So Important You Know the Difference between an EMT an EMT Advanced and a Paramedic

Trying to educate people,....

Please read this, it's what I've been saying from another view.
UNDERSTAND (BUT ARE USUALLY AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT)…

It's important everyone understand the difference between an EMT Basic, an EMT Advanced, and a paramedic.

There's a big difference between what a Basic EMT and an Advanced EMT can do in the field, a paramedic can do a few more procedures than an Advanced EMT, but the Advanced EMT can do most life saving procedures that can save a life right now.

According to the National EMS Scope of Practice Model.
An EMT Basic can do basic first aid and an Automatic External Defibrillator (anyone with CPR training) use an oral or nasal airway, but can't secure your airway to prevent aspiration of vomit and severe complications.

An EMT Basic can use an automatic or bag to assist ventilation. They can give you your own medicine, or over-the-counter medication with appropriate medical supervision.

An EMT Basic can give a Diabetic glucose (sugar) and someone having a heart attack an aspirin, and in case of a nerve gas attack they can give you atropine. They can also use anti-shock pants to split a lower limb.

EMT Advanced
An EMT Advanced can do all the above plus....
Advanced airway that can secure your airway.
Use suction on patients already with ET Tube
Insert IVs
Do bone marrow injections in kids
IV fluid therapy Medication Route or Trauma
Nitroglycerin for chest pain
Epinephrine for anaphylaxis Bee String Etc
Glucose for Diabetic
IV D50 for Diabetic
Administer breathing treatments asthma COPD
Narcan for opioid overdose
Nitrous oxide for pain

A Paramedic can do all the above plus.....
A paramedic can secure your airway with an ET Tube
Perform a cricothyrotomy if your skull is crushed can open your throat
Put a needle in your chest if lung collapsed
Use nasogastric tube to let air from stomach
Insert bone marrow cannula
Access large veins for IV Deep Veins Difficult in the Field
IV medications and drips
Infusion of blood or blood products

The few things a paramedic can do that an EMT Advanced can't, are not worth the additional cost and training for the majority of our EMS needs.

A paramedics skill isn't in what equipment or drugs they carry. A paramedics skill is in their ability to do rapid patient assessment, but get it right.

Back in the day, and in this case I mean not that long after Jesus day. Physicians were teachers, that sharing of knowledge was part of being a paramedic when I was trained.

When I took my paramedic oath, it said "I shall also share my medical knowledge with those who may benefit from what I have learned. I will serve unselfishly in order to help make a better world for all mankind" I take that oath seriously.

Sadly that section was replaced with a be nice on social media section.

In my opinion anyone who has been a paid EMT for more than 2 years without advancing to EMT Advanced or paramedic, has no interest in emergency medicine, and needs to move up or move on, we need more than Basic EMT's.

Why would someone NOT want to move up to EMT Advanced or Paramedic? Because they don't want to provide better patient care, they didn't want more money? Why?

EMS Is a Healthcare Career, Not a Fire Department Career

In case someone forgot the “M” in EMS, it stands for medical. EMTs and paramedics are technically classified as allied health professionals, which is a whole different field of endeavor than firefighting. Our true brethren are respiratory therapists, nurses, physicians’ assistants and the like. This means we operate in conjunction with other healthcare agencies, be they doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals or health departments.

We need to start somewhere, and CPR instructors and a CERT team would be a good start to a better EMS system.

Do your homework look up Community Paramedicine its what we need to work towards.