I'm an EMT-B and am starting all my continuing education for my recert. On the NREMT website I see that I need at least 6 months of employment in a patient care position. I have applied and been actively trying to get hired in EMS, but have been unsuccessful in that so far. Mostly because I am currently only an EMT-B without my Fire I, II. None of my local (within a reasonable drive) fire departments take volunteers, would doing ride alongs count towards my "6 months of employment?"

I'm also planning to start volunteering at a local free medical clinic doing basic vitals, checking patients in, etc; would that count towards the employment requirement? Or do the volunteer hours have to been on an ambulance?

I have confirmed with the NREMT that volunteering at least once a month, for 6 months would count as employment to them. The rest of my questions went unanswered due to the lady I spoke with being less that helpful and cutting the call off short.

I'm not worried about continuing ed stuff, have most of it out of the way and my refresher course is in a few weeks and I'm enrolled for a paramedic program starting in this fall.

Thanks, I did update the title.


I sure hope it does apply, because its one of my only real options to interact with patients. At the clinic I could also do roughly the same in their needle exchange program, which I'm sure would be very interesting. Dealing with addicts wouldn't be anything new though, on the ride alongs/ER clinicals I've done its generally just been meth heads being meth heads.

If I didn't plan on moving out my state after I'm done with school, I'd just let my NREMT creds expire because we just have to meet the state level and keep that license active to still practice.

I have never heard of ridealongs counting for employement hours, technically you aren't even suppose to touch pts on ride alongside.
Before I got hired fulltime, I volunteered as a firefighter/EMT.  This maintained emt, even though it was volunteer, it still counts as patient contacts.  Several other people got jobs with ambulance co. And hospitals working as ER/Med surge techs to keep their emt certs up while they tested. And if you have a my, ski patrol counted and Emt work in my state.

My major problem with volunteer Emt work is that none of the departments near me accept volunteers, they're all ride alongs only. The only ones that are volunteer are, only volunteer and don't have full time guys at all.

So if working as an ER tech counts as patient interactiin, I think I could use a taking vitals and history at a minute clinic as that interaction. I'm just not sure, and don't want to be sol when the time comes to fully recert.

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The rules state you must be employed as an EMT or in a healthcare facility using your EMS skills. Basic skills include vitals, getting SAMPLE, etc as well as basic triage and O2. If you could get a letter from the facility stating that your duties include this you'll be fine as the rules are written now.

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Maybe so, that'd be before my time. The pertinent section is here:



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Thats what I was looking for! Thank you, I must have glossed over it somehow. I'll double check with the clinic I'm gonna volunteer at, but I believe they are considered a hospital in the sense of providing non-emergency care.

Nationally registered Paramedics aren't even EMT-Paramedics anymore, as far as NR is concerned, my card just says Paramedic. NR does some good things, but dealing with them is a PITA. The only reason I keep mine up is so if I could teach one day. Texas only requires it for initial certification.

 
I took mine in the last few years of paper testing.

Youngster?!?! Hey, I'll be thirty in a few weeks!

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It should count. Also you really only have to worry about it if you get audited (which not many do).