Emergency Medical Technician If They Produced a Television Program About Your Job Would Anybody Watch
Emergency Medical Services and Pre-Hospital Emergency care is a unique field of healthcare. ... Many Emergency Medical Technicians may have started their careers as volunteers: young, eager, frightened at the possibility of taking care of the needs of others. ... Unfortunately, emergency care of the injured and ill at home had not progressed to a similar level. Prior to the mid 1960s, emergency ambulance service and care across the United States varied widely. ... In many places, the only emergency care and ambulance service was provided by the local funeral home using a hearse that could be converted to carry a cot and serve as an ambulance with the only provider training consisting of a driver’s license. (Mustalish and Post 3-4) During the mid- 1960’s the medical profession became more interested in the care provided to patients outside the hospital, and EMS personnel acquired skills and equipment to better care for patients. ... The report revealed to the public and Congress the serious inadequacy of pre-hospital emergency care and transportation in many areas. A number of key items were recommended in the report: § Development of national courses of instruction for pre-hospital emergency care and transportation by fire, police, rescue and ambulance personnel. ... § Adoption by each municipality of means to supply the necessary proper pre-hospital emergency care and transport within its jurisdiction. § Establishment of hospital emergency departments with staffing by physicians, nurses, and other personnel who are trained in resuscitation and the immediate care of the seriously injured and ill. ... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the Department of Transportation, through the Highway Safety Act of 1966, and the Department of Health and Human Services, through the Emergency Medical Act of 1973, created funding sources and programs to develop improved systems of pre-hospital emergency care. ... To support the EMT course, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons prepared and published the first EMT textbook, Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured, in 1971. ... The system was based on two key changes: · The introduction of legislation that made it the responsibility of each municipality, township or county to provide proper pre-hospital emergency care and transportation within its boundaries. ... The second category of training covers conditions that, although not life-threatening, are key components of emergency care or are necessary to prevent further harm before the patient is moved. The third category covers important issues that are related to an EMT’s ability to provide emergency care. ... (Stoy & Barclay pg 7) The EMT Basic license level requires a minimum of 110 hours or more of training and includes the essential knowledge and skills required to provide basic emergency care in the field. ... Basic EMTs routinely are the first transporting providers to arrive at the scene of an emergency and usually assume responsibility for the assessment and care of the patient, followed by packaging and transportation to the emergency department. ... (Stoy & Barclay pg 7) The EMT Intermediate license level requires an additional 300 hours of training and is designed to add knowledge and skills in specific aspects of Advanced Life Support to individuals who have been trained and have experience in providing emergency care as an EMT Basic.