EMT/Paramedic FAQs

An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) provides basic life support and interventions during critical incidents. EMTs receive only a few months of training and have a limited scope of practice but are crucial members of the healthcare team. Paramedics are highly trained and better educated in medicine than their EMT counterparts. Paramedics have an expanded scope of practice and can use more invasive treatments and provide higher levels of care.

However, certification as an EMT is required before beginning the Paramedic course of study. And although Paramedics have more skills and training, 75% of EMS is basic life support. Nobody can be a good Paramedic without being a good EMT first.

Nurses and Paramedics essentially have the same base knowledge. Our focus, however, is what sets us apart from each other.

Nurses, traditionally, provide care for patients and help them return to normal life following an illness or injury. Nurses have a full-spectrum view of care throughout the entire life-cycle, from pre-conception to end-of-life care, and everything in between.

EMTs and Paramedics literally work in life and death situations and are called to provide critical care and life-saving interventions during and immediately after a life-threatening illness or injury. Although our roles continue to expand, including critical care transport, community health, and disaster response, our main focus is the pre-hospital, 911, emergency setting.

Simple answer… YES! Professional answer: While emergency vehicles are given more privileges when responding to calls, they also have more responsibility and are held to higher standards. Emergency vehicle operators must ALWAYS drive with due regard to other motorists. It is a lot of fun to drive fast with lights and sirens, but our first concern is always the safety of others.