Onboarding plan
Emergency Medical Technician Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new emergency medical technician from first day to full productivity.
Emergency Medical Technician onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: NREMT EMT certification, State EMT license (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: automated external defibrillator (AED); bag-valve mask (BVM) and oropharyngeal airways; oxygen cylinders and nonrebreather masks; stretchers and stair chairs
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Emergency Medical Technician training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Always size up the scene and wait for law enforcement when a scene isn’t safe
- Wear gloves and eye protection for every patient contact
- Use proper lifting technique and lift with your partner
- Drive the ambulance with due regard for others: emergency status doesn’t remove responsibility
- Shadow an experienced emergency medical technician through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: perform a primary assessment on a trauma patient
- Supervised practice: use an AED during CPR
- Supervised practice: apply a tourniquet
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Respond to 911 calls and assess scene safety: independently
- Perform patient assessments and take vital signs: independently
- Provide CPR, AED use, oxygen therapy and airway management: independently
- Control bleeding, bandage wounds and splint fractures: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, NREMT EMT certification)
- Discuss the career path: EMT → Advanced EMT → Paramedic
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform a Primary Assessment on a Trauma Patient | |||
| Use an AED During CPR | |||
| Apply a Tourniquet | |||
| Patient assessment | |||
| CPR and AED use | |||
| Airway management and oxygen therapy | |||
| Bleeding control and splinting |
How to measure onboarding success
- Days until the new hire works without a preceptor
- Competency sign-offs completed on time
- Documentation or charting error rate
- 90-day retention
How Emergency Medical Technician training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Emergency Medical Technician Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Emergency Medical Technician Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Emergency Medical Technician Career
- Final Knowledge Check