Re: EMT step ladder

[Guest guest]

In texasems-l JEFF COBB wrote:

> You can not be a good Paramedic unless you are

> a good Basic

Following that logic, one cannot become a good physician until one

spends time nursing (or or as a PA).

> You need to get experience and perfect your basic

> EMT skills before worrying about paramedic skills.

What is missing isn't necessarily just experience. Maybe where EMS

education falls short is in the breadth and depth, and thus we rely

on field experience and tutoring by experienced paramedics instead.

Maybe we should change the requirements instead. More hours of

education and longer internships would go a long way toward this goal.

> Your understanding of all the advanced procedures,

> meds, ect will be a lot better if you do.

Or we could increase our understanding of the advanced procedures and

medications by increasing the amount of study material, and

lengthening the amount of study time allowed to learn the material.

Maybe folks would actually learn some of the whys and not just the

whats if we spent a little more time teaching them.

> I have seen many Paramedics do more harm than

> good because they are thrown into a situation with

> no EMS experience other that rotations, and being

> completly overwhelmed.

Your observation is anecdotal and entirely dependent on the

individual's training/education/ability. I've seen many fresh-out-of-

school medics do just fine, particularly those from countries with

higher educational standards than the U.S., like Israel and

Australia. Personally, I think it is very shortsighted to think any

one size will fit all. We should set higher educational minimums

before allowing someone to wear the gold braded patch (or red patch).

Education is the key. The question we should ask ourselves is why we

keep dumbing the curriculum down and not demanding more and better.

> Just my take

And this is mine. G'day.

Larry