Arthur Hsieh

Art Hsieh, MA, NREMT-P is a highly experienced paramedic, clinician, and educator, helping hundreds of students prepare for and pass the national examination process. He is the director of a collegiate paramedic academy and editorial advisor of EMS1.com.

Articles & Books From Arthur Hsieh

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-18-2022
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.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
In a sense, the respiratory system serves a very simple purpose: to bring oxygen in and get carbon dioxide out. The EMT exam will expect you to be familiar with the workings of the respiratory system. However simple it seems, the task is much more complex than that and requires a sophisticated set of structures: The upper airway consists of the nares (nostrils), mouth, nasopharynx, pharynx, and larynx.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The requirements for becoming a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) vary from state to state. However, several steps are common to the EMT certification process. They include the following steps: Enroll in an EMT course. Search on the web or go to your local emergency medical services (EMS) or fire station to find out where reputable EMT training programs are offered.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The following practice questions are similar to the NREMT EMT exam’s questions. Read each question carefully and then select the answer choice that most correctly answers the question. This will help you figure out what you need to know. Sample questions At a drugstore, an adult patient presents with cool, pale, and diaphoretic skin and difficulty breathing, with wheezing auscultated in both lungs.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The NREMT administers its computer adaptive testing (CAT) exams through Pearson VUE Testing Centers. Pearson VUE conducts testing for a wide variety of licenses and certifications across the world in a secure, comfortable environment. When your application to take the exam is approved by the NREMT, you’re given a list of testing centers and their locations.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
You will need to know about lower airways conditions for the EMT Exam. Here’s a list of a variety of common conditions affecting the lower airway structures, causing shortness of breath. Problem Signs and Symptoms Action Steps Asthma Episodic respiratory distress; wheezes auscultated during breathing; may have past medical history; may have prescribed inhalers.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
You will need to be familiar with upper airway conditions for the EMT exam. Given that the airway is the only way for air to enter and exit the body, anything that partially or completely blocks it is troublesome, to say the least. Here’s a list of common conditions you should be familiar with, their signs and symptoms, and treatment options for each.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Many situations you may encounter as an EMT and on the NREMT exam involve breathing, Ironically, normal breathing is hard to see. That’s because your respiratory system is very effective at its job. There’s so much surface area in the alveoli that gas exchange is very easy. Therefore, the body needs to exert very little energy to make gases move between the alveoli and capillaries.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Practice exams are very helpful when preparing for the EMT exam. Take the time to take a practice exam under testing conditions before test day. This will help you identify knowledge gaps and increase your confidence. Sample questions Directions: Choose the best answer to each question. Mark the corresponding oval on the answer sheet.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
As an EMT, you enter people’s homes or workplaces, work in the middle of a roadway, or handle patients affected by a hazardous materials incident or major catastrophic event. You must maintain a constant state of alertness to safety hazards that exist in the environment. Some safety concerns are common, such as trip hazards, slippery surfaces, and obstructions like low ceilings and overhead wires.