Emergency medical technician-basic
Encyclopedia
Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) is the entry level of Emergency Medical Technician
(pre-hospital emergency medical provider) in the United States
.
EMT-Bs are not trained to provide definitive medical care, but instead focus on rapid in-field treatment and transport to higher medical providers. EMT-Bs work in conjunction with other medical providers such as paramedics, nurses, and physicians, as well as with other EMT-Bs. When operating in the prehospital environment, their actions are governed by protocols and procedures set by their system's physician medical director
.
(NHTSA) has developed a minimum content and hour requirement that all states must at least meet. This requirement is known as the National Standard Curriculum. Under the NHTSA curriculum, students receive 200 hours of lecture and lab time covering anatomy, physiology, legal aspects of medical care, assessment, and treatment of medical
, trauma
, behavioral, and obstetric emergencies. In addition to class time, the NHTSA recommends clinical rotations on board ambulances and in emergency departments.
Using NHTSA guidelines, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
have developed and implemented certification tests for the NHTSA EMT levels, including the EMT-Basic level. As of 2006, 39 US states utilize the NREMT EMT-Basic exam as part of the state licensing and/or certification procedure.
Once certified, EMT-Basics are required to obtain continuing education hours to recertify. Recertification requirements vary from state to state. Continuing education courses can cover a variety of topics, provided that they cover relevant material, including college courses covering anatomy, physiology, or psychology, to more applied courses that are either standardized, such as a Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), or tailored to the needs of an individual EMS system or region.
Some states allow for an already certified EMT from another state to apply for reciprocity in their state. Reciprocity allows, for example, an EMT-B from New Jersey to apply for an EMT-B certification in New York and be certified as a New York State EMT-B without taking the EMT course over again. The states that participate in this can be found by contacting the certification boards of each state or on their websites.
and are limited to essentially non-invasive procedures. Besides employing basic medical assessment skills, typical procedures provided by EMT-Bs include CPR, Automated external defibrillation
, mechanical ventilation using a bag-valve mask, placement of air way adjuncts such as oropharyngeal
and nasopharyngeal
airways, splinting (including spinal immobilization and traction splint
s), and suctioning. In addition, EMT-Bs are trained to assist patients with administration of preprescribed nitroglycerin, Metered-dose inhaler such as albuterol, epinephrine auto injectors such as the EpiPen
, oral glucose, and activated charcoal (usually upon medical direction), and HazMat.
Individually, each state is free to add or subtract to their EMT-Bs scope of practice as they please. For example, EMT-Bs working in California may not administer activated charcoal, an NHTSA approved intervention, under a standard certification. Local EMS systems (i.e. counties in California) can apply to the state to implement an extended scope of practice for EMT-Bs that includes activated charcoal as well as other pharmaceutical interventions not normally allowed to be administered by EMT-Bs.
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
(pre-hospital emergency medical provider) in the United States
Emergency medical services in the United States
Emergency Medical Services in the United States, provide out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care for those in need...
.
EMT-Bs are not trained to provide definitive medical care, but instead focus on rapid in-field treatment and transport to higher medical providers. EMT-Bs work in conjunction with other medical providers such as paramedics, nurses, and physicians, as well as with other EMT-Bs. When operating in the prehospital environment, their actions are governed by protocols and procedures set by their system's physician medical director
Medical director
As laboratory director,means that you are responsible for the overall operation and administration of the laboratory, including the employment of competentqualified personnel. Even though you have the option to delegate some...
.
Education and training
EMT-B training is regulated at both the state and federal level. At the federal level, the National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
(NHTSA) has developed a minimum content and hour requirement that all states must at least meet. This requirement is known as the National Standard Curriculum. Under the NHTSA curriculum, students receive 200 hours of lecture and lab time covering anatomy, physiology, legal aspects of medical care, assessment, and treatment of medical
Medical emergency
A medical emergency is an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long term health. These emergencies may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the...
, trauma
Physical trauma
Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
, behavioral, and obstetric emergencies. In addition to class time, the NHTSA recommends clinical rotations on board ambulances and in emergency departments.
