Accelerated EMT Courses: Training for a Job That’s Always in Demand
Thursday, September 15th, 2011EMTs also known as Emergency Medical Technicians are people that ascertain an important role in the healthcare and emergency situation process. They are the people first to arrive first at a medical emergency situation. First aid is rendered immediately by EMTs. Often times patient’s lives depend on the EMTs since they will be the people that provide help before they go to a medical or healthcare facility to get further treatment.
To attend an accelerated EMT program or course a student must be a high school graduate. There are a few types of accelerated EMT courses, often more specific or even advanced compared to the other. The time needed to complete often varies based on the state and programs.
EMT-B course
During the course, EMTs will learn specific aspects of symptom recognition, healthcare techniques and practices. With the EMT Basic course it’s expected that EMTs have a quick response when they first arrive at the patient. All symptoms must be quickly identified and instant action taken to stabilize the patient. The EMT-Basic course consists of detailed training on doing physical examinations, giving oxygen and medication, coping with broken bones, using semi-automatic defibrillation as well as airway maintenance. They can also deal with emergency childbirth as well as severe bleeding.
An accelerate EMT B program will take 120 hours, often condensed into 3 hours per day during 2 months. Time can vary among states.
EMT-I course
An EMT Intermediate course gives basic healthcare training in addition to some more advanced emergency care skills and methods. An intermediate EMT will be able to perform administration of intravenous fluids, use advance airway strategies and equipment in addition to take care of several types of trauma and use a manual defibrillator. The EMT with an intermediate course should have more than enough training to provide the individual with a variety of complex procedures that would most likely save their life immediately.
An accelerated EMT-I course usually takes about eighty hours and includes a review of EMT basic skills.
EMT advance/paramedic course
Based on the state, an advanced EMT can be considered a paramedic or not. Some states consider it an intermediate level between the EMT Intermediate and EMT Paramedic course, others consider it an EMT Paramedic.
An EMT Advanced or Paramedic course trains the EMTs to help in the most advanced health care circumstances. With this course EMTs have the ability to execute the following actions:
* Trauma Assessment
* Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
* Bleeding Control
* Dressing and Bandaging
* Splinting
* Endotracheal Intubation
* Pharmacology
* Electrocardiology (ECG or EKG)
* Intravenous Cannulation (IV)
* Spinal Immobilization
* Defibrillation
* Dressing and Bandaging
An accelerated EMT advanced/paramedic course can require as much as 140 hours but it may vary from state to state.
Despite the fact that accelerated EMT courses may be finished in a short period of time, they’re very challenging and with a high degree of training, both theory and practice. Being able to help patients in an emergency takes a lot of medical skills, training and knowledge. EMTs are professionals, the type a person wants on hand when involved in an emergency, thus EMT training is an important component of having qualified and competent medical personnel available.