Emergency Medical Technicians
Overview
Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
What do they do?
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics assess injuries and illnesses, provide emergency medical care, and may transport patients to medical facilities. When transporting a patient in an ambulance, one EMT or paramedic may drive the ambulance while another monitors the patient’s vital signs and provides emergency medical care. Some paramedics work as part of a helicopter’s or an airplane’s flight crew to transport critically ill or injured patients to a hospital. In addition to transporting patients from the scene of an emergency, EMTs and paramedics transfer patients from one medical facility to another. Some patients may need to be transferred to a hospital that specializes in treating their particular injury or illness or to a facility that provides long-term care, such as a nursing home. EMTs and paramedics must decontaminate the interior of an ambulance after treating a patient who has a contagious disease. They also may need to report the case to the proper authorities.
An EMT, also known as an EMT-Basic, cares for patients at the scene of an incident and while taking patients by ambulance to a hospital. An EMT has the skills to assess a patient’s condition and to manage emergencies such as those related to respiratory, cardiac, or trauma incidents.
An Advanced EMT, also known as an EMT-Intermediate, has completed both requirements for the EMT-Basic level and instruction that allows them to perform more advanced medical procedures, such as administering intravenous fluids and some medications.
How to become one
EMTs typically need to complete a postsecondary education program to enter the occupation. Program applicants usually need a High school and certification in CPR and basic life support (BLS). However, program entry requirements vary by state.
Most EMT programs lead to a nondegree award. They vary in length but typically take less than 1 year for EMT-Basic certification and up to 2 years for EMT-Intermediate certification. Programs are offered by technical institutes, community colleges, universities, and facilities that specialize in emergency care training. Some instruction may take place in a hospital or ambulance setting.
EMT-Basic programs cover topics such as assessing patients’ conditions, handling emergencies, and using field equipment. Programs that do not require BLS and CPR certification prior to admission include instruction that leads to those certifications as part of the program. EMT-Intermediate programs require additional instruction for advanced skills, such as using complex airway devices, intravenous fluids, and some medications.
