EMT???

[corpsman20060926]

Can you be a EMT for the Navy...if not whats something very similar to it..??:confused:

[Corpsman77]

You could be a Corpsman and be assigned to the EMS at a base.

[AVTDOC96]

I can tell you some of the clinics run EMS as a Duty. Not sure how the Hospitals work.

[Poolzer]

In short, yes you can be an EMT in the Navy. Most hospitals run EMT-Basic courses and refresher courses. If you want to go for Intermediate or Paramedic, you have to go out in town and do it on your own time.

Being an EMT and being a corpsman are very different. HM's are trained at a higher level with broader ranges of treatment. EMT's however are allowed to work on Dependants and civilians, where HMs (technically) cant and have very stringent protocols about what they can and cannot do at their level.

[DOCSpanky]

So much has changed. We certified as EMT basics while I was in. If your question is actually... "Is there a specialty rating of EMT in the Navy, then the answer is NO."

But on base at both NAVHOSP Keflavik, Iceland and NAVHOSP Jacksonville, FL, we had far greater freedoms and responsibilities than EMT basics. We were authorized to practice our full range of medical knowledge (I.V., BLS, ATLS, if certified ACLS, and so on) on station on anyone active, dependant, retired, or civilian, who was on post. However, once we crossed the gate into civilian world, we were limited by the guidelines of an EMT Basic. We had a few paramedics, and attempted to pilot the NAVY Paramedic program, but it in the end was determined to be too cost ineffective, and with the lack of trauma (25 m.p.h. was the speed zone), and good general health of both active and retiree's it was killed in its infancy. Sidenote: I wonder how many Marines we might have saved over in Iraq and Afghanistan had we follwed through on that program?????:rmad:

In Jacksonville, EMS is run as a duty out of the Branch Clinic. Naval Air Station Keflavik closed and therefore NAVHOSP Keflavik is no more, but it was also run as the "duty" assignment.

DOCSpanky

[Poolzer]

Sidenote: I wonder how many Marines we might have saved over in Iraq and Afghanistan had we follwed through on that program?????:rmad:

DOCSpanky

Considering the #1 injury out there is trauma, all you need to know is how to stop bleeding, stable the patient and call for CASEVAC/MEDEVAC. Having access to ACLS in the field, especially in the desert would really make no difference. Out of the 400 or so patients I transported, maybe, MAYBE a dozen could have used a cardiac med. Basic trauma and life support is all the training that is needed for the 8404.

On top of that, NREMT made the paramedic program a 2 year program with no chance for fast track. Any program the Navy would have tried would have been shot down unless it equaled a 2 year associates degree.

I am all about the training and the more knowledge one has, the more he can think outside the box to treat patients, but the way things are set up now on he ground and in the air, our marines are getting great care. Not one of those 400 people I mentioned I transported died between the ground, me picking them up and dropping them off at the LVL II or III pad. Even at my level, we still only flew as EMT-I's for those that were comfortable pushing meds and intubating.

[crazycajun]

Thanks for posting your experiance with CASEVAC to answer this question.
Good Job Poolzer.

[DOCSpanky]

Agreed, its good to know we have men of your experience in the field. I would however think that there would be more airway, flailed chest, pneumo, and burn injuries that would require advanced airway intervention. When with fleet hospital, we were trained to base our treatment skill level on figuring we would be the lifeline for 30 minutes. So more invasive intervention practices were taught. However, if we have further advanced our MEDEVAC systems to cut this time frame down, then that is wonderful, and I know we are better off for it. I have been out for 7 years now, so as I learn from reading the posts here everyday, much has changed. In my day, we were kicking the civilians out of the military hospitals. Sadly that trend seems to be reversing itself again.

DOCSpanky