How strong do you have to be to be an emt

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linziclip

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Hi! I just passed my EMT class and am taking the NREMT this Saturday.
I had a question, just how physically strong do you have to be to succeed/get hired as an EMT?
I'm a girl, 19 years old, pretty skinny, in moderately good physical shape, but I've never done strength training or intense exercising or stuff like that. Should I be doing any training before attempting to pass any strength and agility tests? If so, what exercises/training would you recommend?

Just as an example, here are the requirements from Care's website

"ability to lift 137 pounds to waist level (approximately 34 inches), ability to lift 40 pounds to shoulder height and ability to ascend/descend stairs with 90 pounds."

How hard is this for the average woman to do? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
 
There's a few other threads about this topic, I would link then but I'm on my phone.
 
yeah, I thought there would be, but I couldn't find any by searching..
 
Edit: I'm too lazy to search, but there are definitely a lot of posts like these. Guess you aren't using the right keywords. :[

I'm a 23-year-old male, weigh about 145 lbs, I'd say about 5'6", counter-strike source (online game) = exercise for me, I mostly sit down for 12 hours, and occasionally will stand up for 5 minutes, but get tired. A lot of girls I know would easily whip me in arm wrestling (I make sure I'm nice to them). :[

I know of a ton of girls that do it that don't work out regularly. There are also a ton of thin guys that aren't very strong either that can do it too.

At first, I think it's kind of hard, your wrist might feel like it's gonna snap in half like a twig for a couple of weeks, but you'll get used to it (no pain in a couple of weeks). Everyone is gonna feel heavy at first (even if they are like 90 lbs). :s

Things that I think make it easier/help:
- Keep the gurney close to you when lifting/lowering. I literally am touching the gurney with my upper stomach/chest when I am lifting/lowering/putting the gurney into the ambulance/taking it out.

- Use your legs to lift/lower things. Even if you drop a pen on the ground. Don't bend over to pick it up. Lower yourself to the ground using your legs/bending your knees and pick it up keeping your back mostly straight. If anything, a lot of it has to do with the legs too, not arm strength. Don't use your back.

- Minimize getting any position that's gonna pull you forward. You'll hurt your back. :[ Things to prevent this is raising/lowering the gurney to about upper stomach, raising/lowering the bed to about your upper stomach/chest, and then sliding the patient over.

- This is kinda big... communication. You don't want to start pulling on the sheet, and your partner isn't lifting on the other side because of poor communication.

- Use things like slide boards, slide sheets (or whatever people call it). I was reading a newsletter from an ambulance company that says to use garbage bags if a slide board/slide sheet isn't available. With newer Ferno gurneys, there are slide boards underneath the padding.

- Don't be afraid to ask for more help from people on scene or staff at hospitals/convalescent homes.

- Don't be afraid to move things on scene (unless a crime scene, haha, then be very afraid) eg if you are picking up out of a skilled nursing facility, and there are bunch of things like a wheelchair, bags, plants, cabinets, other beds, table, etc. It might be a tight squeeze and don't give you guys a lot of room to move the gurney or might put you guys in an awkward position to move the patient, move stuff. Make it easier on yourself.

- You don't have to move all your patients. If appropriate, you can have them ambulate to the gurney. It's OK to ask patients if they can normally walk, or if they need assistants. Examples are 5150s (California psychiatric patients on a 72 hour psychiatric hold) who are usually able to ambulance to the gurney no problem. I personally think it's a great to include in your paperwork that you investigated whether if the patient can stand and pivot or ambulate to the gurney, if they needed assistants. Remember some patients might be able to walk though, but shouldn't eg patients who are very short of breath or patients that you suspect cardiac ischemia.

I'm sure your company and FTO will tell you a lot about preventing yourself from hurting yourself when moving things and put a lot of emphasis on safety. They'll hopefully critique you/help you move patients more easily.
 
In general where I have worked. You need to be able to lift your half of a 250lb patient plus the weight of the stretcher.

The lift test I did was 150lb 20ft forward and back. And 125lb up and down stairs.

I can do it, I'm not little though either. A lot of girls can't. You just got to work on it. There are a lot of women I work with that just cannot lift. They don't last very long.
 
My old partner is 5'6" in boots and 115# soaking wet, in uniform and she can turn me inside out and upside down if she wanted to.

