Education and Training Required to Become an EMT
Becoming an emergency medical technician (EMT) is an excellent way to give yourself a career or volunteer service opportunity in the health care field.
You can work within the community and help to serve the people in it. Whether your path includes becoming a career EMT or remaining a volunteer in your spare time, the training and education are important, challenging and full of information you’ll need in order to safely perform the work.
Becoming an EMT at HCI
At HCI, EMT students learn the techniques and tools they need to bring to the profession or volunteer service. An EMT’s job is to provide care to patients in the field—at a location other than a health care facility, such as at the scene of a car accident or fire—and, as needed, transport patients to hospitals via ambulance. Though the most successful EMTs will have inherent traits that can’t be taught (such as quick thinking and analytical skills, teamwork, and diligence), in the program at HCI, the methods and techniques will all be fully covered.
What Does Training and Education to Become an EMT Look Like?
You can complete your EMT training and education in as little as one year with HCI’s comprehensive program. These months will include labs, lectures, and practical work that allow you to get hands-on experience before seeking jobs and volunteer positions. The curriculum is aligned with the standards that regulate EMT service provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Topics included in the coursework include: how to assess patients on scene, how to open blocked airways and restore patients’ breathing, how to bandage wounds and control blood loss, first-step poisoning and burn treatment, immediate steps for heart attack, stroke and shock, how to assist with childbirth, and many more.
After completing training, the last step is the NREMT, the exam which allows you to be added to the National Registry of EMTs. This step is essential, as without it, you may not be licensed to work or volunteer as an EMT.
