An EMT, or Emergency Medical Technician, is a trained healthcare responder who can provide people with the emergency care they require if they are seriously ill or have been injured. Previously, the assumption about Emergency Medical Technicians is that they were just glorified ambulance attendants. However, this integral cog in the emergency response team has evolved into a far more important and supportive role. They are now able to do much more to help people in emergencies than they could before and as such, are exposed to many more complex situations than previously. For this reason, and because they are considered a BLS Healthcare provider, EMTs must have specific training in emergency healthcare.
The Rise Of The Modern EMT
Today’s Emergency Medical Technician is capable of dealing effectively not only with medical emergencies, but has also been trained to work in more advanced healthcare situations. For example, an EMT is trained to assist in the delivery of babies, to deal with child abuse emergencies, mental health issues in patients, and with problems caused by all the hazardous chemicals we use these days.
More advanced Emergency Medical Technicians can administer life-saving medications and carry out life-saving procedures. For example, they are have completed AHA CPR courses and are able to work with people suffering cardiovascular emergencies. Most of them also hold AHA ACLS certification, allowing them to treat a wide range of emergencies and use equipment like defibrillators and ECG machines.
Indeed, when there are no doctors or nurses available, the Emergency Medical Technician often provides the first medical care to a patient. They collaborate with medical staff to provide patients with the best care possible while they are on their way to the hospital. The goal of all Emergency Medical Technicians, from the most basic to the most advanced, is to give the patient a chance of survival when there is a lower chance of survival without care.
EMTs: AHA BLS Healthcare Providers And Emergency Rescuers
Because there are times when EMTs are called upon to conduct rescue operations as well as treat patients, they are trained to extricate patients from a wide range of situations. They save them from water emergencies, they get them out of damaged vehicles, rescue them from inaccessible terrain and so on. The training to do this type of rescue work is typically conducted with the assistance and collaboration of the fire services and other speciality agencies.
As the EMT is usually the first person on the scene, they must be qualified to deal with any emergency that may arise. This is where their training as an AHA BLS Healthcare provider comes into play. The most important thing is that the right medical care is provided within a specific time frame to give the patient a better chance of survival. Fortunately, because they have done AHA CPR courses and also completed their ACLS certification, they are more than capable of providing this care. Indeed, there are many aspects of an EMT’s job that makes them an integral part of an emergency medical team.
Become An Effective EMT: Do Your AHA BLS Healthcare Provider Course
As part of the AHA BLS Healthcare Provider Course, EMTs are taught to follow a set of guidelines when providing emergency patient care. This creates a structured emergency scene in which everyone involved is aware of what is going on. They must assess the patient quickly and provide the necessary care. An EMT who provides the correct care within the first hour of a patient’s need for assistance can help the hospital get a good start when the patient arrives and in many cases may be the key to patient survival.