Overview of EMT Initial Training

New Jersey EMT training is a study intensive course equivalent to the workload of two college courses lasting a minimum of 190 hours. Students should be able to read proficiently at a 10th grade level and will learn to assess and appropriately treat conditions ranging from simple fractures, stroke, and chest pain to critical trauma, cardiac arrest, and childbirth.

RWJBarnabas Health offers a blended learning course that involves students watching interactive lectures and videos at home, participating in live review sessions, and reporting to the classroom to practice hands-on skills. All courses are identical regardless of what day(s) of the week they take place and prepare students for the National Registry EMT exam.

Perspective students often inquire what will be covered in their initial training to become an Emergency Medical Technician. Here is a list of topics embedded within our course and there are skills practice activities that coincide with the coursework.

  • EMS Safety

  • Gynecologic Emergencies

  • Workforce Safety and Wellness

  • Overview of Trauma

  • Medical, Legal, & Ethical Issues

  • Bleeding

  • Communications & Documentation

  • Soft Tissue Injuries

  • The Human Body

  • Face & Neck Injuries

  • Life Span Development

  • Head & Spine Injuries

  • Principles of Pharmacology

  • Chest Injuries

  • Patient Assessment

  • Abdominal & Genitourinary Injuries

  • Airway Management

  • Orthopedic Injuries

  • Shock

  • Environmental Emergencies

  • BLS Resuscitation

  • Obstetrics & Neonatal Care

  • Overview of Medical Emergencies

  • Pediatric Emergencies

  • Respiratory Emergencies

  • Geriatric Emergencies

  • Cardiovascular Emergencies

  • Patients with Special Challenges

  • Neurologic Emergencies

  • Lifting & Moving Patients

  • Gastrointestinal & Urologic Emergencies

  • Transport Operations

  • Endocrine & Hematologic Emergencies

  • Vehicle Extrication & Special Rescue

  • Immunologic Emergencies

  • Incident Management

  • Toxicology

  • Terrorism Response & Disaster Management

  • Psychiatric Emergencies

  • Team Dynamics

Students also spend 10 hours of time shadowing nursing staff in one of our RWJBarnabas Health emergency rooms. These hours are scheduled during the course after our students learn patient assessment skills.

EMT Initial Training