EMS Job Description
Emergency medical service (EMS) workers provide immediate medical attention during emergency situations. This fast-paced job is around the clock, so medical workers have irregular working hours and may be required to work nights, weekends and holidays. Workers must be certified by the state where they work and requirements vary by state. You can either be certified as an emergency medical technician or the more advanced option of a paramedic.
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Job Duties
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Emergency medical workers respond to traumatic incidents, including car crashes, strokes, accidents, injuries and childbirths. Workers are sent to a scene by a dispatcher, where they work to treat the patient quickly and take them to a hospital. During the ambulance or medical helicopter ride, they treat the immediate needs of the patient, sometimes administering medicine or treating wounds.
Work Environment
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Emergency medical workers do not have a relaxing work environment. They must be prepared to work in all kinds of weather and may need to move patients. They must be physically fit and able to kneel, bend and lift. It can be a stressful job because workers often make life-or-death decisions and may deal with dying and seriously injured patients.
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Work Hours
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EMS workers must be prepared to work irregular hours. They often must work more than 40 hours a week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These hours worked may occur in the middle of the night, on weekends or holidays because there is a need for emergency responders every hour of every day.
Training
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Emergency medical workers can be licensed through a program that specializes in training emergency medical technicians. These courses vary in length, but can sometimes be completed within a year's time. At the training facility, students learn how to treat basic, common conditions and practice some situations that they will likely have to deal with while working as an EMT. Paramedic training takes longer, but gives the students the additional ability to administer medicine and conduct more complex medical procedures.
Places of Employment
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Most emergency medical service workers work for ambulance services, hospitals or cities that provide their own emergency medical service. Others find work in private clinics, companies or jobs marketing medical equipment.
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References
- Photo Credit emergency ambulance image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com
