EMT Training in Maine
Emergency medical technicians (EMT) arrive at the scenes of accidents or medical emergencies to treat victims. EMTs usually are dispatched by a 911 operator and often work with firefighters and police officers. Maine is a ripe state for aspiring EMTs, with health care being one of the top industries in cities such as the capital, Augusta, according to City-data.com. EMT training programs in Maine give students the medical background and hands-on experience they need to work in this field.
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Degrees
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Many individuals who are interested in becoming an EMT in Maine complete certificate or associate's degree programs. Students typically must have high school diplomas or GEDs before entering these programs. Schools in Maine such as Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, Kennebec Community College in Fairfield and Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor offer EMT training programs. These programs feature lectures, laboratory work and clinical experience. In training programs, students can complete basic, intermediate or paramedic levels of training. Paramedics are trained to give advanced emergency care.
To get into the paramedic program at Southern Maine Community College, you must have at least six months of emergency medical services experience and 50 calls during which you provided patient care.
Certification
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Once you complete your training program and on-site training hours and pass written and practical exams, you can become certified. All EMTs must be certified before they can practice in the field. Maine has its own EMT and paramedic certification exams and does not use the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam that many other states use.
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Basic Courses
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Basic EMT training courses in Maine teach students how to perform elementary patient assessment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), management of airway and respiratory problems, oxygen administration techniques, shock management and medication administration. Students also learn about bleeding control, bandaging, splinting and spinal immobilization. Other classes cover triage and transportation of the sick and injured, maintenance of intravenous lines and the use of automatic external defibrillation as required by the Maine Office of Emergency Medical Services for licensure. Students at Kennebec Valley Community College also receive exposure to psychiatric, pediatric and obstetrical emergencies. These classes meet the national standard curriculum for basic EMT training.
Advanced Courses
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Paramedic-level training programs in Maine teach EMTs advanced skills such as advanced emergency cardiovascular care and emergency care across the lifespan. Other courses required at Eastern Maine Community College include advanced emergency pharmacology and trauma management. This college's programs are offered in concert with the Northeast Maine Emergency Services Council. Advanced EMT training programs can cover administration of medications orally and intravenously, performance of endotracheal intubations and interpretation of electrocardiograms.
Opportunities
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EMTs and paramedics can advance to become operations managers, supervisors or executive directors of emergency services. They also can choose to become instructors, dispatchers or physician assistants or even work in sales and marketing for emergency medical equipment suppliers. National employment of EMTs and paramedics is expected to grow 9 percent between 2008 and 2018 because of an increasing emergency call volume due to an aging population. The average salary for intermediate level EMTs in Maine is $24,000 as of 2010, while paramedic level EMTs in Maine make approximately 35,000 annually.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit emt-paramedic image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com