It's all about technique. I'd look into getting a trainer for the simple fact that they can guide you in learning to lift properly.
 
I am 5' 3" female and weigh 115 lbs. I could lift the lighter weight patients fairly easily but struggled on the getting them up high enough. I needed to stand on my tippy toes. I truly struggled on the heavier patients and almost dropped one. I thought I would not pass training. My FTO gave me crap and I had to lift every patient. Honestly he helped me by building up my muscles. He even made me lift him in and out of the ambu over and over again like 8-9 times. I even told him I was going to drop him, to which he said "no you're not". I did not. SO, quivering the rest of the shift, I continued to lift every patient. After 6 days, he asks what my worst fear or problem is. Me- getting lost or figuring out the routes to the 30+ hospitals we go to. He asks-"not dropping a patient?" Me, "nope, not dropping a patient." If I can do it then anyone can. Seriously, you can figure it out but legs and butt need a lot of help and curls too if you are short.
 
425.the.incredible.hulk.033108.jpg
 
I would not sweat it too much. Brains over brawn usually will land that job. And you can always bring a can of spinach :P

1007265-popeye.jpg
 
bbmtnbb said:
legs and butt need a lot of help
Click to expand...

Pretty sure I'd get an infraction for posting what my brain just came up with when I read this :lol:
 
The stronger you are, the less likely you are to hurt yourself (assuming you use proper lifting mechanics). Even if it is possible to make it work as a short/skinny/weak girl, I think it would be wise to start working out asap.
 
Aprz said:
Edit: I'm too lazy to search, but there are definitely a lot of posts like these. Guess you aren't using the right keywords. :[

I'm a 23-year-old male, weigh about 145 lbs, I'd say about 5'6", counter-strike source (online game) = exercise for me, I mostly sit down for 12 hours, and occasionally will stand up for 5 minutes, but get tired. A lot of girls I know would easily whip me in arm wrestling (I make sure I'm nice to them). :[

I know of a ton of girls that do it that don't work out regularly. There are also a ton of thin guys that aren't very strong either that can do it too.

At first, I think it's kind of hard, your wrist might feel like it's gonna snap in half like a twig for a couple of weeks, but you'll get used to it (no pain in a couple of weeks). Everyone is gonna feel heavy at first (even if they are like 90 lbs). :s

Things that I think make it easier/help:
- Keep the gurney close to you when lifting/lowering. I literally am touching the gurney with my upper stomach/chest when I am lifting/lowering/putting the gurney into the ambulance/taking it out.

- Use your legs to lift/lower things. Even if you drop a pen on the ground. Don't bend over to pick it up. Lower yourself to the ground using your legs/bending your knees and pick it up keeping your back mostly straight. If anything, a lot of it has to do with the legs too, not arm strength. Don't use your back.

- Minimize getting any position that's gonna pull you forward. You'll hurt your back. :[ Things to prevent this is raising/lowering the gurney to about upper stomach, raising/lowering the bed to about your upper stomach/chest, and then sliding the patient over.

- This is kinda big... communication. You don't want to start pulling on the sheet, and your partner isn't lifting on the other side because of poor communication.

- Use things like slide boards, slide sheets (or whatever people call it). I was reading a newsletter from an ambulance company that says to use garbage bags if a slide board/slide sheet isn't available. With newer Ferno gurneys, there are slide boards underneath the padding.

- Don't be afraid to ask for more help from people on scene or staff at hospitals/convalescent homes.

- Don't be afraid to move things on scene (unless a crime scene, haha, then be very afraid) eg if you are picking up out of a skilled nursing facility, and there are bunch of things like a wheelchair, bags, plants, cabinets, other beds, table, etc. It might be a tight squeeze and don't give you guys a lot of room to move the gurney or might put you guys in an awkward position to move the patient, move stuff. Make it easier on yourself.

- You don't have to move all your patients. If appropriate, you can have them ambulate to the gurney. It's OK to ask patients if they can normally walk, or if they need assistants. Examples are 5150s (California psychiatric patients on a 72 hour psychiatric hold) who are usually able to ambulance to the gurney no problem. I personally think it's a great to include in your paperwork that you investigated whether if the patient can stand and pivot or ambulate to the gurney, if they needed assistants. Remember some patients might be able to walk though, but shouldn't eg patients who are very short of breath or patients that you suspect cardiac ischemia.

