Emergency Medical Technicians

What the job really is

Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.

At a glance

• Sector: Healthcare Practitioners
• O*NET-SOC code: 29-2042
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
• Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
• Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
• Comfort and reassure patients.
• Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of survivors, or to receive instructions for further treatment.
• Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
• Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease, and report case to proper authorities.
• Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
• Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device.
• Maintain vehicles and medical and communication equipment, and replenish first aid equipment and supplies.
• Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment.
• Perform emergency diagnostic and treatment procedures, such as stomach suction, airway management, or heart monitoring, during ambulance ride.

Tools and technology

MEDITECH software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Adult Magill forceps, Adult non-rebreather oxygen masks, Adult stylets, Airway suction units, Ambulances, Bag valve mask BVM resuscitators, Battery-powered portable suction units

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Paramedics
• Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
• Surgical Assistants
• Registered Nurses
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
• Acute Care Nurses
• Nursing Assistants

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Emergency Medical Technicians — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.