Differences Between EMTs and Paramedics: What EMTs Can Do That Paramedics Cannot

Understanding the differences between emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics is crucial for anyone involved in emergency medical services. While both professions play essential roles in patient care, there are several key distinctions that highlight the unique abilities of each. An EMT's scope of practice is foundational to that of a paramedic, and this article explores what paramedics cannot do compared to EMTs.

Prerequisites and Certification Levels

The path to becoming a paramedic often begins with EMT certification. In fact, the prerequisites for a paramedic class typically include EMT certification. This ensures that all paramedics start with a solid foundation in emergency medical care. Paramedics in PA, or anywhere else, follow protocols that stop at their respective certification levels.

Protocols and Responsibilities

For instance, when it comes to managing a patient with chest pain, an EMT is capable of performing several crucial actions. They can obtain and transmit a 12-lead EKG, provide oxygen, administer four baby aspirin, and assist the patient in taking prescribed nitroglycerin. An AEMT (Advanced EMT) can do all these tasks and also administer nitroglycerin from the ambulance and start an IV.

Paramedics, on the other hand, have a more extensive set of responsibilities. They can interpret the EKG results, perform all the skills from the previous levels, and administer narcotics for pain relief. This broader and more advanced scope of practice sets paramedics apart from EMTs and AEMTs.

Continuing Education and Skills Verification

As healthcare providers, it's essential to maintain and verify skills over time. Paramedics in PA have to undergo both ALS (Advanced Life Support) and BLS (Basic Life Support) skills verification and continuing education. EMTs, however, only need to complete the BLS session. The different requirements highlight the more advanced nature of the paramedic role.

Scope of Practice

Despite the common misconception, there is nothing in an EMT's scope of practice that a paramedic cannot do. In other words, an EMT's abilities are foundational to what a paramedic can accomplish. In New York, for example, an EMT paramedic card indicates that the individual has both EMT and paramedic certifications.

Paramedics have a far broader scope of practice. Their training and certification allow them to perform a wider range of medical procedures and interventions. This greater scope of practice means that paramedics can often perform tasks that EMTs cannot. However, EMTs can do what they are trained and certified to do, and this is encompassed within the broader abilities of a paramedic.

Protocols and Confidence

The protocols and practices employed by paramedics are designed to ensure patient safety and effective care. In some cases, paramedics can even perform highly specialized tasks under certain conditions. For example, there is a protocol that allows paramedics to treat a patient before contacting medical control, provided the doctor involved is comfortable with the orders and the medic feels within their training to do so. One extreme example is the ability to perform brain surgery in the field, though such scenarios are rare.

Such protocols also highlight the immense trust placed in paramedics by the medical community. The trust is so great that paramedics have been known to perform tasks outside the norm, such as an episiotomy during a difficult childbirth, even though it's not typically within their scope of practice. While such actions can bring scrutiny and criticism, they underscore the extraordinary capabilities of paramedics in emergency situations.

Conclusion

In summary, while the fundamental roles of EMTs and paramedics overlap, paramedics have a broader scope of practice and are certified to perform a wider range of medical procedures. Understanding these differences is crucial for anyone involved in emergency medical , EMTs, scope of practice.