Becoming an EMT in Ohio
Being an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in Ohio is possible for anyone with the desire and drive. Ohio EMT training teaches candidates to care for the sick and injured while providing emergency care and transport when necessary. Ohio EMTs and Paramedics also respond to 911 calls, assess patients on scene and determine appropriate treatments.
EMT jobs in Ohio may also call on Paramedics and EMTs to transport patients between medical facilities and clean the ambulance between transports.
Anyone looking for Ohio EMT training will follow a similar path as many other states. If you are interested in becoming an EMT in Ohio, the first step is to decide which level of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) certification you want to train for.
The four Ohio EMS certification levels are listed below. I recommend training for EMT or higher if you are looking for a career in the medical field.
Once you decide what level of training you want, the next step is to choose an EMT school in Ohio. After completing EMT school an Ohio EMT must pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) exam and become nationally certified. Lastly, Ohio EMTs must apply for an EMT state license before they can begin looking for EMT jobs in Ohio.
Keep reading for detailed instructions on how to become an EMT in Ohio along with prerequisites for EMT certification and the scope of practice protocols for all levels of Ohio EMTs.
Ohio EMS Certification Levels
Ohio EMS certification is issued by the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services at the following four levels. EMTs were previously known as Basic EMTs (EMT-B) and Advanced EMTs were previously known as Intermediate EMT’s in Ohio.
Ohio EMS Certification Levels
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)
Paramedic
EMT School Ohio
Ohio EMT training begins by finding an accredited Emergency Medical Technician training program to attend. Ohio EMT classes for the Basic EMT will be at least 150 hours long and include both classroom and clinical experiences.
A good Ohio EMT program will prepare it’s graduates with the skills needed to provide emergency medical care for both medical and trauma patients.
Ohio EMTs quickly respond to emergency situations and provide basic life support (BLS) care and make transport decisions to help the sick or injured.
EMT classes in Ohio prepare graduates to complete patient care assessments, determine scene safety, manage airways and treat injuries. Ohio EMTs observe the patient’s signs and symptoms to decide and complete patient care interventions as needed.
EMT classes in Ohio must follow EMS curriculum standards for all levels of instruction. A good Ohio EMT training program teaches students EMS systems, documentation, communication, and how to work within the Ohio EMS system.
An EMT in Ohio will also learn how to respond to heart attacks, automobile accidents, gunshot wounds, bleeding and shock, emergency childbirth, slip and fall accidents and many other emergencies.
EMT classes in Ohio are required to provide at least 150 hours of training to candidates. EMT classes in Ohio will require students to participate in a classroom portion, skills laboratories, hospital clinical portion and field experiences.
Each EMT training class portion has it’s own set of requirements that the student must accomplish before EMT school ends. Some examples are that Ohio EMT students must complete at least 10 hours of both clinical and field experience and must perform ten patient assessments during these experiences.
All Ohio emergency medical technician students must spend time in the Emergency Department (ED) to observe ED operations. All of these classroom portions must be completed successfully to graduate Ohio EMT schools and become eligible for the NREMT national certification.
Advanced EMT School Ohio
The Ohio Advanced EMT training program requires candidates to participate in at least 200 hours of training. This training consists of didactic learning, hospital clinicals, skills laboratories and field experiences for all AEMT schools in Ohio.
Before completing AEMT training in Ohio students will have to assess at least 20 patients with both medical and trauma complaints. These patients should come from pediatric, geriatric and adult age groups.
AEMT students in Ohio also need to perform three intramuscular injections and five vascular accesses during hospital and field and experiences.
Advanced EMT students will also need to administer three bronchodilators and two intravenous medications to successfully pass EMT school.
Paramedic School Ohio
Ohio Paramedic school training programs provide at least 900 hours of training to paramedic students. Didactic and laboratory training will make up 500 hours of Ohio paramedic school and at least 400 hours will consist of clinical and field training experiences.
Ohio Paramedic training is extensive and there are many requirements for successful graduation.
To successfully complete paramedic school in Ohio the student has to document and participate in at least fifty advanced life support (ALS) ambulance calls.
As of late 2016, major changes were made to paramedic training and testing procedures which places an emphasis on the role of leadership for paramedic. Check out our Paramedic page for details. There are now specific requirements which must be met to document team leadership during paramedic training.
In order to graduate from an Ohio Paramedic training program students will have to perform assessments and implement treatment plans for at least fifty adult patients, thirty geriatric patients and ten pediatric patients.
Ohio Paramedic students will also need to perform assessments and implement treatment plans for at least 15 patients with shortness of breath, 15 patients with chest complaints, 15 patients with abdominal pain and 15 patients with altered mental status.
Paramedic schools in Ohio also require students to perform 30 EKG interpretations and 30 successful IV initiations. Along with all the previous challenges, Ohio paramedic schools expect the student to demonstrate three endotracheal intubations safely prior to graduation.
Ohio EMT School Prerequisites
Each EMT school in Ohio can have slightly different requirements for acceptance. Here is a list of common prerequisites for many Ohio EMT schools.
• Some EMT classes in Ohio require students to be 18 years old. Some programs will allow 17 year olds as long as they will be 18 by the end of EMT training.
• Ohio EMT schools require an Ohio Drivers License or State of Ohio ID.
• Many EMT classes in Ohio don’t allow candidates with felonies or misdemeanors involving moral turpitude.
• Ohio EMT students should have a valid Healthcare Provider CPR card. Some Ohio EMT programs offer a CPR class during the first week of class.
• A drug screen is not required by all Ohio EMT schools. However, some schools may ask for a drug screen prior to attending clinical.
• Some EMT classes in Ohio will require a criminal background check prior to attending clinical.
• Not all Ohio EMT schools have health requirements, but some may want a Physical prior to attending clinical.
• If you attend EMT classes in Ohio through a college you may be required to take COMPASS or ACCUPLACER Reading, Writing and Math placement tests.
AEMT School Prerequisites
Along with the above EMT school requirements, some programs have additional prerequisites for higher training levels.
• Advanced EMT classes in Ohio require students to be 18 years old.
• AEMT schools in Ohio require a High school Diploma or equivalent.
• Advanced EMT classes in Ohio require personal professional liability insurance for all students.
• Applicants to Ohio AEMT schools must already have an Ohio EMT license.
• Advanced EMT classes in Ohio require students to pass a Non-DOT 7 Panel Drug Screen.
• Ohio AEMT students must have a negative Mantoux TB test.
• Advanced EMT classes in Ohio require students to pass a statewide background check.
• Ohio AEMT schools require students to show proof of the following vaccinations or titers:
Hepatitis B
MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
Influenza
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