AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN(EMT)

 WHO IS AN EMT?
 An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is an emergency responder trained to provide emergency medical care to the critically ill and injured. Depending on where they work, EMTs may be solely responsible for the treatment and transportation of their patients or assist a paramedic, nurse, physician or other advanced life support provider



 
  Once thought of as an "ambulance driver or attendant," the modern EMT performs many more duties than in the past, and responds to many types of emergency calls, including medical emergencies, hazardous materials exposure, childbirth, child abuse, fires, rescues, injuries, trauma and psychiatric crises. As  standards state that rescuers be medically certified, many EMT's are also part of Technical Rescue teams, such as Extrication, Rope Rescue, and Aqua-Rescue.






EMT s are trained in practical emergency medical knowledge and skills that can be deployed within a rapid time frame. Patient treatment guidelines are described in protocols following both national guidelines and local medical policies. The goal of EMT intervention is to rapidly evaluate a patient's condition and to maintain a patient's airway, breathing and circulation by CPR and defibrillation. In addition, EMT intervention aims to control external bleeding, prevent shock, and prevent further injury or disability by immobilizing potential spinal or other bone fractures, while expediting the safe and timely transport of the patient to a hospital emergency department for definitive medical care.Majorly they are trained in prehospital care





After dispensing initial treatment at the scene, they then help transport patients to medical facilities, monitoring them all the way till they are handed over to hospital staff.  Sometimes, depending on the patient’s condition, they may be required to perform certain types of invasive procedures such as injecting pain-relieving drugs, intravenous canulation, administrating advanced airway management and fluid resuscitation.
You may not need to spend 4 to 8 years or more in medical school to become a paramedic but that does not make your responsibilities any less critical. What do you do during those first few minutes on the scene will make the difference between life and death?

To work as an EMT you will need to have several key qualities to be able to deal with the different scenarios that you are likely to encounter during the course of your job.

A strong stomach

This is not a job for the faint of heart. Blood, guts and other bodily fluids as well as broken and even severed limbs are all too common at the scene of gruesome accidents and disasters. There’s no running away from the fact that this is something you will have to deal with almost every day on the job. If you do not have the stomach for it, this may not be the right career path for you.

The ability to stay calm in stressful situations

The ability to handle stressful situations calmly and make critical decisions amidst the reigning chaos is a large part of the job. Hysteria, chaos and sometimes anger are the prevailing emotions after any type of accident or disaster. As a paramedic, you must be able to stay focused on treating the injured and not succumb to the pressure of the moment. The lives of those injured depend on your ability to make quick and accurate decisions.

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Excellent critical thinking skills are essential for assessing and diagnosing patients rationally and accurately. In this role you must be able to identify and evaluate problems quickly, using your best judgment to find effective solutions.

Physically fit and strong

There is a lot of sitting, kneeling, bending and reaching out involved in this job. During the course of your job, you may have to lift, pull or push patients of all sizes, sometimes alone or with only the ambulance driver to help. This requires a certain amount of physical fitness and strength.

Good communication and interpersonal skills

Paramedics often work in high-stress situations. Patients, family members, and even bystanders often let their emotions get in the way, making it difficult for you to do your job. Good communication, interpersonal and instructional skills are essential to calming everyone down and getting on with treating the injured.

Flexibility

Emergencies can happen at any time, sometimes when you are least prepared. In this role, most times you will be working in unstructured environments that are ever changing.  You must be prepared to switch over from handling routine calls to attending to life-threatening emergencies with little or no notice. You must also be able to cope with situations that you may find stressful, distressing or dangerous, ensuring that patient care is a priority at all times.

   

WHY DO WE NEED EMTS IN THE COUNTY 
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 providing prehospital emergency medical care of simple and multiple system trauma such as:
- controlling hemorrhage,
- treatment of shock (hypo perfusion),
- bandaging wounds,
- immobilization of painful, swollen, or deformed extremities,
- immobilization of painful, swollen, or deformed neck or spine
o promote quality patient care, instill pride in profession, promote high standards, and earn respect of the medical team.

 Assigning priorities of emergency treatment and recording and communicating data to the designated medical command authority.

assessing the situation;of an accident managing emergency care and, if needed, extrication; coordinating efforts with those of other agencies that may be involved in the care and transportation of that patient; and establishing rapport with the patient and others to decrease their state of crisis.

providing emergency medical care to:(especially in regions that don t have access to emergency care)
- assist in emergency childbirth,(kinga mama)
- manage general medical complaints of altered mental status, respiratory, cardiac, diabetic,
allergic reaction, seizures, poisoning behavioral emergencies, environmental emergencies, and
psychological crises. Additional care is provided based upon assessment of the patient and
obtaining historical information.
· searching for medical identification emblems as a guide to appropriate emergency medical care.
· assisting patients with prescribed medications, including sublingual nitroglycerin, epinephrine auto injectors

· administration of oxygen, oral glucose and activated charcoal.
· reassuring patients and bystanders by working in a confident, efficient manner.
· avoiding mishandling and undue haste while working expeditiously to accomplish the task.

An EMT is thus a fundamental link int the health care chain and their actions have a direct impact on the outcomes of patient care. It with this regard that the public, government, corporate bodies and other authorities need to recognize the role of an EMT in patient care and general safety.