I'm sure your company and FTO will tell you a lot about preventing yourself from hurting yourself when moving things and put a lot of emphasis on safety. They'll hopefully critique you/help you move patients more easily.
Click to expand...

What this guy said...I too am a man with scrawny arms (you don't get beefy as a software engineer; my patients enjoy pointing that out), but you don't need beefmaster arms to lift patients.

It's all about technique.

Use the handles closest to the ground on the stretcher.

Lift with your legs.

Never. Skip. Leg. Day.

Learn to master blanket rolls, sliding patients, and the stand-up lift (you crouch behind a seated patient, with your arms grabbing their crossed arms in front of them, and stand straight up. I can lift quite a bit like this).

Learn to love a Reeve's Sleeve and your local Engine company.

If you think your local Engine company is going to get miffed you call them often, drop by with food, hang out with them every once in a while, and soon they'll go out of their way to come to your calls. Firefighters are suckers for free food.
 
I had some lift technique training that changed my life.. Squatting isn't the proper way to lift anymore, it's recommended that you use a "down on one knee" or Tripod method.. You roll the heavy object onto one knee, hold it close to your body, and stand. It works with everything; not just boxes and such..

The idea is that when you squat to lift, you have two points of contact with the floor. So not only are you using muscles to lift, you're using muscles to balance. If you use the Tripod approach, you have three points of contact with the floor, and you can focus more of your strength on the lifting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PdVV28rgy8

I'm 5'9", and 130 (female), it works great for me..

Also, to prevent strain when lifting small things like dropped pens, use the Golfer's technique to prevent injury..

lift-golfers.jpg
 
I'm 5'7" and 140 (male), and I've no trouble lifting. I see larger people struggle with things because of improper technique -- and not using the tools available. The worst ones are the people who don't think to use the power stretcher or sliding boards and choose to struggle instead.
 
No two ways about it, you gotta have enough muscle strength and stamina to move people. You can have all the technique in the world, but if you gotta get a 300 pounder out from between the wall and the bed where he coded, you gotta have some brawn.

I apologize to all the wee folk out there, but you don't see too many little people in EMS. Especially in the 911 system.
 
TheLocalMedic said:
No two ways about it, you gotta have enough muscle strength and stamina to move people. You can have all the technique in the world, but if you gotta get a 300 pounder out from between the wall and the bed where he coded, you gotta have some brawn.

I apologize to all the wee folk out there, but you don't see too many little people in EMS. Especially in the 911 system.
Click to expand...

come down to SoCal then. We have a lot of EMTs and medics who are really small on the ambulances. The fire departments are a different story tho
 
DesertEMT66 said:
come down to SoCal then. We have a lot of EMTs and medics who are really small on the ambulances. The fire departments are a different story tho
Click to expand...

Well, we grow 'em bigger in NorCal. I think it's something in the water.
 
Regardless of your size (and I've met a LOT of very strong people who are tiny) physical strength and fitness are about MUCH more than whether or not you can get and do the job. It's about quality of life.

I'm a paramedic in my 40s and, at times, my job can be very physically demanding (Extracting a pt from a car that rolled 15 feet down a sand-dune with no FD or rescue squad available). I try to stay fit for my job, of course, but the real reason is quality of life.

I really like my work and I'd like to imagine I'll still be able to do it in my 50s. I don't want to be one of those "old timers" hanging around the ambulance bay with my gut hanging over my belt talking about the calls I used to run before my back went out.

Find your own strength and fitness program. It's different for anyone. Me, I do stuff I think is fun and keeps me fit (Rock climbing, Scuba diving, sailing, mountain biking, swimming and weight lifting) and the benefit of that fitness goes well beyond by job. I'm able to do all kinds of fun stuff in a lot of places in the world and I don't feel restricted by my "bad back" or "bum knee" or that I just can't do it.

When you're fit in a way that makes you feel good, everything else is a lot more fun.

Especially the fun stuff with the clothes off! Heh! Especially that! If you ever lack in motivation just think, being fit WILL make you good in bed (and more likely to get there)! FACT!

--maddog
 
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