RE: Ambulance Companies Say Medicare... (Now EMT Education)

[Guest guest]

Coug,

 

I don't often post here, but do monitor the list daily.  You have some great

points I want to discuss.  Namely, EVOC in EMT school.  I also believe 110%

that

EVOC should be a part of EMT curriculum.  In my experience, EMT’s do a vast

majority of the driving in EMS.  Depending on the staffing scenario, the EMT

may

well be driving all the time.  I would estimate that about 75% (not researched,

not qualified by any studies… just my guess) of the Houston EMT’s day is

spent

driving the truck.  Seems silly to spend months going through a course and

1,000

+ page EMT text and still lack the skill to handle 75% of the daily routine on a

truck.  Several of the better services in Houston do mandate EVOC or CEVO

courses for all of their drivers, so that helps.  Still, it would serve the

entire industry well to add this to the EMT curriculum and insure that ALL

EMT’s

are actually trained to drive those massive, heavy, unwieldy boxes (and vans)

through technically challenging and sometimes adrenaline-pumping situations. 

Everyone, EMS and the general public would be safer. 

  

Concerning the ability of most EMT’s to handle a variety of situations, I

would

say that depends.  Personally, my past experience as a combat medic in the Army

Reserve has served me exceptionally well.  Training to triage and tend to

multiple wounded soldiers as the sole medic while under the stress of weapons

fire, grenades, explosive devices, etc. made an MVA (or MVC, or whatever people

are calling it today) seem pretty cut and dry.  I highly doubt civilian EMT

instructors have those resources available, but extra time and attention spent

on scenario based training with moulaged patients goes a long way to help.  If

they do not get this kind of training during their course, they need to seek out

some ITLS, PHTLS, or other courses and participate. 

 

For those EMT’s who get into EMS for whatever reason and decide they are happy

scraping by with the bare minimum of knowledge and just show up for a paycheck,

I have no tolerance. This is an extremely dynamic industry requiring constant

education to stay on top of changes that improve patient outcomes.  Getting the

mandated CE to recertify does not cut it. I have worked with plenty of those

types and can’t encourage them to go find a higher paying job in a different

industry fast enough.   

 

OK, getting off my soap box, too. 

 

Springfield