Providing pre-hospital care is the duty of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Before one becomes an EMT, she must be trained, and she must pass an examination required by the National Registry of Medical Technicians (NREMT). Before taking the actual exam, individuals should study as much as possible and take the NREMT practice test. Although the practice test is as close to the actual exam as one can get, it is not the official test, and some of the answers may or may not appear on the NREMT exam.
The role of an Emergency Medical Technician is to provide patients with emergency and live-sustaining care. At times, an EMT may be required to save the life of a patient. When an accident occurs and the ambulance is summoned, an EMT is dispatched to the scene, and he must be trained to act quickly. An EMT may be required to provide first aid, give CPR, stabilize broken bones, control bleeding or prevent the shock of a patient while transporting the patient to a healthcare facility.
An EMT applicant must be at least 18 years-of-age and have a high school diploma or G.E.D. Applicants must have good or corrected eye-sight; complete the training courses offered through a hospital, community college or vocational school, and pass the NREMT examination. The courses for an EMT vary, depending on the level an individual wishes to be certified in. There are three levels that an EMT must train and test for: Basic, Advanced and Paramedic. This test ensures that an EMT is competent enough to care for a patient. The basic level requires 150 hours in length, while an advanced level requires 250 hours in length. A paramedic course requires 1500 hours in length, which can take between 18 to 24 months to complete.
The three different of levels of an Emergency Medical Technician are vital for an emergency responder. The basic level of an EMT teaches individuals to provide CPR, administer oxygen, and provide bandaging or splinting to patients. The EMT basic also trains an EMT in automatic external defibrillators, emergency childbirth and administration of nitroglycerin. The advanced level trains an EMT in various areas, including cardiac monitoring, aspirin, activated charcoal, epinephrine with an Epi-Pen, nonvisualized airways and the use of automatic and manual defibrillators. The paramedic level of EMT training and testing covers transcutaneous cardiac pacing, intravenous access, pleural decompression, CPAP, 12 lead ECGs and other paramedic course material.
The practice test can generally be found in an EMT study-guide. These study-guides can be purchased at a bookstore or through websites over the Internet. Some local libraries may have copies of the NREMT study-guide that an individual can check out for free. Even though free study-guides are available online, an individual should ensure the guide includes subject material and vital topics that an EMT has studied in his courses. Some of those subjects include anatomy, pharmacology and physiology. www.nremtpracticetest.info is a website where individuals can download free EMT tests, and access other pertinent information, including the application process and forums.
The questions on the practice test are all procedural requirements an EMT will face while on-the-job. The tests also include knowledgeable questions – health information that an individual should know. Some questions listed on an EMT test are: What are the techniques of artificial ventilation; what are the types of Oxygen delivery systems, and when will you use them; define the types of muscle. Again, these questions may or may not be on the actual exam, but an EMT should know the answers just the same. Test questions may fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice.
The idiom practice makes perfect is true. Those gearing up to take the EMT test must practice. The test proves that an EMT is qualified to handle the health of patients being transported to a healthcare facility. Taking the NREMT Practice Test gives individuals the extra help or push they may need. Although the questions may differ on the official examination, it is better to know more, instead of knowing less!