Geting EMT training and becoming a licensed EMT is an exciting process for anyone. These steps are the perfect way for you to get started in one of the most fulfilling of all service oriented jobs as you launch an EMT career. When you sign up for Emergency medical technician training courses online it allows you to gain different levels of certification as you progress in your education and the career of your choice.
Many people assume that an emergency medical technician training course makes you a full-fledged paramedic, but that is certainly not the case. Your first EMT training courses are just the beginning of a new and challenging world. In order for you to become a paramedic, you have to complete an additional two levels of certification, plus put in a great many hours out in the field before you can become a full fledged paramedic.
Levels of Training
The first level of emergency medical technician training that you will need to go through is the basic level coursework. You will not be able to start this level unless you have your high school diploma or the equivalent to it, such as the GED. During this level of emergency medical technician training, you will learn the basics of emergency response procedures and how to handle many of the most common issues that you will face in the field. You will study things like cardiac problems, respiratory issues, and how to deal with multiple types of trauma. These courses will prepare you to move into the medical field with the confidence and skills necessary to do the work that needs to be done.
In order to pass basic training, you have to take a written test at the end of the course work and training. You will also have to do a practical exam to show that you know how to handle basic emergency issues in the field. These tests are given through the state boards or through the national organization for emergency medical technicians called NREMT.
The next level of emergency medical technician training is the intermediate level. This level takes more time to complete because you are learning more in-depth material that pertains to the field. This level of study usually takes up to three hundred course hours in order to prepare you for working in the field. You will learn more advanced skills such as how to administer certain medications and how to use devices such as defibrillator machines. You will usually learn to administer IV fluids as well during this level, although the requirements can vary depending on the state.
The level of paramedic is the final level of emergency medical technician training that is involved in an EMT career. This training is usually done through a junior college or at a four year school as a part of an associate of science degree. The training for paramedic requires that anatomy and physiology classes be taken as well as other higher level science courses in order to fully train the EMT on the workings of the human body. The paramedic will also learn more of the medical terminology in the pursuit of the degree so that they can clearly express what they are seeing in various emergency situations to the nurses and doctors at the hospitals when they arrive.