Questions on becoming an EMT

[amarant00]

I am looking into, even applied to a local tech. college and thinking about the EMT program. Before I continue with this, I would like some to ask some questions before making my final decision.

1.) What is the training like? As a former worker, with a power company, we had specific first aid trainings to treat for specific power/electricity type injuries until EMS could get to our location, had about 4 hours a year of general first aid/cpr training. I also have taken a health occupations class which was supposed to prepare us for medical related classes after high school and I was the only person in my class that had perfect scores. So what I am thinking is it is going to be like all these combined and then 10x more, due to their being countless scenarios that you can come across. So I guess, what is the training/school curriculum like?

2.) What is the actual work like? Was/is it hard to come up on people who are severely injured or already passed, does it get easier the more you come across those situations? What is a normal month's schedule like, what hours/days do you work, how long are shifts?

3.) What other than going to the school do you have to do to become an EMT? Once getting EMT, can you gain employment and still work towards Paramedic, do the people you work for help arrange around that or do you have to just go for it all at one time and then get a job?

I may have a few more but this is all I can think of off the top of my head.

[mobey]

quote name='amarant00' date='Jul 24 2009, 09:56 PM' post='220083'

1.) What is the training like? So I guess, what is the training/school curriculum like?

EMT is a very short and dirty curriculum. It will be similar to the first aid courses you have already taken with a few extra tidbits here and there. do not worry about having perfect scores in high school, if you can walk and chew gum at the same time, you can pass EMT.

2.) What is the actual work like? Was/is it hard to come up on people who are severely injured or already passed, does it get easier the more you come across those situations? What is a normal month's schedule like, what hours/days do you work, how long are shifts?

These questions are all service related. Urban calls are typically a wide variety and shifts are usually 10-14hrs long.

Rural is usually 24hr shifts including some on-call time, and the type of calls are more chronic illness type broke up with the odd pediatric or traumatic injury.

Yes it gets easy with time....... and education.

3.) Once getting EMT, can you gain employment and still work towards Paramedic, do the people you work for help arrange around that or do you have to just go for it all at one time and then get a job?

If they won't then quit!

EMT is NOT a career (see local wages). To survive and have any type of long term job job satisfaction (OK my opiinion) you must go straight through to Paramedic.

Hey.... If you are going to work pre-hospital emergency medicine then why not be the best..... find a degree paramedic program and ace it.

[amarant00]

I already asked about the severe injuries but I think if I see something really gory, I might puke. Is this a normal concern. I mean I can deal with the blood and stuff but I just think due to the nervousness of me caring or helping to care for that person might make me a little sick. I was perfectly fine during my wife's c-section and I have seen some pretty nasty burns from electricity and in the back of my mind I am almost positive that I will do fine, but I just want to know if this is something I am being a little worried about.

Also the course I am planning to take, it doesn't state EMT-B or EMT-Intermediate but it makes mention of both basic and intermediate in the course description, could this be both programs combined?

[Christopher.Collins]

Welcome to EMT City and the wonderful world of Emergency Medical Services! My name is Chris and I will be your guide this evening. The in flight movie is EMT Class 101, we are currently out of air sickness bags and all emergency exits have been welded shut for the sake of our sanity.

Ahh, Im just messing with you, sorry. Anyways lets see how I can help you out. My name really is Chris though, that part isnt a joke lol.

I am looking into, even applied to a local tech. college and thinking about the EMT program. Before I continue with this, I would like some to ask some questions before making my final decision.

1.) What is the training like? As a former worker, with a power company, we had specific first aid trainings to treat for specific power/electricity type injuries until EMS could get to our location, had about 4 hours a year of general first aid/cpr training. I also have taken a health occupations class which was supposed to prepare us for medical related classes after high school and I was the only person in my class that had perfect scores. So what I am thinking is it is going to be like all these combined and then 10x more, due to their being countless scenarios that you can come across. So I guess, what is the training/school curriculum like?

