On the fence on whether or not to become an emergency medical technician? This article will help you decide if a career as an EMT is right for you. Keep reading below to find out more!
EMTs are the first to respond to medical emergencies. You’ve probably encountered someone on the job at some point in your life. You were probably amazed by how fast, efficient, and focused these people work when they are sent to medical emergencies.
Well, being an EMT is definitely not an easy job. Your tasks are anything but repetitive, you never know the environment you’ll have to work in, and you never know how serious your job will be when you get to the scene. So, a career as an EMT is definitely not suitable for everybody.
Now, you may be wondering if you have what it takes to be an EMT and whether or not you should take an EMT Training course and start a career in the field. This article will help you figure this out.
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Do you want to be part of the healthcare industry?
The first question you should ask yourself is whether or not you want to be part of the healthcare industry. Being an EMT doesn’t mean that you’ll work in a hospital. Quite the contrary. But you will be part of this industry and everything that it implies, from the nature of jobs to responsibilities and pressure to do your job flawlessly and save your patients.
So, the first step is to do your research, understand what it means to be a worker in the healthcare industry, and decide whether or not it is suited for you.
Do you prefer an out-of-the-office job?
Even if you decide that you want to be part of the healthcare industry, this doesn’t mean that a career as an EMT is the best option. That’s unless you prefer an out-of-the-office job and like to be on the field.
Many doctors and other professionals in the healthcare industry still find themselves spending hours and hours in their offices. If you don’t want that for you, an emergency medical technician career sounds like a great option.
As an EMT, you’ll work in very diverse environments, wherever you are needed. So, if you’re more of an “action” person, this job’s nature may be what you’re looking for.
Can you work well under pressure?
One of the biggest challenges EMTs face is having to work under pressure. Most of the time, you’ll be called in for very time-sensitive situations in which you’ll have to act fast and effectively, despite all the chaos around you.
Now, if you are the type of person that is anxious, gets intimidated quickly, and can’t remain focused under pressure, being an EMT might not be for you. It takes specific skills to be able to ignore all the chaos around you and be able to make good decisions that will save the life of your patients.
So, it is crucial to know if you can handle pressure well before deciding to become an EMT. This is essential both for you and the patients you will have to help in their worst times.
Do you have excellent communication skills?
EMTs need excellent communication skills. They need to be extrovert people who can easily resonate with others. Communication is vital in medical emergencies because the medical professional offering assistance needs to understand exactly what happened, and they also need to have the ability to communicate with patients or their emergency contacts how they are going to help the patient.
Another essential communication skill an EMT must have is to be able to adapt their speech to the person in front of them to make themselves understood. You will not always have patients who can understand medical-specific terms and words. So, you will need to adapt your speech to ensure that your patients and their contacts understand what you are saying.
Are you an empathic person?
Empathy is an essential soft skill you need to have as a medical professional, especially as an EMT. You will be working around people who are in their worst times. Your patients will be injured, in pain, panicked, confused, and really difficult to communicate with. For this reason, you need to be a really empathic person to understand their situation, what they are going through mentally and emotionally, and determine how you can help them best.
Now, you are an empathic person if you:
- Are highly sensitive
- You understand other people’s emotions
- Are highly intuitive
- People usually ask for your advice
- You have a calming effect on the people around you
Are you a team player?
Being a good EMT also requires you to have excellent teamwork skills because you’ll often be in situations in which you’ll have to work alongside other medical professionals for the best of your patient. As an EMT, you must be a good player if you want to help your patients properly.
If you don’t do well with sharing your tasks with others and accepting other people’s opinions and perspectives, being an EMT may not be the best option for you.
In contrast, if you don’t mind asking for help from others, you can divide tasks efficiently and accept other people’s ways of doing things- you’re very likely a person with excellent teamwork skills, and a career as an EMT will suit you.
Do you have the physical strength for it?
EMTs also need to be physically strong to be able to help their patients. Sometimes, as an EMT, you will have to carry your patients or move them to ensure they are safe while you offer them first-response medical techniques.
What’s more, often, you’ll have to carry a lot of first-aid medical equipment to assist your patients. So, another thing to consider when you want to be an EMT is that you also need to be physically strong.