What Does It Take to Become an Emergency Medical Services Administrator?

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Lorin Cooper
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1 What Does It Take to Become an Emergency Medical Services Administrator? ColumbiaSouthern.edu»

2 Job opportunities for emergency medical technicians (EMTs), advanced EMTs, and paramedics are on the rise. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 24 percent increase in the number of available EMT and paramedic jobs by Acts of violence, accidents, and natural disasters create continuous demand for emergency medical services. Add an aging population with a higher rate of age-related emergencies, like strokes and heart attacks, and it s easy to see why hospitals and ambulance services need more EMTs and paramedics than ever before. As the need of EMTs grows, so does the need for emergency medical services (EMS) leadership. EMS administrators manage teams, optimize operations, and facilitate communications in life and death situations. To become an EMS administrator, you need to not only be a great EMT but also a knowledgeable and levelheaded leader. If you re a good problem solver, an effective communicator, and someone who s interested in the business side of emergency services think risk management, regulations, and finance, not just medical care you may have what it takes to step up and lead your peers. Translating Knowledge Into Action As an EMS administrator, you become the go-to person for rules and regulations. You have to know your organization s standard operating procedures (SOP) or standard operating guidelines (SOG) inside and out. In addition, you re responsible for knowing EMS policy and practice at the federal, state, and local levels. When you don t know something off the top of your head, your team depends on you to learn quickly and share what you know. 1 What Does It Take to Become an Emergency Medical Services Administrator?

3 Stephen Wirth, writing for the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, offers four keys to staying up on the latest rules, regulations, and standards of care. If you think you would excel at and enjoy these activities, you may really like being an EMS administrator: 1Constant reading. As a manager, you should keep up with the latest publications so you know how EMS standards of care are changing. You should also enjoy talking with your team about what you learn. 2Implementing changes. Medical studies drift in and out of the news. Some of these reports are of high quality, and some aren t. When you re an EMS administrator, your team relies on you to exercise wisdom when recommending new policies and procedures. 3Seeing the big picture. Before updating your SOPs or SOGs, you ll be expected to partner with your medical director and other stakeholders. You ll also need to observe how other hospitals and ambulance services operate, so your processes are similar to what other organizations are doing, and you ll need to consider your budget as you make challenging decisions. 4Always growing. In addition to reading up on the latest treatment protocols, an EMS administrator reviews existing policies and processes and updates them regularly, based on the latest information. Your work equips your team to save lives, even if you aren t providing treatment yourself. As an administrator, you re less on the front lines and more in a planning and management role. For some people, it s tough to let go of the hands-on patient care that comes with being a street medic. At the same time, what you do behind the scenes ensures things go smoothly during an emergency. Your work equips your team to save lives, even if you aren t providing treatment yourself. 2 What Does It Take to Become an Emergency Medical Services Administrator?

4 Leading People If you re already an EMT, transitioning into administration means becoming less of a peer and more of a leader. Instead of working alongside your team, you ll be in charge of delivering one-on-one coaching and providing meaningful professional development. The best leaders take proactive steps to address operational problems and to build a crew resource management culture for EMS. Your responsibilities include: 1Maximizing situational awareness. In many cases, your team can call you, but you re not on the ground with them. It s up to you to properly prepare them to assess risk in stressful situations, to help them understand their resources and their limitations, and to make the right decisions about providing care. 2Enhancing communications. As an EMS administrator, it s your job to encourage every team member to voice concerns. If teams become too dependent on one voice, they may make incorrect decisions that lead to injury or death for a patient. Every EMT should feel empowered to speak up. 3Minimizing errors. Helping your team avoid errors means being willing to give honest, actionable feedback. The best EMS administrators don t avoid challenging conversations. They provide honest performance evaluations and review cases regularly for coaching opportunities. 4Encouraging your team. Emergency services is a stressful profession, and your team needs support to manage stress effectively. They also need to hear when they re doing well and know their work is appreciated. 3 What Does It Take to Become an Emergency Medical Services Administrator?

5 Becoming an EMS Administrator EMT and paramedic training usually do not require a bachelor s degree. If you want to step into EMS administration, however, a bachelor s degree gives you a major advantage. Courses in EMS administration include a strong foundation in EMS policies, operations, and communications. In addition, you get comprehensive training in risk management, EMS finance, and the regulatory environment. Most EMS administrators complete their bachelor s degree after four or five years of study. Although you don t have to have professional experience as an EMT, you need a deep understanding of how EMS operates every day. Before you make decisions regarding staffing, operations, and spending related to your crew, you ll need a foundation of knowledge about what they do. Especially if you aren t coming up through the EMT ranks, you ll need a dose of humility and appreciation for the life or death situations your crew faces every day. If you re already a working professional, an online degree gives you the flexibility to study and complete assignments around your work schedule. You can earn a bachelor s degree in EMS administration from either a traditional or online school. Some colleges offer a combination of classroom teaching and online training. Choose the format that helps you retain information best, and select the option that fits with your schedule. If you re already a working professional, an online degree gives you the flexibility to study and complete assignments around your work schedule. 4 What Does It Take to Become an Emergency Medical Services Administrator?

6 Are You Ready to Lead? EMS administration is a fast-growing field, supported by a growing patient population. If you have the right balance of confidence, compassion, and clear-headedness, you ll have many opportunities to succeed as an EMS administrator. About Columbia Southern University One of the nation s pioneer online universities, Columbia Southern University was established in 1993 to provide an alternative to the traditional university experience. CSU provides its students with online associate, bachelor s, master s and doctoral degree programs in relevant industries including business administration, criminal justice, fire administration and occupational safety and health. Visit ColumbiaSouthern.edu or call to learn more. 5 What Does It Take to Become an Emergency Medical Services Administrator?

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