Well depending on where you are an EMT-Basic is pretty much advanced first aid, throw in some backboarding and spinal immobilization and unless you live in Connecticut possibly some intubation with combitube or LMA and pharmacology. Dont sweat it though, its not too bad. As far as the 10x more comment, dont worry, class isnt going to be to bad. Your real experience is going to be on the job. You will be taught and tested on basic scenarios... worry about what your taught but remember (to yourself and not in class) that real world EMS is different. Just make the grades in other words.

2.) What is the actual work like? Was/is it hard to come up on people who are severely injured or already passed, does it get easier the more you come across those situations? What is a normal month's schedule like, what hours/days do you work, how long are shifts?

It has its moments but a lot of what you see will be determined by where you work and what kind of company you work for. Its actually kind of hard to answer. As far as how hard you take the things you see or if it gets easier, thats really dependant upon you. In six years Ive seen some crap (which respectfully shall go unmentioned) and none of it has really phased me. Some people will judge you based on that, thinking your not human to not be disturbed by this kind of stuff... but really you cant let it get to you or you wont survive this way of living. Feel free to drop me a message and I may get into it a bit more with you on this question. I wont really get into war stories though, sorry but its not my thing.

3.) What other than going to the school do you have to do to become an EMT? Once getting EMT, can you gain employment and still work towards Paramedic, do the people you work for help arrange around that or do you have to just go for it all at one time and then get a job?

Generally speaking, yes to the first and second part. Ill try and break this down to two responses.

It will be hard finding a job fresh out of EMT "school" as most REAL companies want experience. Its kind of a double edged sword if you will. Your easiest way to find employment is to start with a commercial agency... for example AMR (American Medical Response). A lot of companies that will hire someone who is green will be commercial services or in some cases companies with a bad reputation. Dont be discouraged by this though, a lot of us suck it up and work for a crappy company one time or another. You will probably be doing a lot of non-emergency transports for such places. This would include nursing homes, doctors offices, dialysiss, pyschiatric, rehab. Most 9-1-1s you will catch will probably be minor traumas and drunks.

As far as continuing education and employment that shouldnt be a problem. Try to find a job that has both BLS (Basic Life Support) and ALS (Advanced Life Support) service... as an EMT your BLS and as a medic your ALS. A company that does both will like to hear your intentions to move up. Dont nessecarilly count on them paying for you to get your medic. If they do chances are they wont front the money, you have to pass the class first... and then work for them for a set ammount of time before they will reimburse you.

I may have a few more but this is all I can think of off the top of my head.

By all means ask away. But please continue any questions related to this subject in this forum. Just to keep things easy and organized. There is a great deal of knowledge here from around the world so dont be shy. As they told me in my Army days, the only stupid question is the one not asked.

Welcome to the city and best of luck in your career path and schooling.

~Chris

[amarant00]

As far as the rural/urban shifts differing. I live in a rural area but I think in order to make any money whatsoever, I will have work in the larger towns just north of Atlanta to do well. They aren't exactly big cities but they aren't small towns either.

[Christopher.Collins]

I already asked about the severe injuries but I think if I see something really gory, I might puke. Is this a normal concern. I mean I can deal with the blood and stuff but I just think due to the nervousness of me caring or helping to care for that person might make me a little sick. I was perfectly fine during my wife's c-section and I have seen some pretty nasty burns from electricity and in the back of my mind I am almost positive that I will do fine, but I just want to know if this is something I am being a little worried about.

Also the course I am planning to take, it doesn't state EMT-B or EMT-Intermediate but it makes mention of both basic and intermediate in the course description, could this be both programs combined?

To answer your first question... a lot of us have our weaknesses. For me its smells; especially vomit (oh that ones great if they just drank some wine and topped it off with a pasta dinner). Your human, and humans have defense mechanisms against bad things... including things that may not directly or physically harm us. Honestly, you wont find your kryptonite untill you see for yourself.

