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Emergency Medical Technician or Paramedic

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics care for the sick or injured in emergency medical settings. People’s lives often depend on their quick reaction and competent care. EMTs and paramedics respond to emergency calls, performing medical services and transporting patients to medical facilities.

EMTs and paramedics typically do the following:
  • Respond to 999 calls for emergency medical assistance, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or bandaging a wound
  • Assess a patient’s condition and determine a course of treatment
  • Follow guidelines learned in training  or received from physicians who oversee their work
  • Use backboards and restraints to keep patients still and safe in an ambulance during transport
  • Help transfer patients to the emergency department of a healthcare facility and report their observations and treatment to the staff
  • Create a patient care report, documenting the medical care given to the patient
  • Replace used supplies and check or clean equipment after use

When taking a patient to a hospital, one EMT or paramedic may drive the ambulance while another monitors the patient's vital signs and gives additional care. Some paramedics work as part of a helicopter's flight crew to transport critically ill or injured patients to a hospital.

EMTs and paramedics also transport patients from one medical facility to another. Some patients may need to be transferred to a hospital that specializes in treating their injury or illness or to a facility that provides long-term care, such as a nursing home.

If a patient has a contagious disease, EMTs and paramedics decontaminate the interior of the ambulance and may need to report the case to the proper authorities.


Paramedics provide more extensive prehospital care than do EMTs. In addition to being able to carry out the tasks of EMTs, paramedics can give medications orally and intravenously, interpret electrocardiograms (EKGs)—used to monitor heart function—and use other monitors and complex equipment.
Personality & Interest

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Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics typically have an interest in the Doer, Thinker and Helper interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Doer interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Thinker interest area indicates a focus on researching, investigating, and increasing the understanding of natural laws. The Helper interest area indicates a focus on assisting, serving, counseling, or teaching other people.

If you are not sure whether you have a Doer or Thinker or Helper interest which might fit with a career as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic, you can take a career test to measure your interests.

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics should also possess the following specific qualities:

Compassion. EMTs and paramedics must be able to provide emotional support to patients in an emergency, especially patients who are in life-threatening situations or extreme mental distress.


Interpersonal skills. EMTs and paramedics usually work on teams and must be able to coordinate their activities closely with others in stressful situations.


Listening skills. EMTs and paramedics need to listen to patients to determine the extent of their injuries or illnesses.


Physical strength. EMTs and paramedics need to be physically fit. Their job requires a lot of bending, lifting, and kneeling.


Problem-solving skills. EMTs and paramedics need strong problem-solving skills. They must be able to evaluate patients’ symptoms and administer the appropriate treatments.


Speaking skills. EMTs and paramedics need to be able explain procedures to patients, give orders, and relay information to others.
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