Do you like the idea of helping people? Does changing and saving lives appeal to you? Do you work well under pressure? If these qualifications apply to you, you may be perfectly suited to a career as an emergency medical technician. Read on to find out more about this job and the importance of emergency medical transport.
What You’ll Do
What kind of tasks you’ll be trusted with as an EMT will depend on your training and experience. At entry level – which requires a high school-level education and additional training for CPR – you will be asked to perform basic resuscitation and assistive techniques. This includes CPR, administering supplemental oxygen and attending to wounds as needed. Stemming bleeding, ensuring circulation and keeping patients breathing and their hearts beating will be your number one priority.
Once you’ve gained more experience, you will add more services to your repertoire. These include:
- Beginning intravenous therapy if needed
- Monitoring EKG readouts
- Performing intubations is needed
- Initiate blood transfusions
- More complete wound care, including applying sutures if necessary
- Observing lab work and other tests results and analyzing them.
Ultimately diagnosis and treatment in the long-term will be up to the physician working at whatever medical facility you partner with. But your work as a first responder will mean the difference between life and death for many of your patients. This is a fast-paced, high-intensity, and truly rewarding career for those who love the idea of making the world a better, healthier place.
Where You’ll Work
There are many job opportunities for employment in the field of emergency medical transport. Many cities offer both public and private services, and most hospitals have technicians on hand as well. If you’re looking for something more exciting, you may even consider becoming a flight nurse or working aboard a sea-bound vessel. Anywhere there are humans, there is a need for emergency medical transportation and technicians. So, get out there, find your place, and start making a difference in the lives of others.
