a Paramedic can be very rewarding, after all what can be more great than saving people’s lives. Becoming an EMT can lead to a very fulfilling career in the emergency medical services field. You can also try or test the waters in the medical field by starting as an EMT, you can then become a nurse or doctor.
The work of an EMT can also be very challenging. Emergency medical care needs to be available 24 hours everyday which requires emergency medical technicians to be working at odd and irregular hours. They would be on call for long periods of time. EMT’s are required to be physically and emotionally capable to deal with extreme situations.
You Need EMT Training
To become an EMT, you need training and certification in your state. Requirements vary from state to state to enter training. Most require the applicant to be at least 18 years of age with a high school diploma or a GED. There are levels of EMT training starting with EMT Basic, EMT Intermediate, the EMT Paramedic. You can’t become an EMT Intermediate or EMT Paramedic until you are a certified EMT Basic. The training for EMT Basic takes more than a hundred hours of training focusing on emergency skills and patient assessment. You will also spend time in hospital emergency department and ambulance. You’ll get to learn how to use common medical equipments life stretchers and backboards.
You Need to Get Certified
After you have completed the state approved EMT Training you will be eligible to take the certification examination. The NREMT provides certification for 46 states and other states provide their own certification. You need to pass both a practical and a written examination to get certified as an EMT. You also need to be re-certified every two years and take continuing education and refresher courses.
After you’ve become a certified/licensed EMT Basic, you can then get advanced training as an EMT Intermediate then an EMT Paramedic.
Emergency medical technician or EMT are health care providers in a pre-hospital setting. They are also called ambulance technicians, which basically means the provide emergency medical care to patients being transported to the hospital for higher medical treatment. They also provide emergency medical care on the scene when an accident or when there’s an emergency call. In essence, an EMT responds to emergency calls, give emergency medical care, and bring the patient to the hospital for more advanced and specialized medical care.
Emergency medical technicians (EMT) assess the patients condition, get their medical history, perform emergency medical procedures like keeping the patient properly breathing, preventing shock, splinting bone fracture, and controlling external bleeding until they arrive to their destination where advanced medical care can be given. EMT’s can also perform other medical procedures under instruction from a physician while transporting the patient.
Where EMTs Work
They can work in ambulance services of hospitals, rescue teams, or in the fire and police department. They can either be paid or volunteered to the service.
Several years before there were EMTs, emergency medical care and transportation were performed by fire and police departments, or funeral homes with little training and equipment. As technology improve and new knowledge became available, highly trained and specialized EMT’s provide the emergency care when we need it.
Can I Become an EMT?
Yes, if you are at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED, although requirements vary depending on where you are, most of them require you to have these at least. It is also required that you are capable physically and emotionally stable since working in emergencies is very stressful. You will also be subject to a background check to see if you have any criminal records. There can be other requirements like a CPR certificate and more.
EMT’s needs training to give proper emergency medical care. Depending on the level of EMT training they receive, higher level EMT’s can do more advanced procedures and responsibilities. EMT’s start on the basic level called EMT Basic, the name can vary from place to place, they work with other EMT’s and other medical personnel in assessing and managing emergencies. The other level include EMT Intermediate and EMT Paramedic.