The second question is up to your state and the school. Some states dont teach EMT-I very much or at all, some dont teach EMT-B anymore. Here in Tennessee they phased out EMT-B and grandfathered existing certifications. Pretty much though the difference between an EMT-B and EMT-I (EMT-IV as in [intra Venous not the roman numural 4] in Tennessee) is going to be a little more on pharmacology (medications), learning and performing IV's, and advance airway procedures (LMA). I would contact the people who teach the specifc course and speak with them... because its different everywhere you go.

[Chief1C]

I already asked about the severe injuries but I think if I see something really gory, I might puke. Is this a normal concern.

Yes. People worry about that. It happens. Hell, it can happen from just the ride. You can't prevent that, you never know if you can handle something, till you see it. Nobody will look down on you for being human.

[amarant00]

Yeah I guess looking at it, it should seem natural to worry. I mean I guess I am worried that someone's life could be hanging in the balance of my care or something.

Also when getting jobs, someone here suggested some type of companies, but I was wondering what are the possibilities of getting a job for an actual County EMS or possibly even the transportation units used by hospitals such as St. Joseph's or Emory in the Atlanta area. Also when my son was born, there was a special ambulance that came and took him to Grady Hospital in Atlanta(the doctors gave my wife a medicine that they specifically told us wouldn't harm him, yet we wake up the next morning and he is on oxygen and they tell us this same medicine wasn't allowing his lungs to operate properly.) I can't remember the name on the ambulance but I think it said something to the affect of Angel or something but my question to this is, does this type of ambulance actually require higher training than paramedic. I do know that one of the guys introduced himself to me and said he was some type of respiratory specialist but I do not recall the others titles. I think there were like 4 people actually in the hospital that day and they were wonderful people as they spoke with me as they prepared to move my son. As we arrived at Grady the respiratory guy was getting ready to go down an elevator and he actually remembered me and told me that they had already weaned him off of oxygen and it only took us 45 minutes to get to the hospital and apparently he was already finished with what he had to do.

I guess this little story here makes me want to do this job although this may not be a job I would have the ability to obtain certifications in but I know how much they meant to me and I guess I am the type that would like to be that nice and concerned type of person as with my elderly grandfather, we have had many bad experiences with our local EMS. But anyways, all this is greatly appreciated. I have decided 100% that I am now going to go through with it and hopefully since my brother is starting the same program with me, we can help each other quite a bit. Its a pretty funny thing how much people think alike. I have thought of about anything for a job and began a little research and career interest quiz and skill assessments and EMT was a possibility and I started considering it. The very next day, without any communication of this to him, my brother tells me that he is applying to go into this program the next day and he didn't know the way to the college and I did. So I showed him and found myself applying as well.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Yeah I guess looking at it, it should seem natural to worry. I mean I guess I am worried that someone's life could be hanging in the balance of my care or something

Yep that happens a lot.

[crotchitymedic1986]

Key points that I have not seen addressed --- There is the level of EMT-B that you do not want to do. This level is primarily used by volunteers and fire departments, you will have a very limited scope of practice and opportunities for a job at this level.

EMTI is the level that you should start at, but even then job opportunities are limited. As far as going straight through to Paramedic, I am normally against it, as that is alot of time to invest only to find out at the end that you do not like the job --- but it is getting harder and harder for EMTs to find jobs, so I could not fault you if you chose to go straight through. Some employers will help you go from EMT to Pmdc, but many do not.

Regardless of which level you choose, there are "transport services", services that do 911 and Non emergent, and those that are strictly 911 (private, county, hospital owned). Then there are specialty transport services like MICU for peds and adults, and helicopter services. More hospitals are using medic as techs, and many corporations and prisons utilize us for first-aid. So you can start on the easier end and then work your way to whatever you like.

I would suggest visiting several of your local providers, to see if the chief will allow you to ride third for a week or so (some will, some wont since you are not in school). That way you can get a taste for it and see if it is for you before you invest your dollars.