Chapter 6: Pre-Hospital Care
Karen Piette
While ultimately the development of EMS systems and qualifications are the purview of the States Offices of Emergency Medical Services, each state relies on the federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) EMS education agenda for the future document that was developed in cooperation with stakeholders from all aspects of EMS. The states develop and revise the different curriculums, qualifications, scope of practices for each level of EMS provider within their state. While the curriculums may have subtle differences, they all adhere to some general accepted practices. In most cases EMS programs are administered in the Community College system, local or Regional EMS systems or hospitals.
In general, the curriculum for an entry level EMS program (EMT) is approximately two hundred (200) hours in total length. This curriculum covers care to the sick and injured using non-invasive techniques. The EMT has a limited amount of life saving medications that can be administered usually in an auto-dose type of delivery system.
Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMTs) training adds an additional 200-300 hours of training on top of the EMT training. This training allows the AEMT to administer certain essential medications, provider airway management and provide care for the common medical and trauma emergencies.
Core Paramedic certification takes an additional 1080 to 2000 hours education including classroom, laboratory, hospital clinical and field internship. Paramedics can obtain a certificate, associates, and baccalaureate degrees in EMS. Paramedics perform intensive life saving invasive procedures in the prehospital environment. These may include advanced airway management, critical care pharmacology, intensive cardiology, and advanced trauma management. Specific scope of practices is governed by the State office of EMS, regional EMS agencies and local medical directors.
The information below is taken directly from the State of Washington OEMS website at the time of this publication but is similar to most states.
Professional Requirements and Qualifications for EMTs, AEMTs, and Paramedics
In order to work as an EMT, AEMT or a paramedic, the appropriate training is required. For all three, successful completion of a department approved paramedic training course is an educational requirement to work in most states. In Washington state, applicants who graduated from paramedic training after June 30, 1996 are required to have graduated from a paramedic training program that is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
For all three careers (EMT, AEMT and paramedic), applicants must possess a high school diploma or GED, have postgraduate professional work experience and be 18 years of age. Applicants are required to be associated with one of the following: 1) an EMS agency licensed by the Departme