According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of EMS, individuals working within emergency medical services serve approximately 25 to 30 million Americans each year, with EMTs often at the forefront when it comes to providing care. Although these medical professionals aren’t required to hold a college degree, they have the opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of individuals and communities. The following guide highlights the path to becoming an EMT, discusses related careers and provides expert advice from a former EMT. Keep reading to find out all you need to know about the path to becoming an EMT.
Working on the front lines of emergency medical response, EMTs usually serve as the first point of contact when someone has experienced injury, trauma or issues brought about by illness or age. Working alongside other first responders, EMTs are responsible for providing life-saving care and transporting individuals to hospitals for more in-depth services.
During the course of a standard day, EMTs may provide CPR, administer medications, wrap wounds, stabilize head/neck injuries or broken bones, administer oxygen, deal with issues related to shock and drive the ambulance. Often the care they administer can make the difference in whether a patient survives until they reach a hospital, making it an important role.
EMTs must also understand how to provide basic emergency services across the lifespan. While one call may deal with a toddler facing a choking issue, the next might require them to provide emergency delivery care for an expectant mother. The next call might relate to a senior citizen experiencing an issue related to cardiac arrest. EMTs must feel prepared and confident enough to walk into any situation and help the patient.
Like several other roles within the medical and healthcare arenas, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that roles for EMTs will grow significantly between 2016 and 2026. While job growth statistics for all careers in the U.S. collectively hovers around seven percent, roles for EMTs are predicted to grow by 15 percent – or approximately 37,400 jobs.
Growth from this role stems from several sources. While unfortunate events such as violence, vehicular crashes and natural disasters will continue to demand the skills of these professionals, a growing elderly population means that more EMTs are needed to respond to health emergencies stemming from advanced age. The BLS also projects that more EMTs will be needed in the coming years to provide services to rural populations.
EMTs save lives each and every day, but many individuals considering this path cannot pursue it solely based on their desire to help people – they need to know their salaries will cover life expenses. The following section takes a look at a few salary statistics to help those on the fence decide if this career suits their financial needs.
Lowest 10% of earners:
Less than $21,880
Median annual salary: $33,380
Highest 10% of earners:
More than $56,990
Within the world of emergency medical technicians, three different levels of certification exist to help workers continue gaining skills, responsibilities and higher pay. The following section highlights the main differences at each level.
After reading many different articles and guides about what it takes to become an EMT and the likelihood of finding a job after finishing certification requirements, many interested students still find themselves wondering what it really means to be an EMT. Stephen Richey, a former clinical instructor and EMT-Intermediate, answers some of the most common queries.
Hours will depend on where you’re working. Mostly it’s 12-hour shifts (one during the day and one at night) although it’s not uncommon to have to stay late because of a call that comes in at the end of your shift. The number of calls will depend upon where you work. An urban setting usually means more calls although that isn’t always the case. A city of a million people with a ton of ambulances may result in fewer calls per truck than a county ambulance service with two or three trucks covering 10,000 people.
Most EMTs do not run emergency calls as people think of them. The majority start out working on private service trucks handling nursing home and dialysis patients mostly. A lot of EMS providers look down on this but it’s a good way to learn the stuff they don’t teach you in class. Even if you do get a spot on a service handling 911 calls, you’re more than likely going to drive the truck while your medic partner handles the critical patients. This is especially the case if the local fire department has paramedics on their engines.
A lot of people come in expecting lights and sirens, gunshot wounds, car crashes and excitement only to find out that those are the minority of calls. I used to tell students that 95% of people are attracted by 5% of calls. A good way to tell a veteran EMT or medic from a rookie (or someone who hasn’t really done much despite being around for years) is the rookie goes “Give me something interesting! Give me something cool!” while the veteran is going “Give me something I can fix”. This is where you’ll get different answers between “most rewarding” and “most frustrating”.
To me, the most rewarding are the ones where you can make someone’s day better. You seldom if ever “save a life” in a strict sense. My most rewarding call ended up being where I got to share a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with one of the last surviving veterans of World War I.
To me, the most frustrating calls are the ones where people use us as a taxi service to get to the hospital. We call them “frequent flyers.” EMTs are, like it or not, not really doing “procedures” for the most part. It’s basically first aid on steroids in a lot of ways. The procedures in the field are, for the most part, left to paramedics and EMT-Intermediates (in the few places that still have the later [also called Advanced EMTs in some places]).
All in all, I recommend it as a job for those who want to give something back to their community. On the other hand, if you’re looking to be a hero or make a lot of money, it’s not the field for you.
While EMTs aren’t required to earn an associate or bachelor’s degree to fulfill their roles, they do need to complete a number of steps before receiving credentials. The following section takes interested learners through the requirements and illuminates each step of the path.
Complete basic education requirementsWhile EMTs don’t need a degree, they do need a high school diploma or GED. If you don’t already possess a high school diploma, you need to either finish any outstanding course requirements or pass the General Education Development (GED) examination. Students can find more information about requirements via the GED Testing Service.
Gain CPR certification Find an EMT program Pass the cognitive examinationEvery student hoping to work as an EMT must first pass the National Registry Emergency Medical Technician cognitive exam. A computer adaptive test of between 60 and 110 questions, the exam covers topics such as airways, respiration and ventilation; cardiology and resuscitation; EMS operations; medical care; obstetrics and gynecology; and trauma. The exam usually takes two hours and students can earn between 70 and 120 points. In order to pass, examinees must meet what the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians defines as a “standard level of competency.”
Pass the psychomotor examAdministered by individual states’ emergency management services offices or local training institutions, this exam requires students to demonstrate their ability to successfully perform a number of emergency skills. Examples include conducting patient assessments, managing cardiac arrests, immobilizing spines, caring for long bone fractures, immobilizing dislocated joints, controlling bleeding, managing shock and providing mouth-to-mouth or other ventilation procedures. Students should check with their state’s EMS office to find out where tests are administered and what score they need to pass.
Even though jobs for EMTs are projected to grow exponentially and the role provides both stability and opportunities for growth, this career is not for the faint of heart. Individuals seeking a standard 40-hour work week with predictable tasks need not apply, as EMTs often have long and varied days that call on them to use a range of unique skills and qualities to get through the workweek.
The following section highlights some of the personality traits and interests the most successful EMTs possess.
After gaining experience as an EMT, many of these professionals question how they can continue growing their careers and taking on additional responsibilities and leadership opportunities. While some pursue roles as advanced EMTs or paramedics, others look to related careers that utilize and build on their existing skillset in a new way. The following section highlights just a few related career paths that offer exciting opportunities for current EMTs looking for a new challenge.
Firefighters bravely work to protect the public from outbreaks of fire in homes, offices, forests, and other settings. They are trained in driving the fire truck, using various fire extermination devices, providing basic services to those injured, and rescuing people from dangerous situations.
Working alongside other medical and emergency response professionals, EMDs create plans for responding to emergencies or natural disasters. They develop protocols and plans for both during and after an emergency takes place to help individuals and communities return to normalcy as soon as possible.
Dental hygienists work to support dentists and prepare patients by cleaning their teeth, looking for obvious signs of dental issues, and helping patients employ preventative care measures through education.
Working alongside other medical professionals, these individuals operate and maintain diagnostic imaging equipment to obtain images that help doctors and nurses better assess any medical issues within patients. They may also take medical histories.
RNs provide many of the same basic skills provided by EMTs but do so within the walls of a hospital rather than in an ambulance. They also take medical histories, support nurses and doctors, perform basic procedures (e.g. taking blood, completing diagnostic tests), and administer medicine.