Using NHTSA guidelines, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians is a US certification agency covering prehospital medical providers.- History :NREMT was established in 1970 in response to President Lyndon Johnson's Committee on Highway Traffic Safety recommended a national certifying agency for Emergency...
have developed and implemented certification tests for the NHTSA EMT levels, including the EMT-Basic level. As of 2006, 39 US states utilize the NREMT EMT-Basic exam as part of the state licensing and/or certification procedure.
Once certified, EMT-Basics are required to obtain continuing education hours to recertify. Recertification requirements vary from state to state. Continuing education courses can cover a variety of topics, provided that they cover relevant material, including college courses covering anatomy, physiology, or psychology, to more applied courses that are either standardized, such as a Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), or tailored to the needs of an individual EMS system or region.
Some states allow for an already certified EMT from another state to apply for reciprocity in their state. Reciprocity allows, for example, an EMT-B from New Jersey to apply for an EMT-B certification in New York and be certified as a New York State EMT-B without taking the EMT course over again. The states that participate in this can be found by contacting the certification boards of each state or on their websites.
Scope of practice
The scope of medical practice for EMT-Bs is regulated by state law, and can vary significantly both among states as well as inside states. In general, EMT-Bs provide what is considered basic life supportBasic life support
Basic life support is the level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until the patient can be given full medical care at a hospital. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and by...
and are limited to essentially non-invasive procedures. Besides employing basic medical assessment skills, typical procedures provided by EMT-Bs include CPR, Automated external defibrillation
Automated external defibrillator
An automated external defibrillator or AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of...
, mechanical ventilation using a bag-valve mask, placement of air way adjuncts such as oropharyngeal
Oropharyngeal airway
An oropharyngeal airway is a medical device called an airway adjunct used to maintain a patent airway. It does this by preventing the tongue from covering the epiglottis, which could prevent the person from breathing...
and nasopharyngeal
Nasopharyngeal airway
In medicine, a nasopharyngeal airway, also known as an NPA or a nasal trumpet because of its flared end, a type of airway adjunct, is a tube that is designed to be inserted into the nasal passageway to secure an open airway. When a patient becomes unconscious, the muscles in the jaw commonly relax...
airways, splinting (including spinal immobilization and traction splint
Traction splint
A traction splint most commonly refers to a splinting device that uses straps attaching over the pelvis or hip as an anchor, a metal rod to mimic normal bone stability and limb length, and a mechanical device to apply traction to the limb...
s), and suctioning. In addition, EMT-Bs are trained to assist patients with administration of preprescribed nitroglycerin, Metered-dose inhaler such as albuterol, epinephrine auto injectors such as the EpiPen
EpiPen
An epinephrine autoinjector is a medical device used to deliver a measured dose of epinephrine using autoinjector technology, most frequently for the treatment of acute allergic reactions to avoid or treat the onset of anaphylactic shock.Trade names for this device include EpiPen, Twinject,...
, oral glucose, and activated charcoal (usually upon medical direction), and HazMat.
Individually, each state is free to add or subtract to their EMT-Bs scope of practice as they please. For example, EMT-Bs working in California may not administer activated charcoal, an NHTSA approved intervention, under a standard certification. Local EMS systems (i.e. counties in California) can apply to the state to implement an extended scope of practice for EMT-Bs that includes activated charcoal as well as other pharmaceutical interventions not normally allowed to be administered by EMT-Bs.
See also
- Emergency medical responder levels by state
- National Association of Emergency Medical Technician
- Emergency Medical Services in the United StatesEmergency medical services in the United StatesEmergency Medical Services in the United States, provide out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care for those in need...
- MedicMedicMedic is a general term for a person involved in medicine, especially emergency or first-response medicine, such as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or a military member trained in battlefield medicine. Also the term is used toward a Nurse in pre-hospital care and/or emergency...
- Combat medicCombat medicCombat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
- Rescue squadRescue squadA rescue company is a public service organization that uses specialized equipment and knowledge to rescue people. There are two typical applications: squads that rescue trapped people, and squads that rescue people who are having medical emergencies....
- Wilderness emergency medical technicianWilderness emergency medical technicianWilderness Emergency Medical Technician, or WEMT, is the second highest level of wilderness emergency medical training available in the USA , or other courses for advanced providers such as AWLS, and RMAP...