How can you Advance your Career as an EMT

An Emergency Medical Technician in literal terms is a life saver! He or she is the first one to arrive at an emergency situation and make a patient & their families feel better instantly.

The work of Emergency Medical Technicians is to try their best to keep a patient alive till they can arrive at a hospital. They are trained and skilled in a number of first aid skills. Thus, advancement in your career comes with training. Training in this case could include constantly advancing your skills and knowledge relating to first aid, medication and equipment.

Further into how you can advance your career as an Emergency Medical Technician.

Here are 3 ways you can advance your career as an Emergency Medical Technician:

Continue your education. An EMT, in some cases, is a paramedic in training and could be having a bigger career in front of them. Thus, in order to boost your career as an EMT, you need to continue your education further preferably at a college. However, with advanced technology these days, it is even possible and perhaps much easier to study online. This way, you’re also able to work simultaneously, gain experience and save time. You can attain a certification, complete a 1000+ hours of instruction and acquire an Associate’s Degree as an Emergency Medical Technician.

Development and Training. To keep up with the advances every day, it is essential and beneficial to keep up with other EMT professionals through blogs and Twitter feeds so that you are aware and you can also listen and share stories and experiences. This is also a good way of getting access to new career opportunities.

Specialize. Oftentimes, EMTs are confused about their actual goal in life, especially since it is probably the most stressful job but once you are certain of what you want in your future, it is a great idea to specialize.

Another way to advance as an EMT is to become an EMS coach, train other junior EMTs.

It may also help you to assess a few important factors relating to your future as a whole.

This includes:

1. Initial assessment: It is extremely important and beneficial for you to have at least a rough idea of what you want in your future. What do you see yourself as in the next 10 years? Are you preparing to respond to midnight 9-1-1 calls? Or is it assisting a physician in a clinic? Whatever it may be, set about to making a plan on how you want to get there.
2. What are my benefits? Well, for every EMT, assisting patients in any way possible is the most important factor about their job. Thus, you get to save lives and be a hero, what could be better than being called a hero, right?
3. Wait… there’s more! EMT is still a young profession, (a junior paramedic). You possess leadership skills and can soon supervise and train other juniors entering the field. What’s more? You can share your experiences and guide them to be a hero just like you are!

Related career opportunities include:

• Ambulance Paramedic
• Firefighter
• Flight Paramedic
• EMS Coach
• A Registered Nurse.

Advancing your Career…

Digging further into the career opportunities mentioned above; below is a glimpse into what each of the careers mentioned above entails.

1. Paramedic. Paramedics are a little more skilled and highly specialized such that they are able to issue certain drugs and medication. To become a paramedic, one must have attended an EMT program before as EMT programs provide basic training and how to provide first aid care at an emergency situation. It is also an opportunity to gain experience. One then must apply for a certification program and gain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
2. Emergency Management Director. EMTs possess certain special skills that help them deal with patients in emergency situations. Choosing a career as an Emergency Management Director could be a great next step! Emergency management directors assist government agencies and nonprofit organizations to be able to respond to emergency situations or natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods or terrorist attacks. To become an Emergency management director, a bachelor’s degree is necessary.
3. Registered Nurse. Emergency Medical Technicians who enjoy helping others and love what they are doing may desire to pursue a career as a Registered Nurse or RN. RN’s usually provide special care and monitor a patient’s condition including the improvements. Registered Nurses, also perform diagnostic tests and procedures, they assist in guiding and directing less skilled/licensed nurses and they prepare patients for examination or treatment.
4. Doctor Assistant. The career of a Physician Assistant or PA is most rapidly growing. It is also an ideal career option for an Emergency Medical Technician who desires to excel in their passion to care for patients. A Doctor’s Assistant mostly assists physicians to diagnose illnesses, give treatment and are also authorized to prescribe medication. To become a Doctor Assistant, a master’s degree program is necessary and including around 2000 hours of clinical rotation and hands on experience.
5.  Police, Fire or Ambulance Dispatcher. To become a dispatcher, it is advisable to possess good communication skills. Emergency Medical Technicians who have developed excellent communication skills are fit for this job. The dispatcher’s job is to receive 9-1-1 calls and immediately get in touch with an appropriate first responder and send him or her to the emergency situation. The dispatcher must ensure that the responder is calm and able to handle the situation. A dispatcher is required to have at least a high school diploma and on the job training.