Essential Information
Emergency medical technician (EMT) refresher courses are review classes for emergency workers who need to renew their certification. Refresher courses, which are offered by community colleges and hospitals, meet educational credential requirements for both state and national certification renewals. They review material covered in the original EMT course and update students on advancements in emergency care. Each EMT level has a corresponding refresher course.
Here are a few common concepts found in EMT refresher courses:
- Managing bleeding
- CPR
- Transportation to the hospital
- Patient assessment
- Trauma
List of Courses
EMT First Responder Refresher Course
EMT first responders work alongside police officers and firefighters, administering preliminary medical care at the scene of an emergency before more qualified medical professionals arrive. An EMT first responder refresher course reviews subjects like CPR, wound care, bleeding control and stabilization of broken bones and covers any advances in first response care. Most EMT first responder refresher courses consist of 16 hours of classroom instruction.
EMT-Basic Refresher Course
EMT-Basic refresher courses are 24-hour classes designed for EMTs who provide urgent care at an emergency site or in an ambulance during hospital transport. Students enrolled in this class will receive updated training on all necessary emergency medical care skills needed to fulfill duties as a basic-level EMT with an ambulance service or other specialized medical service. EMT-Basic refresher courses cover topics such as trauma management, emergency childbirth delivery, oxygen administration, triage and cardiac arrest treatment.
EMT-Intermediate Refresher Course
EMT-Intermediate is the second highest EMT level. Refresher courses at this level cover pre-hospital care skills, including patient assessment, airway management and ventilation, ECG interpretation, needle chest decompression and advanced cardiac life support procedures. EMT-Intermediate courses consist of 36 hours of classroom instruction.
Paramedic Refresher Courses
Paramedic is the highest EMT level. Accordingly, paramedic refresher courses are the longest and cover the most topics. Most courses are 48 hours and cover a similar set of medical care and trauma topics addressed in the lower level refresher courses. However, students in paramedic refresher courses take a more comprehensive look at pediatric, obstetrics and geriatric care.
