What Does an Emergency Medical Technician Do?

We talked about what an EMT is last time around. Today let’s take a closer look at the job itself. If you’ve ever wondered what an Emergency Medical Technician does all day, you’ll be pleased to know it’s not all ambulance rides. Being an EMT is a lot like any job. There are many different opportunities and you have to do them all for the organization to run smoothly.

Here is a list filled with 8 things an Emergency Medical Technician might do over the course of a day. This will help you gain insight into the world of being a fast-paced, danger-driven EMT that will save people’s lives daily.

1. Be On Call – You’ll need to be on call nearly all the time. The average length of a shift for an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is 24 hours. You may or may not be working that whole time. It is your responsibility to remain alert and available to provide emergency services the entire time you’re on call.
2. Respond to Emergency Calls from the 911 Dispatcher – You’ll receive notification by phone or emergency pager from the 911 dispatcher. That means that someone has just called 911 and your assistance is required immediately.
3. Take Detailed Inventory of Ambulance – While you’re on call but not working, it will be your responsibility as an Emergency Medical Technician to make sure your ambulance has all the necessary medical equipment to treat patients. Every day, you’ll be restocking and organizing your ambulance and supplies.
4. Drive an Ambulance – Driving an ambulance is how you’ll get to the scene of emergency. Be prepared to make lightning fast judgments and have incredible reflexes to deal with oncoming traffic. You’ll never have to wait for a red light again, but you will need to drive safely and carefully to protect the life of the injured passengers.
5. Respond Immediately to Potentially Hurt Patients – Patients that are critically hurt or in danger of dying rely on you to see them through. Whether it’s providing quick CPR or applying pressure to wounds, it’s your job as an Emergency Medical Technician to know what to do and when to do it.
6. Calm Friends and Family – One thing you might not realize you’ll be doing is calming the family members, friends or even onlookers. You’ll rely on their recounting of what happened if the patient is unconscious or can’t speak. The family members will want to know exactly what’s going on, what they can do, and what will happen to their loved ones. You’ll have to calm them down and explain that you’re doing the best you can do.
7. Transfer Patients – When it’s time to transport the injured to the vehicle, you’ll need to be in good physical condition. Most people that become EMT’s are in great shape and continue to stay that way because of the heavy lifting needed.
8. Stabilize the Patient’s Condition – On the way to the emergency room, you’ll need to work hard at stabilizing the patient’s vital signs. Additionally you might be required to establish a rapport with the patient thereby keeping them conscious and lucid till you reach the hospital. You’ll need to talk to them and encourage them to hold on, pretty similar to what you would have seen actors do when they are playing an EMT in the movies or television.

The above points should give you a pretty good idea of what it’s like to be an EMT. It might be a hard job, but it’s one of the more rewarding career paths you can choose to take. You will be a respected figure in your community and receive a fair salary in return for a job well done. If you’re interested in the idea of helping people for a living, this can be a great career path to start yourself on.

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