Emergency Medical Technician Career

Emergency Medical Technician Job Description

An Emergency Medical Technician responds to emergency calls and provides instant medical aid to injured patients or critically ill patients.

Primarily, the emergency medical technician provides immediate post-emergency help to the patient. He is well versed with various life-saving techniques, so that he can make available the first level of emergency treatment to the patient, before he is given specific medical care.

Furthermore, an Emergency Medical Technician requires that candidates must have the fundamental understanding of ensuring patient and staff safety; he should be able to take appropriate action in stressful conditions and must be conscious of the medico-legal principles while offering emergency care.

Emergency Medical Technician Education, Certification and Training

• You need to have a High School Diploma, to begin with.
• The education and training for emergency medical technicians is made available at progressive levels, i.e. from the fundamental to the paramedic.
• At the fundamental level, the technician receives training to manage respiratory, cardiac and trauma emergencies and to carry out patient evaluation and appraisal. The schooling concentrates on the effective management of fractures, hemorrhage, emergency child birth, cardiac arrest, etc.
• You then need to appear for an examination held by the State Licensing Agency or the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, so that you get certified and can start practice.
• Advanced education comprises of management of air way machines, intravenous fluids administration and medication prescription, and consists of around 350 hours.
• The paramedic level of schooling is a 1 to 2 year course work program that includes clinical experience.
• Sustained and constant education is a must for all Emergency Medical Technicians, so that they are up-to-date with all modern devices and gadgets and advanced technologies and know-how.

Emergency Medical Technician Jobs

The BLS says that job opportunities for Emergency Medical Technicians are projected to grow faster than the average, compared to most other vocations. Job prospects look exceedingly good, particularly with private ambulance service providers in urban areas. As of now, there are 210,000 emergency technicians in the United States, and the demand is estimated to rise by around 10 % within a few years.

Emergency Medical Technician Salary

The salary of an emergency medical technician largely depends on the geographic location, qualification and expertise, experience and employer. The average earnings for an emergency medical technician are about $14.10 per hour. In private and ambulatory settings, the salary is approximately $12.99 per hour, while governmental facilities pay about $15.45 per hour.