Emergency Medical Technician – Basic

Program Summary

Degrees and Certificates	Length of Program	Admission Dates
Emergency Medical Technician–B Certificate of Completion	10 credits 11-12 wks.	Fall, winter, spring

The Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program at Lake Washington Technical College is an entry level certification course into the field of Emergency Medical Services. EMT's provide the majority of pre-hospital emergency medical care for victims of illness and injury. This course prepares students with the skills necessary to provide emergency medical care at a basic life support level with an ambulance service or other specialized service. The successful completion of this program will enable the student to perform the following functions at the minimum entry level:

• recognize the nature and seriousness of the patient's condition or extent of injuries to assess requirements for emergency medical care
• knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, sudden illness, injury and the mechanics of injury for patient evaluation
• skills in patient evaluation and all emergency treatment procedures as required by Washington State laws
• student skill in the use and maintenance of all equipment and instruments required to accomplish the job as an EMT
• administer appropriate emergency medical care based on assessment findings of the patient's condition
• lift, move, position and otherwise handle the patient to minimize discomfort and prevent further injury
• perform safely and effectively the expectations of the job description

This course provides a total of 165 hours of classroom and practical laboratory training, plus a minimal 10 additional hours of Emergency Room observation. The outcome of this course will be training in emergency medical care for those who provide pre-hospital emergency care according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, EMT Basic Curriculum, Washington State Law and King County EMS Guidelines.

The Department of Social and Health Services specifies the levels of knowledge and skills required to qualify as an Emergency Medical Technician. In addition, a number of policies have been adopted by the faculty and aministration at LWTC to maintain accreditation with the Office of Emergency Medical Services for King County, and State Office of Emergency Medical Services in Olympia, and to fulfill the needs of the program graduates and employers.

The EMT program at LWTC follows the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Standard Curriculum as well as the Washington State Department of Social and Health Service standards. Upon completion of approximately 110 program hours that make up this course, students will be prepared to fulfill Washington State Registry requirements for certification as an EMT–Basic (when he/she meets the state requirements of affiliation).

All programs at LWTC endeavor to provide students with workplace skills that include Communication, Critical Thinking, Global and Cultural Awareness, Teamwork, and Technical and Information Literacy. Each program will include coursework used to assess student performance in these global outcomes.

The program outline is a suggested sequence of courses for this area of study. Courses listed in the program outline may not be offered in the exact sequential order. It is the student’s responsibility to work out their individual schedule with a counselor or advisor.

Future Enrollment

A pre-test must be taken (King County requirement) prior to admission to the EMT program. Visit the EMT pre-test web page to schedule an appointment, obtain information about test preparation and other test details.

Check out information for the next scheduled EMT Information Session.

For information about program requirements and other questions, please contact Karen Urick, Instructor for the EMTB program at 425-739-8330 or you may email her at karen.urick@lwtc.edu.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

To meet the time require­ments of this revised EMT–Basic Curriculum, CPR is mandatory. Basic life support is an essential component of any EMS educational experience and a CPR class must be successfully completed prior to entering the EMT–Basic program. This may be accomplished by various alternatives:

• the EMT–Basic candidate has a current Healthcare Provider CPR Card for the healthcare provider prior to entering the program.
• the EMT-Basic candidate completes a CPR class offered prior to the start of program
• all EMT-Basic candidates are required to take a pre-test prior to entering the program

Note: Although CPR is a prerequisite, it will be routinely practiced and integrated throughout the entire instruction of the EMT–Basic course.

Clinical/Field Rotations

In addition to the required 110 hours of instruction, this course requires that the student have patient interactions in a clinical setting. Ideally, areas that have access to an Emergency Medical Services system should send students into the field with experienced preceptors. However, in low volume systems or systems with legal considerations, the training program may utilize emergency departments. The program director or medical director must establish appropriate relationships with various clinical sites to assure adequate contact with patients.

Brochure

Download the program's brochure in PDF format. (opens a new window.)