Previous Post: The Greatest Generation   Next Post: Five Rules For One Shift

The EMT Code of Ethics

Did you know you had a code of ethics? You do.

It was writen by Dr. Charles Gillespie and adopted by the National Association of EMT’s in 1978. It probably appeared somewhere near the front of your EMT textbook. It may have been touched upon by your instructor during your medical / legal lecture. It’s less likely that you were ever ask to raise your hand and recite its words (or accompanying oath.)

Consider what it means to be ethical. Ideas regarding what it means to act ethically in the practice of medicine have been handed down from hard won lessons of human history. From the sacred pledge of the Hippocratic Oath to the tenants of the Declaration of Helsinki and the Nuremberg Code,  medical ethics has evolved to deepen our understanding of what it means to be a moral provider of medical care.

Your patients place great trust in you because your authority rests on the honor and tradition of a code of medical ethics. In case you haven’t read it in a while, here is the EMT Code of Ethics.

The EMT Code of Ethics

Professional status as an Emergency Medical Technician and Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic is maintained and enriched by the willingness of the individual practitioner to accept and fulfill obligations to society, other medical professionals, and the profession of Emergency Medical Technician. As an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic, I solemnly pledge myself to the following code of professional ethics:

A fundamental responsibility of the Emergency Medical Technician is to conserve life, to alleviate suffering, to promote health, to do no harm, and to encourage the quality and equal availability of emergency medical care.

The Emergency Medical Technician provides services based on human need, with respect for human dignity, unrestricted by consideration of nationality, race creed, color, or status.

The Emergency Medical Technician does not use professional knowledge and skills in any enterprise detrimental to the public well being.

The Emergency Medical Technician respects and holds in confidence all information of a confidential nature obtained in the course of professional work unless required by law to divulge such information.

The Emergency Medical Technician, as a citizen, understands and upholds the law and performs the duties of citizenship; as a professional, the Emergency Medical Technician has the never-ending responsibility to work with concerned citizens and other health care professionals in promoting a high standard of emergency medical care to all people.

The Emergency Medical Technician shall maintain professional competence and demonstrate concern for the competence of other members of the Emergency Medical Services health care team.

An Emergency Medical Technician assumes responsibility in defining and upholding standards of professional practice and education.

The Emergency Medical Technician assumes responsibility for individual professional actions and judgment, both in dependent and independent emergency functions, and knows and upholds the laws which affect the practice of the Emergency Medical Technician.

An Emergency Medical Technician has the responsibility to be aware of and participate in matters of legislation affecting the Emergency Medical Service System.

The Emergency Medical Technician, or groups of Emergency Medical Technicians, who advertise professional service, do so in conformity with the dignity of the profession.

The Emergency Medical Technician has an obligation to protect the public by not delegating to a person less qualified, any service which requires the professional competence of an Emergency Medical Technician

The Emergency Medical Technician will work harmoniously with and sustain confidence in Emergency Medical Technician associates, the nurses, the physicians, and other members of the Emergency Medical Services health care team.

The Emergency Medical Technician refuses to participate in unethical procedures, and assumes the responsibility to expose incompetence or unethical conduct of others to the appropriate authority in a proper and professional manner.

 

If you liked this article, you may also like:

Patients Define Their Emergencies

Tags: code of ethics, EMT, emt ethics, ethics, honor, naemt, oath, pledge