How to Become an EMT
How to Become an EMT
If you have ever thought about how to become an EMT the following information may be of help to you in making your decision.
There are certain criteria which have to be met prior to starting training.
- In most states the minimum age for candidates is 18 although in some states such as Virginia the minimum age is 16. Check the minimum age in your own state.
- You need to be physically fit and able to lift and carry heavy loads.
- Have good or corrected eyesight.
- You should hold a valid driving license.
- GED or high school diploma
- If you are still at high school or college, then studying biology will be of great benefit to you.
- You should expect and be prepared to work and study hard.
- You need to be comfortable having physical contact with people, children, men, women and the elderly as well as the handicapped.
- You should have good people and communication skills.
What you should take into account prior to applying for EMT training:
- You will be expected to work out doors in all types of weather.
- You will come into contact with people who have or may have a contagious illness.
- You will need to be very flexible regarding working hours, as not all emergencies finish when your shift hours finish.
- You may be required to work on a shift pattern or Rota pattern, which could mean working day or night shifts or a combination.
- Working public holidays and/or weekends will be a requirement.
- You may on occasion be verbally and/or physically attacked, by the people you are trying to help. Often this can be due to their medical or mental health problems.
Where to find training
Some state hospitals and colleges offer training and certification and almost all community colleges have training facilities.
The training is both indoors and outdoors, consisting of classroom work and field instruction including role play.
It is now also possible to train on line via video links, messengers, and steamed video conferencing. The online training offers the same quality of training as the traditional classroom training.
As certification, qualifications and requirements can vary from state to state and even regionally within a state it is important to check what credentials are required for the area in which you want to work. The local Emergency Medical Services should be able to help.
The EMT training is carried out in stages, and grades are awarded as qualifications are gained. Initially, you will be working towards gaining an Emergency Medical Technician Certification.
What does the training involve?
Generally you will start out on the First Responder Training Course, also called EMT Basic or EMT B1. This will give you the skills you will need as the first person on the scene of an accident or other emergency. This course consists of basic first aid skills and vital pre-hospital care skills to enable you to respond to several different emergency situations for example fires or medical emergencies. Basically your job would be to provide basic first-aid and help to assess the situation.
The next stage of training is more intense and requires more study both in the classroom and in the field. There will be a lot of information which you will need to digest and comprehend, for example how certain pieces of medical equipment work and how to use them. There will also be intensive courses in medicine and how to help keep a patient alive during their transportation to hospital.
There will also be role play, where you will be expected to play the part of both the patient and the EMT. You also learn how to lift and move people correctly and safely, for both you and the patient.
The course usually takes about 120 to 150 hours of training to complete.
Having completed the course you will now be a position to sit the test, if you pass the test you will be a certified EMT in the area you have trained and taken the test. Remember if you relocate to a different area, you may have to retake the test, to be qualified to work in the new area.
Congratulations! You are now a Certified Emergency Technician.
In order to keep yourself abreast of all the new medicines, technologies, machinery and techniques it will be necessary to complete additional training and courses from time to time. Usually your employer will pay for these and arrange for you to have the time away from work to complete them as they are necessary to enable EMT’s to perform their duties to the highest possible standards.
Certification has to be renewed periodically (every 2 years in most states), which means that you will be required to re-sit the Certification Test. Keeping up with all the latest medical information and techniques will enable you to pass the test again next time.
Once you have completed your First Responder Course training and are certified as an EMT you may wish to further your career with additional training, to EMT Intermediate Level also known as EMT 1 AND EMT 2.
These courses are more intense and are both medically and technically based, and include training in;-
- The use and application of advanced air-way techniques used to assist patients with respiratory emergencies.
- The use of manual defibrillators, which deliver electric shock therapy to patients whose hearts have stopped beating.
- The administration of intravenous fluids.
Again a test will be set at the end of the course, if you pass the test you will have gained a higher grade and can expect a salary increase in accordance with the scales set out for your new grade.
Today’s EMT’s are far more than just ambulance drivers they are multi skilled, well trained, members of the emergency services team.
An EMT or Emergency Medical Technician is the first step to becoming a Paramedic, should you wish to follow that route. Obviously this will require further study and training as you will be in a more pro-active role, with greater responsibilities towards the patient.
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of how to become an EMT.