Overview
Injury and illness emergencies touch every person's life at one time or another. There are over 800,000 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers delivering prehospital care in this nation. Thousands of physicians and nurses support the system and continue the patients' care after they arrive in the hospital. The Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) student learns crisis intervention techniques appropriate to providing care in an ambulance or in an Emergency Department. EMT students learn to respond to medical and trauma situations and are trained in assessment and stabilization as well as in the proper use of sophisticated support equipment.
Topic areas studied are: EMT roles and responsibilities, basic anatomy and physiology, lifting and moving patients, airway management, patient assessment, medical and trauma emergencies, proper medical documentation, EMS communications, childbirth, pediatric and geriatric emergencies, environmental emergencies, behavioral emergencies, multiple patient situations, mass casualty and weapons of mass destruction incidents and ambulance operations. Practical labs will be conducted using state of the art simulation manikins and ancillary equipment. Clinical Experience through ride-along programs with professional EMS responders are arranged and provide invaluable hands-on learning.
Requirements
Upon a passing score of 80 percent in two courses (MT281 and MT282), the student will be eligible to take the EMT-B Certification Examination through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT).
Careers
Graduates of the Emergency Medical Technology program have many opportunities for employment. The traditional method of employment is with local EMS agencies such as Fire and Lifeguarding and emergency departments. Many graduates also move into other areas such as flight programs, industrial emergency specialties, sports medicine, law enforcement, EMS dispatching, school health programs, state and national parks, theme parks, and other specialized areas, such as the Alaskan Pipeline and oil drilling operations. In addition, EMT certification qualifies for most high-level scope of practice roles such as Advanced EMT and Paramedic. Examples of higher-level medical fields include Certified Hyperbaric Medical Technician and Diver Medic Technician.
Related Courses
| Name | |
|---|---|
| MT281 - Emergency Medical Technician Part I | 6 Credits |
| MT282 - Emergency Medical Technician Part II | 6 Credits |
| Degree Program Locations | |
|---|---|
| Kearny Mesa | |
| Wilmington | |
