It is not challenging to become an Emergency Medical Technician, especially when you know what exactly the requirements are. Like other professions, EMT requires to have basic training, take specified courses, and possess relevant qualifications/certifications.
A typical EMT training takes about 16 weeks. Therefore, if you are interested in becoming an EMT, we will provide the related info that you need to become one.
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What you will learn to include:
- What EMT is
- Types of EMT
- Duties of an EMT
- Requirements for EMT
- Introduction to the EMT Profession
Table of Contents
Who is an Emergency Medical Technician?
An emergency medical technician is a certified medical professional who assists people with underlying medical aid. They are trained to perform various medical duties such as stopping external bleeding, managing respiratory emergencies, carrying out CPR procedures, and many other things.
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As an emergency medical technician, you will be among the first persons to respond during emergencies, implying that you will be collaborating with the fire service department and, most likely, with law enforcement agencies in a bid to react swiftly to emergencies.
Types of EMT’s
Of course, there are different levels of EMT certification, and each one varies with experience and requisite skills. The levels of EMT certification vary by state, and the three classification levels are:
EMT-Basic
EMT-Basic, also known as EMT-B, is the lowest when it comes to the hierarchy of certification level. Therefore, people with EMT-B certification are only entitled to fewer training hours and medical duties than those with advanced training.
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More so, EMT-Bs can only handle limited lifesaving procedures such as AED (Automatic external defibrillation)and CPR. When it is beyond these simple procedures, people with advanced training will be on to handle them.
EMT- Intermediate
Depending on the State, EMT-Intermediates could be referred to as EMT-I, AEMT, or EMT-A. The EMT-I is a higher level of certification in comparison to EMT-Basic.
As a result of long training hours and additional duties, EMT-Is can perform sophisticated medical procedures, including the insertion of IVs and intubation of patients in addition to what EMT-Bs can do.
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EMT-Paramedic
This is the highest level of EMT certification. This implies that paramedics get more training hours and responsibilities than basic or intermediate EMTs.
Paramedics, unlike basic or intermediate EMTs, can perform much more advanced procedures such as manual defibrillation, cleaning of wounds, reading and analysis of laboratory results, X-rays, and EKGs.
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Become AN EMT
To become a certified EMT, you must meet the following conditions:
- Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application and possess a high school diploma or GED.
- Have zero criminal histories and possess a valid driver’s license
- Good communication skills: written and verbal
- Possess certification in CPR.
- Take a state-approved training course that satisfies the National Registry standards of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are crucial because you will be working and interacting with several people throughout your shift, making it essential for you to work jointly with others.
Upon satisfactorily meeting these requirements, you can proceed to take the NREMT-provided cognitive and psycho-motor skill exam. This exam will evaluate your ability to provide primary emergency medical care to patients.
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It is essential to note that you are entitled to apply for these exams within two years of completing your training. Therefore, If, for instance, you completed a training course more than two years ago and you did not get certified as an EMT, you will have to retake the course.
Fast Route to Becoming an EMT
Apply for EMT Basic Training
Upon successful application, you will need about 154 hours to satisfy the EMT training requirements.
Find EMT Courses
The easiest way to find a course is to visit your local EMS or Fire Department and make inquiries on how to get your EMT certification.
For prospective Emergency Management Technicians, courses are usually around 150 hours long and span a few months. Some colleges offer classes to become EMT for a whole semester, while some other colleges offer a “compressed” form of these courses, usually spanning only half or quarter semester.
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Despite being a compressed form, these courses still take the same number of hours, and the only difference is that it is taken over a shorter period.
Pursue CPR Certification
Similar to other medical professionals, EMT’s must possess CPR certification. The CPR certification is usually separate from the EMT the training course, although EMT courses will encapsulate CPR training.
Due to this reason, it is beneficial to be CPR certified before taking an EMT training course. Also, you can either get your CPR certification online or in person. However, earning your certification online is usually faster than applying for a traditional course.
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What Can I Do with EMT Training?
There are many things you can become when you take EMT training that is, and you can delve into a variety of careers, including ambulance technicians, firefighters, SWAT, coast guard, and many more.
Additionally, an EMT certification can pave the way for you if you intend to be a medical doctor or a nurse.
Roles & Duties of An EMT
- To provide remedial, essential, and emergency care to injured or ill patients
- To examine patients and obtain relevant information required for appropriate emergency care
- To report all patient observations and the emergency care administered to healthcare personnel upon transfer of such patient in a bid to ensure a smooth transition and absolute transparency in terms of health issues
- To monitor the periodic condition of ambulances and inventory to make sure that all working equipment is ready
Final Words
Becoming an EMT is quite easy, especially when you know the steps required. To recap, you should remember the age requirement: 18 minimum, absence of a criminal record, possession of driver’s license, and other things that we highlighted in this piece.
Also, the benefits of being an EMT. are numerous, and it can be an excellent place to start if you aim towards being a medical professional, e.g., doctor.
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