Find The Right Paramedic School For Specialized Training

By Author: thomasgalvin
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In Today’s job market people are turning to the growing field of health care. EMT training schools are making it more affordable for students to be able to attend this type of education. EMT training schools typically hold EMT programs multiple times during any given year and they last approximately 13 to 15 weeks in length or 120 to 180 hours. Once a student completes the entire program they will be eligible to take the certification exams needed to gain employment as an EMT.

EMT training schools help prepare students to gain employment working for an ambulance service in an entry level position. This will allow the new EMT to gain experiences in basic life support. These experiences would include CPR, administering oxygen, using limited medications for heart attacks and allergic reactions.

Once an EMT has been trained and gained some real world experiences, they may choose to take their education and experiences to a greater level of care as a Paramedic. Paramedic schools offer a number of different scheduling options for classes, to meet the needs of shift work of EMT’s.

So what is the difference ...
... between an EMT and a Paramedic? First an EMT has on average about 150 hours of education and training. Most Paramedic Schools consists of 1100 hours plus of education in three different phases. First is the didactic portion that is approximately 500 hours long. It is made up of in classroom learning of all aspects of emergency care. This would include theory and pathophysiology of disease processes in areas of airway management, medical emergencies, cardiology and trauma management. This would include the pediatric, adult and geriatric patient. Each student would be required to complete a rigorous exam process, where along the way students have to prove through testing that they have retained the education material.

There is also a lab component where students are taught the psychomotor skills needed to function out in the field, taking care of patients. Students learn skills to manage a patients airway using advanced techniques. This would include, ventilating with a bag valve mask and endotracheal intubation. Paramedic schools will also teach the students to start IV’s, give shots, administer medications, read ECG monitors, use a defibrillator, chest decompression and sharpen all their existing EMT skills.

Paramedic schools of today are different. Most of the paramedic schools offer college credits for the programs that they teach. Some of the Paramedic schools are colleges themselves but others are private paramedic schools that have partnerships with a college or university. Paramedic schools usually offer between 25-35 credits for the program. This would be applied to a degree in Paramedicine or other health care fields. That include: emergency health science, nursing and emergency management. The fire services degrees may also allow you to apply the credits earned at a paramedic school to one of their degrees. In the past very limited college level learning was needed, but with today’s technology higher-level learning and understanding is needed.

Find Paramedic Schools and EMT Training Schools related information at nmetc.com