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Description
Assess injuries, administer emergency medical care, and extricate trapped individuals. Transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
Job Outlook
Employment of emergency medical technicians and paramedics is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014, as full-time paid EMTs and paramedics replace unpaid volunteers. As population and urbanization increase, and as a large segment of the population aging baby boomers, becomes more likely to have medical emergencies, demand will increase for EMTs and paramedics. There will still be demand for part-time, volunteer EMTs and paramedics in rural areas and smaller metropolitan areas. In addition to jobs arising from growth, openings will occur because of replacement needs; turnover is relatively high in this occupation because of the limited potential for advancement and the modest pay and benefits in private-sector jobs. Job opportunities should be best in private ambulance services. Competition will be greater for jobs in local government, including fire, police, and independent third-service rescue squad departments, in which salaries and benefits tend to be slightly better. EMTs and paramedics who have advanced certifications, such as EMT-Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic, should enjoy the most favorable job prospects as clients and patients demand higher levels of care before arriving at the hospital.
Job Nature
People's lives often depend on the quick reaction and competent care of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, eMTs with additional advanced training to perform more difficult prehospital medical procedures. Incidents as varied as automobile accidents, heart attacks, drownings, childbirth, and gunshot wounds all require immediate medical attention. EMTs and paramedics provide this vital attention as they care for and transport the sick or injured to a medical facility. In an emergency, EMTs and paramedics typically are dispatched to the scene by a 911 operator, and often work with police and fire department personnel. Once they arrive, they determine the nature and extent of the patient's condition while trying to ascertain whether the patient has preexisting medical problems. Following strict rules and guidelines, they give appropriate emergency care and, when necessary, transport the patient. Some paramedics are trained to treat patients with minor injuries on the scene of an accident or at their home without transporting them to a medical facility. Emergency treatment for more complicated problems is carried out under the direction of medical doctors by radio preceding or during transport. EMTs and paramedics may use special equipment, such as backboards, to immobilize patients before placing them on stretchers and securing them in the ambulance for transport to a medical facility. Usually, one EMT or paramedic drives while the other monitors the patient's vital signs and gives additional care as needed. Some EMTs work as part of the flight crew of helicopters that transport critically ill or injured patients to hospital trauma centers. at the medical facility, EMTs and paramedics help transfer patients to the emergency department, report their observations and actions to emergency room staff, and may provide additional emergency treatment. After each run, EMTs and paramedics replace used supplies and check equipment. If a transported patient had a contagious disease, EMTs and paramedics decontaminate the interior of the ambulance and report cases to the proper authorities. Beyond these general duties, the specific responsibilities of EMTs and paramedics depend on their level of qualification and training. To determine this, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) registers emergency medical service (EMS) providers at four levels: First Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic. Some States, however, do their own certification and use numeric ratings from 1 to 4 to distinguish levels of proficiency. The lowest-level workers, first Responders, are trained to provide basic emergency medical care because they tend to be the first persons to arrive at the scene of an incident. Many firefighters, police officers, and other emergency workers have this level of training. The EMT-Basic, also known as EMT-1, represents the first component of the emergency medical technician system. An EMT-1 is trained to care for patients at the scene of an accident and while transporting patients by ambulance to the hospital under medical direction. The EMT-1 has the emergency skills to assess a patient's condition and manage respiratory, cardiac, and trauma emergencies. The EMT-Intermediate (EMT-2 and EMT-3) has more advanced training that allows the administration of intravenous fluids, the use of manual defibrillators to give lifesaving shocks to a stopped heart, and the application of advanced airway techniques and equipment to assist patients experiencing respiratory emergencies. EMT-Paramedics (EMT-4) provide the most extensive prehospital care. In addition to carrying out the procedures already described, paramedics may administer drugs orally and intravenously, interpret electrocardiograms (EKGs), perform endotracheal intubations, and use monitors and other complex equipment.
