About to Start EMT Classes- What to Expect?

[Rae HalfTheHill]

For reference: I was in the Coast Guard for 11 years, and have been under some sort of CPR/AED/First Aid certification since 2012. I've been a dive pro for six years and a captain for three, and have a B.S. under my belt. I've taken an anatomy class outside of my undergrad just for fun as well.

I have enrolled in night classes for the upcoming semester to make my way into the first responder field, starting with EMT. The course is set up to meet three times a week, at four hours per class. One day a week is a potential clinical day. I do work four to five days a week as a captain.

My main question is what to expect in terms of course load and commitments outside of class. My previous experience with my anatomy class was online learning and was very self-paced. I know adding on night classes is definitely going to be spreading myself thin for a bit, but to me it is worth it and at a minimum, is for a good cause. Any tips or advice are also appreciated!

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

It's cool you are doing that. Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[EternalCompression]

Good Morning,

Good luck with your adventure, I have some experience in this area. I was licensed in 95 worked pre hospital care/Emergency services until 2008 after which I got my DMT and worked for a 24/7 Multiplace chamber( Emergent and Non Emergent tX).

You will start out with lots of procedures and assessments, from basic blood pressure, respiration, pulse assessments all the way to advanced airways. Intermingled in the class they will be having you learn basic anatomy and physiology . You will be required to do clinical rotations and ambulance rotations, not a lot , just enough to become familiar with operations. Most people do clinicals on the weekend or off days. Class is usually a semester , the NREMT has been threatening to extend classes to a year for awhile .

At the end when you pass the class they will give you a ATT, this allow you to take a computer adapted test at a testing facility and afterword's you will be required to show the state a lot of your assessment and practical skills( usually half day). I am soo old I took my written with a number 2 pencil and mailed my test into the NREMT.

You will get a State license and national license after words.

the state and national have different requirements to maintain them and different recert cycles . FYI

It is a pretty easy class,

If you are looking to drop a chest tube , trach or IO someone this is not the class, however everything you do here will build for more advanced training in the future, it gets harder down the road to keep those advanced ratings if you dont work for a emergency services.

hope this helps

SC

 

[Rae HalfTheHill]

hope this helps

SC

Thank you so much for the info. Basically what I've come across is that if a procedure breaks the skin, that's outside the scope of care for EMT. I'm mostly looking to expand my own basic medical knowledge and perhaps begin exploring volunteer/part-time opportunities with the local FD while continuing to work in the diving world.

Hopefully not biting off more than I can chew at 12 credit hours for this semester, but my undergrad program averaged at around 20 (granted I wasn't working full time either).

I'm always excited to be learning new things!

 

[Dohgee]

Most students don't have too much trouble with the EMT class - even those taking it at night while holding a full time job.

When I took the EMT class, I had no clue about anything in the medical field. I was a member of the USCG Auxiliary and witnessed a very serious trauma/medical accident while on patrol. Decided that I didn't want to be in the position of not knowing what to do if something happened in the future.

As it ended up, I spent 8 years working a 40 hr full time job, a 32 hr part time job (EMT at an ambulance--just for fun), and teaching EMT classes two nights every week. Almost all of our students had full time day jobs and most were on volunteer fire departments that took up a lot of their weekend time.

Since you've already taken anatomy classes, you should find the coursework to be easier than most. Memorizing the names of bones or body systems was always one of the bigger stumbling blocks for the students. Air goes in and out, blood goes round and round - any deviation from that is a bad thing.

Many students get very nervous about the practical exam, which is where you demonstrate certain skills (Trauma assessment, Medical assessment, CPR, Spinal Immobilization, etc.) with a proctor giving you a made up scenario. Just stay calm, listen to what you are told and you will be fine. I haven't run into anyone that really wanted to fail a candidate. We all look for whether we feel like you can handle the stress and think on your feet. So, project confidence and competence and you won't have any issues at all.

Good luck in your learning...

 

[EternalCompression]

Thank you so much for the info. Basically what I've come across is that if a procedure breaks the skin, that's outside the scope of care for EMT. I'm mostly looking to expand my own basic medical knowledge and perhaps begin exploring volunteer/part-time opportunities with the local FD while continuing to work in the diving world.

Hopefully not biting off more than I can chew at 12 credit hours for this semester, but my undergrad program averaged at around 20 (granted I wasn't working full time either).

I'm always excited to be learning new things!

Good Morning,

You are going to do great!..... When it comes to breaking skin you are most likely going to learn to give IM, and Sub Q injections in class whether your EMS medical director while allow that is a different story. EMT B scope of practices sometimes vary or change depending on location and the medical powers in the State and local levels.

SC

 

[Cthippo]

FF/EMT-B here

It's a big time commitment, you will have to absorb most of that book and the reading alone takes up a lot of hours. In addition to the classroom hours there will be some required clinical time, either in the ER or if you are lucky on an ambulance somewhere.

One thing to be aware of is that in many states you cannot be certified, even after completing the class, unless you are affiliated with an agency. Your certification is not a license, you can only practice under a physician's license and that MD is responsible for your actions.

It also helps to understand the true role of the EMT in the field. What we do, and what we excel at, is rapidly assessing patients, treating immediate life threats, and making the decisions about what further care they need. The ability to walk through a door and evaluate a patient in 3 seconds or less is what we do better than any other health care provider.

Anyway, feel free to reach out if you have questions or just need some (im)moral support.