Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics Job Description

People who are in an emergency situation that can mean the difference between life and death depend entirely on Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics to help them during this time.

Primary Objectives:

• The Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics are the first responders in a variety of emergency situations such as automobile accidents, heart attacks, slips and falls just to name a few.
• The Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics must take the vital signs, assess the situation, and determine the course of action to take for the victim.
• The Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedics are the ones who provide the first service to the victim and their judgment of the patient must be accurate.
• The Emergency Medical Team is dispatched by the 911 operator and normally they do not know the condition of the person but must treat and transport them to the right facility so that an emergency room doctor can give them farther treatment.
• In order to become an EMT or Paramedic there are some basic steps of training that are required. These are the basic steps:
  1. The first level is EMT Basic represents the first component of the emergency medical technician system.
  2. The EMT Intermediate has more advanced training. The specific tasks that the Intermediate EMT may do vary from state to state and in accordance with their training.
  4. EMT-Paramedics provide the most extensive pre-hospital care. The Paramedic not only does the duties of an EMT but they can administer drugs orally and intravenously. The Paramedic may also interpret electrocardiograms (EKGs); perform endotracheal intubations, and use monitors and other complex equipment. Just like the Intermediate EMT the Paramedic tasks vary from state to state.

People’s lives depend on the quick reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians (EMT’s) and wounds all require immediate medical attention. This type of medical care is usually done while the sick or injured are being transported to the hospital. When the EMT arrives they try to assess the nature of the patient’s condition and try to find out if the person has any pre-existing medical conditions. This situation happens all the time in this field and the EMT’s are under constant pressure because many times the people that they are trying to care for may be in a life or death situation. Some of the time the EMT/Paramedic may treat a patient who has minor injuries or none life threatening sickness, however, in many cases they are in direct contact with the emergency room doctor who tells them what they must do. The Paramedic takes the vitals, checks for the source of illness or injury makes a determination on what is apparent then radios’ the emergency room physician for instructions.

In most cases the EMT/Paramedic can prevent a person from dying if it is an accident or heart attack if they get there in enough time. Then when they arrive at the hospital the emergency staff takes over continuing treatment and administering whatever else is needed to help the injured or sick person. The EMT/Paramedic usually feels pretty good after the crisis is over knowing that they have been instrumental in preventing someone from dying by giving them emergency treatment. In some cases the person dies and it is not the fault of the EMT/Paramedic but the injury was too severe or they have had a major heart attack that preventative care just would not help. In this event the EMT/Paramedic usually feels pretty bad about the situation. That is why any person who decides on this career should make sure that they are capable of handling failures. Not that what they do is a failure but the person may not be saved causing death. This is the reality of being an EMT/Paramedic. In most situations the Paramedics can usually cope with this reality but in the case of small children or teens it can cause a divesting affect on the EMT/Paramedic. This cannot be helped remember we are all human and many people who take on this type of work do it because they want to help others in a time of crisis. The strength that the EMT/Paramedic has is what helps save many lives and we should all appreciate anyone who works in this field.

Degrees and Training to Become an Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic

• Medical and Health Degree

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