Career opportunities in New Zealand include employment with St John, Wellington Free Ambulance services, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and other pre-hospital medical providers.
An emergency medical technician administers pre-hospital emergency care - looking after patients during the time between when an ambulance locates the patient and when that patient arrives at the hospital or treatment centre. EMTs are required to provide a high level of professional medical care to patients under a variety of circumstances.
Responsibilities of an EMT include- Attend accidents and emergencies
- Treat sick and injured people
- Stabilise the patient's condition by delivering basic life support care of the injured and medically unwell
- Transport patients and accident victims to medical facilities
- Liaise with other emergency services, including fire and police, at the scene of an emergency
- Ensure the ambulance and equipment are kept clean and in good working condition
- Ensure that patient coursework is complete and kept confidential
- Transfer non-emergency patients to and from medical facilities
- Work a roster pattern with day and night shifts
- Provide a high level of professional medical care to patients under all circumstances