EMTs (emergency medical technicians) play a crucial role in rendering urgent medical assistance to sick or injured people in emergency situations. Becoming a qualified EMT or paramedic can be an extremely rewarding career in the field of healthcare. Although both roles deal with emergency medical treatment, the training and qualifications needed for each position differ. This article will focus on the peculiarities and core responsibilities of this job as well as the qualifications and capabilities needed to become one.
Table of Contents
An EMT is a healthcare practitioner who deals with emergency medical situations, including evaluating patients’ medical conditions and recording the care received. EMTs form the backbone of modern emergency medical services and are the most widespread category of emergency care providers. Their competency is divided into two categories: basic and advanced.
EMTs offer sick or injured patients medical care outside of a structured medical facility. They typically respond to emergency calls and the majority of EMTs are attached to ambulances and are sent to emergencies by 911 operators. Natural disasters, automobile accidents, and domestic emergencies are just a few of the many traumatic circumstances in which an EMT might be of aid. An EMT’s main duty is to stabilize patients while they are being transported to a hospital. They address and treat symptoms, diseases, and injuries, many of them potentially life-threatening.
Common duties of an EMT include the following:
Depending on the area of expertise, training to become an EMT can take anywhere from six months to three years. An associate’s or bachelor’s degree is not needed to train as an EMT. However, a high school diploma or GED credential is a requirement. Training as an EMT requires CPR certification and a state-approved education programme in emergency medical technology. A two-year degree or additional training can be pursued by EMTs in order to advance their careers.
A high school diploma or a GED is required in order to qualify in this line of work. You can take the GED exam if you haven’t finished high school or have courses you need to pass to get a diploma. Additionally, a valid driver’s license is required.
The majority of EMT training programmes demand that applicants have successfully completed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instruction and possess a valid CPR certification. Both in-person and online CPR classes are provided by a number of organizations, including the American Red Cross.
To get hired as an EMT, you must complete an authorized program. This certification program, which needs to be approved by your state, gives extensive instruction in emergency medical procedures and technologies. Visit the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians website for a comprehensive list of authorized EMT programs in your state.
The cognitive test provided by the National Registry of Emergency Technicians must be passed by all EMT candidates. The majority of students refer to the EMT cognitive exam as the “written exam.” It includes everything learned in class over the preceding months. This exam isn’t just about recalling numbers and facts; it’s also about applying that knowledge in “real world” situations.
The computer-based EMT cognitive exam is designed to gauge how well the EMT trainee understands the subject matter. This exam has between 70 and 120 questions that cover a range of topics related to the emergency medical services that an EMT is required to know, including cardiology and resuscitation, ventilation and breathing, and trauma.
The exam lasts two hours, and in order to pass, the trainee must demonstrate a “standard level of competency.”
In addition to the certification course and the cognitive exam, trainees are also expected to pass an EMT psychomotor exam provided by local training organizations. The trainee’s proficiency in managing cardiac arrests, controlling bleeding, treating bone fractures, and administering supplemental oxygen will be tested in this exam. The EMT office in your state should be able to tell you where you can take the test and what you need to do to pass.
You can get hired as an EMT in your state once you have successfully finished all of the aforementioned training. Be mindful of keeping your training and your credentials up to date. EMTs and paramedics should always be up-to-date on their first aid, CPR, and advanced cardiovascular life support certifications.
For EMTs to succeed in their careers, they need a number of crucial capabilities. Their capacity to make decisions quickly and accurately to prevent potentially life-threatening situations is the key competency. Being able to make an informed decision quickly could save someone’s life. The very nature of the job means that EMTs operate in emergency scenarios almost daily where life-or-death decisions are frequently made. Here are other competencies that aspiring EMTs should possess:
Every day, in difficult emergency situations, EMTs interact and work with a variety of people from all walks of life. An EMT’s capacity to collect and convey critical information, as well as collaborate with medical facilities, other medical professionals, and first responders, depends on their ability to communicate clearly and efficiently. An EMT who is able to relate to patients and work well in a team would benefit from having strong communication skills.
When dealing with people who are in distress and going through emotional and physical suffering, an EMT needs to be able to demonstrate calmness and compassion. Patients will be reassured and take comfort from an empathetic healthcare professional in often difficult and, at times, life-threatening situations.
An EMT frequently needs to carry out a number of physically demanding duties that call for strength and endurance. For instance, an EMT might have to free someone trapped in a wrecked vehicle or pick up and carry patients to a gurney.
EMTs make an average of $49,000 annually. Salaries will vary by state and by city. The industry in which an EMT chooses to work, such as a hospital, an ambulance service, or the local government, will also have an impact on the level of their income.
The employment of EMTs (as well as paramedics) is anticipated to increase in the coming years due to a growing aging population that will need more emergency services in the future.
