Re: G. Gandy's comments on EMS Education Rule

[Guest guest]

i agree 100% mike.

scapuchino@...

--- " W. , EMT-I " wrote:

>

> No arguement that there are sub-standard programs.

> However, we need to

> increase our standards across the board, and

> understand the difference in

> certification and licensure, which we completely

> failed to do the first

> go-round.

>

> EMT's and EMT-I's should be certified. At these

> levels, while there is

> applied knowledge, it's mostly an applied-skill

> position. Equate this to

> welding. You have to know your metals, welds,

> equipment, etc. but the

> rubber really hits the road when you start *doing*

> the job. Same with

> Basics and Intermediates. It's a

> certification-worthy level.

>

> Paramedicine, however, is a position commensurate

> with licensure, and the

> educational requirements thereof. It's *NOT*

> unreasonable to expect that

> *ALL* persons who practice medicine at a paramedic

> level meet those

> requirements, and that we set those levels higher.

> Paramedicine requires an

> education level that prepares you to research, learn

> and present on the job.

> When your medical director hands you new medicines

> (I just found out about a

> new drug used in RSI tonight, I think it's called

> Rapcon, I'm going to have

> to look it up), the paramedic needs to know more

> than the dose to give -

> they need to understand how the drug works on the

> body, what happens when it

> wears off, etc. And that's only going to happen

> with a deeper understanding

> of medicine.

>

> Accordingly, we should also look into expanding the

> roles of EMT Basics and

> Intermediates to include those task-based skills

> currently assigned to

> paramedics. We should look at further defining the

> scope of practice of

> paramedics to include more diagnostic skills and

> prehospital treatments

> relevant to the trends, statistics and injury

> patterns of the population.

> Paramedics should be at the *SAME* level in the eyes

> of medical

> professionals as Registered Nurses, and the *ONLY*

> way to do that is through

> stricter educational requirements.

>

> </soapbox>

>

> Mike

>

> [texasems-L] Re: G. Gandy's comments on

> EMS

> > Education Rule

> >

> >

> > how do these students do clinical hours? where do

> > they practice their skills?

> >

> > M> With their own service, neighboring

> services

> > and at local hospitals,

> > clinics, etc.

> >

> > we have a problem with

> > emt-is and medics who do not have a very

> successful

> > rate when it comes to intubations and ivs.

> >

> > M> More practice is needed. Unfortunately, in

> > some areas, there's not

> > enough call volume to get a lot of live patient

> > practice. It's either on

> > each other, on dummies, or on nothing.

> >

> > i think

> > everyone can do something like going two years to

> a

> > community college if they only try. anything is

> > possible if you only believe and make an effort to

> > succeed.

> >

> > M> While this is certainly a nice thought,

> it's

> > not necessarily true. I

> > don't disagree that paramedic licensure should

> > require a minimum

> > 2-yr/associates degree, for the EMT Basic and EMT

> > Intermediate, this isn't a

> > reality, and isn't a necessity.

> >

> > ive made alot of sacrifices while attending

> > a 2 year college for paramedic school. its not

> easy

> > but the end result is very rewarding.

> >

> > M> I've made a lot of sacrifices to attend the

> > two night a week and

> > Saturday class paramedic completer I'm in. I

> > couldn't have done it in the

> > same timeframe in a traditional college

> environment,

> > and I wouldn't have had

> > some of the extra material presented in the class

> by

> > my service, since it's

> > specific to the equipment and medicines we carry.

> > I'm lucky, however, in

> > that my completer course, while taught by and at

> my

> > service, is fully

> > accredited for course credit by our local junior

> > college, and our in-house

> > course coordinator and their coordinator have

> worked

> > together to provide

> > those of us in the class a plan for one additional

> > semester after we finish

> > our paramedic course (and get our

> > licenses/certificates) to obtain the

> > Associates degreee in Paramedic Technology.

> >

> > a college

> > education is the best way to go.

> >

> > M> best is a broad word. I know many college

> > students I wouldn't trust

> > with a band-aid, let alone a 3 ton MICU.

> >

> > scapuchino

> >

> > --- P Perkins wrote:

> > >

> > > Gene:

> > >

> > > I don't think that just because a class is not

> > > taught by a " college " that it

> > > is substandard. Community Colleges, pushing for

> a

> > > two year associates

> > > degree, are dropping the ball when it comes to

> > rural

> > > EMS education. Who can

> > > go to college for two years, only to return to

> > their

> > > community to volunteer

> > > with their local EMS? There is a great need for

> > > rural EMS education

> > > programs which stress quality education and that

> > are

> > > time efficient.

> > >

> > > In fact, if you want to find dedication, look at

> > > rural EMS education

> > > programs. When is the last time you loaded up

> > your

> > > car and drove for 2

>

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