Emergency Medical Technician - EMT / Paramedic Careers
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What a Emergency Medical Technician / Paramedic does:
An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Paramedic is an emergency responder, trained to provide immediate care for sick or injured people and transport them to a hospital or other medical facility.
The main duties of an Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) or Paramedic include:
- Notifying the medical team in the destination hospital of the injuries, allowing them to prepare for the patients arrival
- Contacting the police and fire department for assistance if necessary
- Acting on instructions from the hospital
- Determining the nature of the illness / injuries
- Working within a team of Paramedics
- Assessing if the patients have other health conditions that should be taken into account
- Administering CPR
- Controlling bleeding
- Providing treatment for shock
- Supplying oxygen
- Assisting in childbirth
- Operating a defibrillator
- Performing other emergency response procedures
Qualifications & Education:
To qualify as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Paramedic, you will need to have a GED or high school diploma. You will then need to complete a relevant program of study. All states require certification to practice as an Emergency Medical Technician.
The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), provide a certification exam that is accepted by most states. Some states provide their own examination, or a choice of completing the state exam or the NREMT exam. Below is a list of the different types of EMT programs.
EMT I-Basic Certification: consists of 200 - 250 hours of laboratory practice, hospital emergency room practice, ambulance experience, and a field internship. The following subjects will be covered in a typical EMT Basic Program: - Managing Airway Obstruction, Bleeding, Cardiac Arrest, Fractures, and Emergency Childbirth.
EMT II & III -Intermediate Certification: consists of 80+ additional hours of instruction. EMT-Intermediate allows the graduate to carry out more advanced procedures, e.g. administering intravenous fluids, using a defibrillator and anti-shock treatments.
EMT-Paramedic is the most advanced Emergency Medical Technician qualification. Most EMT-Paramedic courses are two year Associate Degree programs. You must be certified as an EMT I-Basic, before entering a paramedic program. An EMT-Paramedic is qualified to administer a wider variety of emergency medications and perform more emergency procedures.
Salary & Job Prospects:
Over the next ten years, the number of emergency medical technicians and paramedics required is expected to grow faster than the average. Salaries are in the range of $20,000 - $50,000, and are dependant on geographic location, employment setting, training and experience.
Below is a list of some of the various types of allied health careers / professions: