US levels of EMS personnel training
| Current Name
|
Former Name
|
Training Requirements
|
Authorized Skills
|
| Emergency Medical Responder |
First Responder |
~60 hours |
- Basic first aid and airway management (including OPA and BVM)
- CPR and AED use
- Epi-pen
|
| Emergency Medical Technician |
EMT - Basic |
~150-200 hours |
- Advanced first aid and airway management (including OPA/NPA and BVM)
- Assist patients in taking home meds
- Limited medication administration (ASA, NTG, IM Epinephrine, Nalaxone, oral glucose, etc per medical director)
- Oxygen administration
- Monitoring vitals
|
| Advanced Emergency Medical Technician |
EMT - Intermediate |
~300-450 hours |
- Initiate IVs/IOs
- Limited IV medication administration (D10, Epi 1:10000 in Cardiac Arrest, Nitrous Oxide)
- Fluid Resuscitation
- Airway management (including Supraglottic airway but NOT endotracheal tube)
|
| Paramedic |
EMT - Paramedic |
1000-2000 hours |
- Initiate IVs/IOs
- 30-40+ Medications (including narcotics, benzodiazepines)
- Cardiac monitoring and 12-lead ECG interpretation
- Ultrasound
- Manual defibrillation and cardioversion
- Transcutaneous pacing
- Advanced Airway including endotracheal tube, RSI/DSI
- Needle/Surgical cricothyrotomy
- Needle Chest Decompression and/or Finger Thoracostomy
- Chest tube monitoring
|
Note: there remains considerable variability among state laws related to EMS scope of practice as well as agency guidance and medical direction/protocols.
See Also
References
