Arthur Hsieh

This Cheat Sheet is a quick summary of facts you should know about becoming a certified emergency medical technician (EMT), including certification steps, computer adaptive testing, and exam preparation.Getting and maintaining an EMT certificationThe requirements for becoming a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) vary from state to state.

One responsibility that you have as an emergency medical technician (EMT) is to document your assessment and management of the patient. Such documentation can take time to complete if you write out everything that you found and performed. Medical abbreviations can help speed up the process. You can use literally dozens of abbreviations; here are ten (or so) that are commonly used when documenting your assessment and care, plus a few symbols that you can use as shorthand for common words.

There are a few female-specific medical conditions you should review for the EMT exam. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection that affects the female reproductive system. Bacteria enter the body through the vaginal canal, usually during intercourse, and can infect the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, causing pain, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, and fever.

You will need to know about the nervous system for the EMT exam. Simplistically, the nervous system serves a command and control purpose, primarily by receiving signals from nerves throughout the body, passing them through the spinal cord, processing those signals in the brain, and communicating some type of change in response.

The following analogy may help you on the EMT exam. As in Aesop’s fable, the endocrine system can be compared to the nervous system as the tortoise to the hare. They both perform the same general function — control — but unlike the zippiness of the nervous system, the endocrine system is a much slower but longer-lasting control system.

Familiarize yourself with the cardiovascular system for the EMT exam. The cardiovascular system is broken down into three broad areas: the heart, the vasculature, and the blood. They interact closely to be able to create enough pressure in the system to produce perfusion (more commonly known as circulation). The heart is the sophisticated pump that powers the cardiovascular system.

After you complete your training, you’re ready to focus on passing the EMT certification exam. First, determine whether your state has its own examination process. Chances are, your instructor knows this and may have already provided you with information on how to register for the state exam. If you’re taking the NREMT exam, you must fulfill the following minimum requirements: Be 18 years of age or older Successfully complete an EMT training program that meets or exceeds the National EMS Education Standards for the EMT Complete that course within two years of taking the exam Have a current CPR certificate at the healthcare-provider level Successfully pass a state-approved practical examination (your final practical test) If your state requires the NREMT examination, you’ll need to set up a testing account, which is easy to do.

If you haven’t been to a classroom in a while, the prospect of formal learning may intimidate you. Don’t worry — EMT education is very interactive and interesting, and it’ll be what you make of it. Be prepared to have fun and be challenged! On one hand, you get to discover how to do things such as administer oxygen, immobilize patients using long backboards, perform CPR, operate an automated external defibrillator (AED), and manage chaotic emergency scenes.

You may find yourself faced with a large incident as an EMT. The NREMT exam will expect you to know how to approach large incidents, including triage and hazardous incidents. Triage Triage is a French word that means “to sort.” In mass casualty incidents, triage is used to decide which patient receives the most immediate care, who can wait to be treated, and, sadly, who is beyond help.