NREMT COGNITIVE EXAM PREP QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS
Where does the modern EMS system have its origin? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅The modern EMS
system has its origins in funeral homes, which often operated ambulances. However, funeral home
operators were often serving competing business interests and patients received little trained care until
the hospital.
What is considered the "birth" of EMS? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅In 1966, a paper titled "Accidental
Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society" is published by the National Academy of
Sciences. This paper is widely known in the EMS profession as the White Paper. The White Paper is
widely considered the birth of modern EMS. It spotlighted inadequacies of prehospital care in the United
States, particularly related to trauma.
Who developed the first EMT National Standard Curriculum? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Early in the
1970s, the US Department of Transportation developed the first EMT National Standard Curriculum.
What are the levels of EMS training? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Emergency Medical Responder
(EMR): provides basic, immediate care including bleeding control, CPR, AED and emergency childbirth.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): includes all EMR skills, advanced oxygen and ventilation skills,
pulse oximetry, noninvasive blood pressure monitoring, and administration of certain medications.
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT): includes all EMT skills, advanced airway devices,
intravenous and intraosseous access, blood glucose monitoring, and administration of additional
medications.
Paramedic: includes all preceding training levels, advanced assessment and management skills, various
invasive skills, and extensive pharmacology interventions. This is the highest level of prehospital care
outlined in the National EMS Education Standards.
What are EMT roles and responsibilities? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Equipment preparedness
Emergency vehicle operations
Establish, maintain scene safety
,Patient assessment and treatment
Lifting and moving
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Patient advocacy
Professional development
Quality improvement
Illness and injury prevention
Maintain certification/licensure
What is the role of the medical director? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅The medical director is a
physician responsible for providing medical oversight. The medical director oversees quality
improvement.
What are the two types of medical direction? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Online medical direction:
direct contact between the physician and EMT via or radio.
Offline medical direction: written guidelines and protocols.
What is an EMT's first priority? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅The EMT's first priority is always his or her
own safety. Scene safety is always the top priority!
The EMT's safety priorities after personal safety are for his/her partner(s), patients and bystanders.
What are the types of stress? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Acute stress: an immediate physiological
and psychological reaction to a specific event.
Delayed stress: a stress reaction that develops after the stressful event. It does not interfere with the
EMT's ability to perform during the stressful event. PTSD is an example of delayed stress.
Cumulative stress: the result of exposure to stressful situations over a prolonged period of time.
What are the stages of grief? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Denial
,Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
How can you prevent the risk of infection? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Immediately report exposures
to the designated infection control officer.
Handwashing is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infection. Hand sanitizers can be
effective, but soap and water is preferred when available.
What are the two types of PPE? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Minimum PPE: gloves and eye protection
should be used during any patient contact situation.
Expanded PPE: use disposable gown and mask for significant contact with any body fluid--for example,
during childbirth. Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) mask o N-95 respirator for suspected
airborne disease exposure, such as tuberculosis.
What are emergency moves? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅These are used when the scene is dangerous
and the patient must be moved before providing patient care. Types of emergency moves include the
armpit-forearm drag, shirt drag, and blanket drag.
What is an urgent move? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Used when the patient has potentially life-
threatening injuries or illness and must be moved quickly for evaluation and transport.
Rapid extrication: an urgent move used for patients in a motor vehicle; it requires multiple rescuers and
a long backboard. The patient is rotated onto a backboard with manual cervical spine precautions and
removed from the vehicle.
What are non-urgent moves? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Used when there are no hazards and no life-
threatening conditions are apparent.
Types of non-urgent moves include direct ground lift, extremity lift, direct carry method, and draw sheet
method.
, What is the log roll technique? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Commonly used to place a patient on a
backboard or assess the posterior.
Can be done while maintaining manual cervical spine precautions.
Should have at least three trained personnel. The person controlling manual cervical spine protection
should direct the log roll.
What are special considerations for bariatric patients? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Obese patients
pose additional challenges and risks to providers during lifting and movement.
Some EMS systems have special bariatric ambulances with specialized equipment, automated lifting
systems, and wider stretchers capable of a greater weight capacity.
What is supine hypotensive syndrome? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Patients in the later stages of
pregnancy should not be placed supine due to the risk of supine hypotensive syndrome. Place the
pregnant patient on her left side. If patient has potential cervical spine trauma, tilt backboard to the left
about 20 degrees.
When can patients be restrained? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅In general, patients may be forcibly
restrained if they pose a significant, immediate threat to you, your partner, or others.
Restraining a patient against his will is a last resort.
Anticipate and plan. Request law enforcement assistance. Contact medical direction when possible.
Guidelines for restraining a patient:
-Get additional help whenever possible; at least 4 people is recommended.
-Use the minimum amount of force necessary to protect yourself, the patient and others.
-Secure patient supine, with backboard if available. DO NOT secure the patient in a prone position.
-Use soft, padded restraints.
-Monitor the patient's level of consciousness, airway, and distal circulation continuously.
-Thoroughly document the reason for restraining the patient, the method of restraint, the duration of
restraint, and frequent reassessment of the patient while restrained.
What is the use of force doctrine? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅The EMT must act reasonably to
prevent harm to a patient being forcibly restrained. The use of force must be protective, not punitive.
