How Does an EMT Spend a Typical Workday?

What is an EMT?

EMT stands for Emergency Medical Technician. They are the first on the scene to an accident or disaster of any kind, prepared to render immediate medical aid and transport to the nearest medical center. The requirements of this job are incredibly demanding, both physically and mentally. As an EMT may be required to pull an injured person out of a crushed car or fallen structure, they must be physically fit and very strong. There are four levels of EMT based on experience and amount of training. A level 1 EMT is the most basic and not licensed to transport an injured person; people such as firefighters, police officers, and community volunteers often have this level 1 certification. The other three levels are Basic, Intermediate and Paramedic. The final level requires upwards of 2,000 hours of training and experience.

Where Do EMTs Work?

EMTs work primarily out of their ambulances, the whole point of their role being that they are mobile and come to you when you call Emergency Services. However an EMT can be employed directly by a hospital or medical center or they can be employed by a private ambulance service. Their function is the same in both situations, but a private service bills you separately from the hospital.

How Does an EMT Spend a Typical Workday?

An EMT's workday may start at any time of the day or night, and often goes for a full 24 hours before the shift is over. As a result EMTs typically work an average of 50 hours a week, three or four days out of each week. This is because they must be ready to answer a call from Emergency Services dispatchers who will tell them where to go and who is in need of aid. Once at the scene, an EMT identifies the person in need of aid, taking note of the symptoms. If the person is in need of treatment beyond what the EMT can render, the EMT will attempt to stabilize the person's condition by means of intravenous fluids, drugs, bandages and tourniquets to bleeding limbs. The patient is then loaded in a stretcher into the back of the ambulance. One EMT drives while the other stays in the back to monitor the patient's vital signs. Once at the hospital, they unload the patient, bringing him into the emergency room and informing the doctors and nurses on staff of what's wrong with the patient as well as what treatments and drugs have already been administered. Once the patient is out of the EMT's hands, they wait for another call from the dispatcher to repeat the cycle.