Introduction

The emergency medical services (EMS) profession is a noble one. People don’t become rich by being EMS providers, and many gladly volunteer their time and resources providing the service to their community.

As an EMS professional of more than 30 years, I welcome you to our world with open arms. I hope that you’ll find as much satisfaction and enjoyment in providing emergency care and compassion as I have!

Although the amount of time it takes to become an emergency medical technician (EMT) may be relatively small, your responsibilities are huge. In the prehospital setting, the decisions you make in providing basic care to a critically sick or injured person may make a huge difference in whether the patient has a good outcome, recovers with difficulty, or, in the worst case, dies. Mastering the information in your EMT course and being able to apply it with accuracy and efficiency are of the utmost importance.

The fact that you’re reading this book means one of two things: Either you have completed an EMT course and you’re getting ready to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) examination, or you’re interested in learning about the role of the EMT in the healthcare setting. My goals in writing this book are to address both of these areas — to improve your test-taking skills and provide an overview of EMS and of the EMT.

About This Book

EMT Exam For Dummies contains a lot of information in a well-organized format, logically laid out and in relatively few chapters. Features include the following:

• This is not a rehash of your textbook. Each chapter summarizes key findings of the many conditions you’ll come across as a practicing EMT. You don’t have to read this book from cover to cover; you can dip into any section, chapter, or part you need. You already have a textbook; why add another?
• Practice questions are written in the NREMT format. The questions may seem more challenging at first; they’re written to test your ability to reason and make decisions, not your ability to remember simple facts.
• Practice exams evaluate your overall knowledge. There are three practice exams, two in this book and one other online. Each one is designed to test your overall knowledge base of the EMT.
• I let you in on tricks of the trade. Who wouldn’t want to know about little tricks and shortcuts to help make life easier as an EMT? You find them in their own chapters at the end of this book.
• You get some “nice to know” information. In a few places, I provide a behind-the-scenes look to better explain a principle or process. I denote this information either with the Technical Stuff icon or in a shaded box called a sidebar; feel free to skip this material if you’re short on time.
• It’s a Dummies book. When I was asked to write this book, I was honored to do so. I have several of these books on my personal shelf, and I wrote this book in a similar way — making it easy to read and understand, and keeping all the fluff to a minimum. I try to keep it light, but medicine is a serious business and some jokes are simply inappropriate.
• Medical terminology appears throughout. While most of the book is written in a conversational, easy-to-understand style, medical terms are used. An EMT is a healthcare professional and is expected to speak and understand the “language” of medicine at a foundational level. Italics indicate terms that are defined in the text; boldface highlights key words in bulleted lists or the main parts of numbered steps.
• Web addresses may break. Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

In writing this book, I made a few assumptions about you:

• You’re getting ready to take the NREMT EMT exam. In fact, you may have taken it one or more times before. I assume that you’ve completed the vast majority of an EMT course and have been taught according to a standard curriculum.
• You have a textbook. This book isn’t meant to be a mini-textbook. It emphasizes only the essential elements you need to know to pass the exam. Your course textbook serves as your reference — use its index pages, found in the back of the book, to find key terms or concepts that you find unfamiliar.
• You’re pressed for time. I’ve tried my best to be direct. I want you to get the most out of this book in the least amount of time. Don’t read this book like a novel. Use the sections you need to become better at the exam.
• You’re open to suggestions. After all, you bought this book because you want extra help. I provide a variety of suggestions and explain some of the more difficult concepts a little differently in order to give you more tools to better master the material.

If you aren’t about to take the exam, that’s fine! If you’re at the beginning or in the middle of an EMT course, the suggestions about studying and answering the practice questions in each chapter will strengthen your core knowledge. And if you’re just thinking about taking an EMT class, you may find the information illuminating and perhaps helpful in solidifying your decision.

Icons Used in This Book

Icons are the small drawings found in the margins of this book. I use several icons to call your attention to key points:

This icon highlights points that you should keep in mind while taking the exam or taking care of a patient.

This icon points to a bit of information that helps make a key concept or exam process easier to understand or perform.

Watch out! If you see this icon, pay attention to the information provided. It describes situations that can get you into a lot of trouble on the exam — and with the care of your patients.

This is “nice to know” information that explains some ideas or processes in more detail but isn’t 100 percent necessary to remember. You can skip these paragraphs if you’re pressed for time.

Examples are sample questions that highlight specific concepts or procedures. Explanations are provided immediately after the answers. By the way, there are also additional practice questions at the end of each chapter in Part III.

Beyond the Book

EMT Exam For Dummies has three full practice exams and 200 digital flashcards online. To access them, all you have to do is register by following these simple steps:

1. Register your book or ebook to get your PIN. Go to www.dummies.com/go/getaccess.
2. Select this product from the dropdown list on that page.
3. Follow the prompts to validate your product, and then check your email for a confirmation message that includes your PIN and instructions for logging in.

If you do not receive this email within two hours, please check your spam folder before contacting us through our Technical Support website at http://support.wiley.com or by phone at 877-762-2974.

Now you’re ready to go! You can come back to the practice material as often as you want — simply log on with the username and password you created during your initial login. No need to enter the access code a second time.

Your registration is good for one year from the day you activate your PIN.

Use the exams to check your study practice; for example, you may want to take the two in this book first, review Part III, and then take the third exam online. You can also study with 200 digital flashcards.

But wait — that’s not all! Check out the free Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/emtexam for details on EMT certification, features of the EMT exam, and tips for preparing and taking the exam. At www.dummies.com/extras/emtexam, you can also discover free articles on computer adaptive testing, the process for distinguishing medical complaints, and common medical abbreviations.

Where to Go from Here

You can go to any chapter from here. Like other Dummies books, this one is not designed to be read from the first page to the last page. If you haven’t started an EMT course and are interested in finding out more, I suggest you start with Chapter 1. If you’re currently in a course, you may want to start with Chapter 6, as it provides study tips and ideas that you can use right away. If you’re starting your review in preparation for the NREMT EMT exam, begin with Chapter 3, which introduces the exam process.

If you feel that you aren’t a good test-taker, consider reading Part II before you begin your review. If you want to jump right in with content review, I suggest you take the preassessment in Chapter 8 before reviewing Chapters 9 through 14. Chapters 15 and 17 have full-length practice exams; Chapters 16 and 18 provide answers and explanations.

While this book...