ANSWERS
Where does the modern EMS system have its origin? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅The modern EMS
system has its origins in funeral homes, which often operated ambulances. However, funeral home
operators were often serving competing business interests and patients received little trained care until
the hospital.
What is considered the "birth" of EMS? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅In 1966, a paper titled "Accidental
Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society" is published by the National Academy of
Sciences. This paper is widely known in the EMS profession as the White Paper. The White Paper is
widely considered the birth of modern EMS. It spotlighted inadequacies of prehospital care in the United
States, particularly related to trauma.
Who developed the first EMT National Standard Curriculum? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Early in the
1970s, the US Department of Transportation developed the first EMT National Standard Curriculum.
What are the levels of EMS training? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Emergency Medical Responder
(EMR): provides basic, immediate care including bleeding control, CPR, AED and emergency childbirth.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): includes all EMR skills, advanced oxygen and ventilation skills,
pulse oximetry, noninvasive blood pressure monitoring, and administration of certain medications.
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT): includes all EMT skills, advanced airway devices,
intravenous and intraosseous access, blood glucose monitoring, and administration of additional
medications.
Paramedic: includes all preceding training levels, advanced assessment and management skills, various
invasive skills, and extensive pharmacology interventions. This is the highest level of prehospital care
outlined in the National EMS Education Standards.
What are EMT roles and responsibilities? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Equipment preparedness
Emergency vehicle operations
Establish, maintain scene safety
,Patient assessment and treatment
Lifting and moving
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Patient advocacy
Professional development
Quality improvement
Illness and injury prevention
Maintain certification/licensure
What is the role of the medical director? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅The medical director is a
physician responsible for providing medical oversight. The medical director oversees quality
improvement.
What are the two types of medical direction? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Online medical direction:
direct contact between the physician and EMT via or radio.
Offline medical direction: written guidelines and protocols.
What is an EMT's first priority? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅The EMT's first priority is always his or her
own safety. Scene safety is always the top priority!
The EMT's safety priorities after personal safety are for his/her partner(s), patients and bystanders.
What are the types of stress? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Acute stress: an immediate physiological
and psychological reaction to a specific event.
Delayed stress: a stress reaction that develops after the stressful event. It does not interfere with the
EMT's ability to perform during the stressful event. PTSD is an example of delayed stress.
Cumulative stress: the result of exposure to stressful situations over a prolonged period of time.
What are the stages of grief? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Denial
,Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
How can you prevent the risk of infection? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Immediately report exposures
to the designated infection control officer.
Handwashing is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infection. Hand sanitizers can be
effective, but soap and water is preferred when available.
What are the two types of PPE? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Minimum PPE: gloves and eye protection
should be used during any patient contact situation.
Expanded PPE: use disposable gown and mask for significant contact with any body fluid--for example,
during childbirth. Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) mask o N-95 respirator for suspected
airborne disease exposure, such as tuberculosis.
What are emergency moves? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅These are used when the scene is dangerous
and the patient must be moved before providing patient care. Types of emergency moves include the
armpit-forearm drag, shirt drag, and blanket drag.
What is an urgent move? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Used when the patient has potentially life-
threatening injuries or illness and must be moved quickly for evaluation and transport.
Rapid extrication: an urgent move used for patients in a motor vehicle; it requires multiple rescuers and
a long backboard. The patient is rotated onto a backboard with manual cervical spine precautions and
removed from the vehicle.
What are non-urgent moves? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Used when there are no hazards and no life-
threatening conditions are apparent.
Types of non-urgent moves include direct ground lift, extremity lift, direct carry method, and draw sheet
method.
, What is the log roll technique? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Commonly used to place a patient on a
backboard or assess the posterior.
Can be done while maintaining manual cervical spine precautions.
Should have at least three trained personnel. The person controlling manual cervical spine protection
should direct the log roll.
What are special considerations for bariatric patients? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Obese patients
pose additional challenges and risks to providers during lifting and movement.
Some EMS systems have special bariatric ambulances with specialized equipment, automated lifting
systems, and wider stretchers capable of a greater weight capacity.
What is supine hypotensive syndrome? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅Patients in the later stages of
pregnancy should not be placed supine due to the risk of supine hypotensive syndrome. Place the
pregnant patient on her left side. If patient has potential cervical spine trauma, tilt backboard to the left
about 20 degrees.
When can patients be restrained? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅In general, patients may be forcibly
restrained if they pose a significant, immediate threat to you, your partner, or others.
Restraining a patient against his will is a last resort.
Anticipate and plan. Request law enforcement assistance. Contact medical direction when possible.
Guidelines for restraining a patient:
-Get additional help whenever possible; at least 4 people is recommended.
-Use the minimum amount of force necessary to protect yourself, the patient and others.
-Secure patient supine, with backboard if available. DO NOT secure the patient in a prone position.
-Use soft, padded restraints.
-Monitor the patient's level of consciousness, airway, and distal circulation continuously.
-Thoroughly document the reason for restraining the patient, the method of restraint, the duration of
restraint, and frequent reassessment of the patient while restrained.
What is the use of force doctrine? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅✅The EMT must act reasonably to
prevent harm to a patient being forcibly restrained. The use of force must be protective, not punitive.
