Emergency medical technician training requires that you have a high school diploma or a GED. There are five different levels of emergency medical technician training. The first level is known as the First Responder, then EMT-Basic, second is known as EMT-Intermediate 85 and EMT-Intermediate 99, and the most advanced level known as paramedic.
At the EMT-Basic level, you will be required to take course work that has an emphasis on trauma, managing respiratory emergencies, heart attacks, and patient assessments. You will also be required to take formal training on an ambulance truck or with an emergency room department. The program will provide you with instructions and practice in dealing with fractures, cardiac arrest, airway obstruction, and bleeding. You will learn how to use and maintain emergency room equipment, such as suction devices, oxygen delivery systems, splints, and backboards. You will be able to learn how to maintain and use specialized emergency room equipment too. Once you have graduated from the first level of emergency medical technician training, you will be required to take a national examination.
The intermediate level of emergency medical technician training will require you to take anywhere from 30 to 350 hours of additional training. The exact amount of training that is required will be based on the scope of the practice. You will learn advanced skills such as using intravenous fluids and airway devices, as well as medications. The most advanced level of training is known as the paramedic. This level will train you in anatomy and physiology, as well as advanced skills in handling medical equipment.
Usually, the training is done in community colleges or at a technical school. This may result in an associate’s degree. The programs can take up to two years to complete. The education will prepare you to take the NREMT examination and certify you as a paramedic. Extensive course work and clinical field experience is required in order to complete that. You may also be required to take refresher courses after graduating.
All 50 states require that you be licensed in order to work as a paramedic or as an emergency medical technician. The levels and titles will vary from state to state, and your state may have slightly different titles and levels. In many states, certification by the NREMT is required at all levels. Some states will give a certification examination to you while others require the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Many states also restrict licensure based on criminal history of the applicant.
Paramedics and emergency medical technicians should also be emotionally stable and in good physical condition. They should have good agility, dexterity and be able to lift heavy loads. You will also need good eyesight or wear corrective lenses, along with accurate color vision. Many ambulance companies and hospitals will also require a criminal background check before hiring you.
Employment for EMTs and paramedics is expected to grow 10 percent between 2010 and 2018. This is about as fast as the average for all jobs. Growth in this field is due to in large part of the increase of call volume. This increase in call volume is due to the rise in the aging population. Also, the time that an emergency technician has to spend wit4h each injured patient is increasing as emergency room departments across the United States are experiencing a lot of over crowding.
There are not enough workers to assist all of the sick patients. As a result, when the ambulance does arrive, it can take a lot longer to transfer the patient from the care of the emergency medical technician to the hospital staff. In some instances, emergency departments have diverted the ambulance to another medical facility when they are overcrowded and cannot take on any new patients.
Therefore, the ambulance may not be able to go to the nearest hospital. This increases the amount of time that is spent in transit. Both of these factors can result in paramedics and emergency medical technicians spending way more time than necessary with each patient. This means that there is a high demand for more qualified EMTs.
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