Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics
On the Job
Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics provide emergency care. They work in life-and-death situations. They may respond to emergency calls and transport patients to hospitals.
Physical Demands 
This career requires physical strength.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Administer intravenous medications.
- Administer non-intravenous medications.
- Implement advanced life support techniques.
- Position patients for treatment or examination.
- Treat medical emergencies.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
- Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
- Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Typical Working Conditions
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- Making decisions that impact co-workers or company results.
- Working with a group or team.
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Exposure to disease or infections.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Exposure to sounds or noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable.
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
