One of the items on my bucket list is to become an EMT. The basic qualification (formerly titled EMT-B or EMT Basic) is around 150 hours in the classroom, but the actual standard is based on competency. Programs must meet the standards of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT): https://www.ems.gov/pdf/National-EMS-Education-Standards-FINAL-Jan-2009.pdf The West Des Moines Community College EMT program is a good example of a typical college-based program: https://www.dmacc.edu/programs/health/ems/Pages/EMT.aspx 140 hours of classroom instruction, 24 hours of hospital care involving at least 20 patient contacts, and 12 hours of "ride time" with a fire or ambulance crew. I was surprised to learn there were online EMT programs. They're self-paced and cover the material you would learn but in a self-paced format, followed by a week or two of in-person residency to cover the psychomotor skills. I won't link any specific providers because I'm not trying to spam, but I thought it was interesting. Of course you can't replace the in-person skills testing with online learning, but I wonder if anyone has examined whether the online learning is better or worse than the classroom learning for the more foundational knowledge.
When I moved to the U.S. in 2013, this was my career goal. I believe it's Lackawanna College that offered the program I was considering. However, I hated the idea of working shifts again, especially the graveyard. Anyway, I ended up being a cop again, so I didn't escape the overnight shift (at least during Mardi Gras). Otherwise, I worked my favorite shift (3-11).
I'm a night owl, and I always considered 3-11pm to be the best shift. No matter how late I fell asleep, I could always wake up at 2pm having had a decent rest and be ready for work. If I had errands to run that needed to be done during business hours I could wake up a little earlier and get them done when it was quiet. Once I was done work, sometimes I'd be so tired I would fall right asleep and wake up at 7 or 8am and get to work on hobbies or cleaning up the house before work. Now I work 8-5 and it's rough.
Yes, I always felt that way about being able to run errands before work. One can also enjoy the nightlife after work, if that's their thing. You'd still have enough time to get 7-8 hours of sleep. It's the best of both worlds.
If this is a personal goal, it may be with looking at Outdoor Emergency Care. Similar to what EMT Basic used to be, but without the challenges of county jurisdictional issues.
I earned my Emergency Medical Technician—Ambulance (EMT-A) certification in 1989, which was several years before the National Registry of EMTs convinced states like Virginia, where I lived, to align their state licensing requirements to the National Registry’s. Four years later, I completed the EMT-Paramedic certification through George Washington University. Both certification programs were entirely in-person. I’ve maintained my state licenses and National Registry certification since earning them decades ago. My full-time job has nothing to do with emergency medical services (EMS) but I’ve always continued to volunteer or work very part time since I left my full-time paid Firefighter/Paramedic career. Once firefighting and EMS gets into your blood, it’s hard to shake it! I hope you’ll check this off your bucket list because it’s incredibly rewarding. One silver lining about the pandemic has been an acceptance of online EMS training and education. What was once thought to be “impossible” to teach online is now available mostly online with an in-person written and hands-on skills test. Personally, I would not have recently completed a critical care / flight paramedic training course if it weren’t available mostly online. This shift to online courses accelerated dramatically because of the pandemic but it’s not likely to change back to completely in-person learning after the pandemic ends. EMT, Paramedic and Critical Care/Flight Paramedic exams, however, remain in-person. Best of luck, Steve
I believe you mentioned that you've spent time in Northern Virginia, so that means you were watching over me, perhaps. Many thanks!
I know this is an old thread, but I have relevant experience here. Besides being a firefighter and paramedic for twenty years, I have been an EMS instructor for fifteen. With regard to Illinois the average is that between 75 and 80 percent of students who enroll in an EMT or Paramedic course will finish. Of those who finish, an average of 80 percent pass the National exam for licensure. With regard to online learning in Illinois, the students who did online EMS classes during COVID absolutely bombed the national exams. It varies by college, but one report only showed one in five students passing. As a result, many colleges here have completed abandoned any pretense of online classes. The three EMT classes I did in 2022 (post COVID) were all in person to packed houses and all three saw 100 percent of those who FINISHED the courses pass the national exam. (I am damn proud of that as the instructor) All that being said, many programs ARE using web based apps, such as Platinum Planner, to schedule and document clinical rotations. Likewise the NREMT has opened up online/asynchronous lectures for con-ed purposes. Pre-covid NREMT had a cap on the number of online con-ed hours.
There are a lot of subjects that can be taught perfectly well online. I can understand why EMT wouldn't be one of them.
I earned my EMT through the US Army years ago. Sadly, I let it lapse but I am strongly considering completing whatever coursework is required and then taking the exam. In Florida, an RN with EMT can challenge the EMT-P.
Florida used to also require the nurse have TNS and either a year of full time ER experience or a year in an ICU prior to challenging the NREMT exam. Are those no longer requirements?