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Schools Offering Degrees for
Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics |
 | Universal Technical Institute - National | Online | | | Ridley Lowell Business and Technical Institute | Campus | New London, CT 06320 | | Today's Tec | Campus | Wallingford, CT 06492 | | NetCom Information Technology | Campus | New York, NY 10118 | | Metropolitan Career Center Computer Technology Institute | Campus | Philadelphia, PA 19110 | | Nextec | Campus | Herndon, VA 20170 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Harrisonburg, VA 22802 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Charlottesville, VA 22901 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Martinsville, VA 24114 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Salem, VA 24153 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Lynchburg, VA 24502 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Danville, VA 24540 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Bluefield, VA 24605 | | FastTrain | Campus | Jacksonville, FL 32256 | | IT Micronet | Campus | Orlando, FL 32809 | | IT Micronet | Campus | Melbourne, FL 32935 | | Florida Career College | Campus | Hialeah, FL 33012 | | Keiser Career College | Campus | Miami Lakes, FL 33015 | | Florida Career College | Campus | Pembroke Pines, FL 33024 | | FastTrain | Campus | Pembroke Pines, FL 33028 | | ATI Career Training Center | Campus | Miami, FL 33122 | | FastTrain | Campus | Miami, FL 33134 | | City College | Campus | Miami, FL 33156 | | Florida Career College | Campus | Miami, FL 33174 | | FastTrain | Campus | Kendall, FL 33176 | | ATI Career Training Center | Campus | Oakland Park, FL 33309 | | City College | Campus | Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 | | ATI Career Training Center | Campus | Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 | | FastTrain | Campus | Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33311 | | Florida Career College | Campus | Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33319 | | Keiser Career College | Campus | Greenacres, FL 33413 | | Florida Career College | Campus | West Palm Beach, FL 33417 | | FastTrain | Campus | Tampa, FL 33607 | | Keiser Career College | Campus | St. Petersburg, FL 33716 | | National Aviation Academy A & P School | Campus | Clearwater, FL 33760 | | FastTrain | Campus | Clearwater, FL 33761 | | Florida Career Institute | Campus | Mulberry, FL 33860 | | Chattanooga College - Medical, Dental and Technical | Campus | Chattanooga, TN 37411 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Knoxville, TN 37919 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Louisville, KY 40216 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Danville, KY 40422 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Lexington, KY 40508 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Stow, OH 44224 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Youngstown, OH 44505 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Cincinnati, OH 45237 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Kettering, OH 45420 | | National College of Business and Technology | Campus | Indianapolis, IN 46250 | | New Horizons Computer Learning Centers | Campus | Livonia, MI 48154 | | New Horizons Computer Learning Centers | Campus | Flint, MI 48507 | | New Horizons Computer Learning Centers | Campus | East Lansing, MI 48823 | | New Horizons Computer Learning Centers | Campus | Kalamazoo, MI 49002 | | New Horizons Computer Learning Centers | Campus | Grand Rapids, MI 49546 | | Kaplan University | Campus | Des Moines, IA 50323 | | Kaplan University | Campus | Mason City, IA 50401 | | Kaplan University | Campus | Cedar Falls, IA 50613 | | Kaplan University | Campus | Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 | | Kaplan University | Campus | Davenport, IA 52807 | | Minneapolis Business College | Campus | Roseville, MN 55113 | | Coyne American Institute Inc | Campus | Chicago, IL 60607 | | Missouri Tech | Campus | Saint Louis, MO 63132 | | Wichita Technical Insitute | Campus | Joplin, MO 64804 | | Wichita Technical Institute | Campus | Topeka, KS 66609 | | Wichita Technical Institute | Campus | Wichita, KS 67213 | | Kaplan University | Campus | Lincoln, NE 68508 | | Lamson Institute | Campus | San Antonio, TN 78238 | | San Joaquin Valley College | Campus | Bakersfield, CA 93309 | | MTI College | Campus | Sacramento, CA 95841 |
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Career
Assessment
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