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Clinical Time for EMT-B Students
Many times I have vented about the need for improvement in the Pennsylvania BLS education program. I have heard countless others with the same or a very similar improvement.
Prior to my EMT class but during a period in which I am sure some of you received EMT certs my understanding is a certain amount of ER Clinical or observation time was required.
Should Pennsylvania go back to requiring clinical participation both in the field and in an ER during the EMT class. If so how many hours should be required and what skills should be mastered if any.
Often EMTs come out of class and get hired on an ambulance and that is their first "real world" encounter with the job. They get to the ER and do not even realize they need to give report or they cannot even begin to figure out the different equipment devices and adjuncts.
Personally I am one who feels a significant form of learning is done by observation and real time interaction. Even 10 or 12 clinical hours between the ER and an ambulance service to me would seem to be a major stepping stone in the Pennsylvania BLS curriculum.
Prior to my EMT class but during a period in which I am sure some of you received EMT certs my understanding is a certain amount of ER Clinical or observation time was required.
Should Pennsylvania go back to requiring clinical participation both in the field and in an ER during the EMT class. If so how many hours should be required and what skills should be mastered if any.
Often EMTs come out of class and get hired on an ambulance and that is their first "real world" encounter with the job. They get to the ER and do not even realize they need to give report or they cannot even begin to figure out the different equipment devices and adjuncts.
Personally I am one who feels a significant form of learning is done by observation and real time interaction. Even 10 or 12 clinical hours between the ER and an ambulance service to me would seem to be a major stepping stone in the Pennsylvania BLS curriculum.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Matt Barth on -
As a newer member of the EMS profession I would have to agree with what some others stated. I was scared when I got my first "real" call as a EMT-B, you feel like your thrown to the lions. It is not a profession for the faint of heart or to volunteer to just because, we are dealing with people's lives everyday. Mandatory clinical time is a must for EMT-B's to become comfortable with skills and increase proficiency with newer classes of EMTs.
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Permalink Reply by Robert D Watts on -
"Back in my day" 21 years ago there was a token Clinical requirement of ten hours ER time and 10 hours ALS ride along time. Now correct me if I am wrong ALS is not what we were studying.
I htink Clinical time of ER observation maybe five hours pre class entry. Then x number of shifts (hours) or a call quotia x # of Chaest pains, x # of MVAs ect. I also have the concept in my mind of a EMT mentour program that would take soemone from student to EMT B with field time clinical. THus preparing a student to be a useful and valuabel provider. Career or volunteer.
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Permalink Reply by Jody McKibben on -
I agree, I had to do clinical time when i took it in 1991. I believe it was 16 hours in an ER. I think that putting in that time either in an ER or on an ALS truck would benefit a new EMT greatly. We have made things too easy for people to become certified, and hence some of the issues we have today. When we old ones went to class we had to learn the appropriate terminology, like epitaxis and had to know the different kind of fractures now it is a bloody nose and a broken arm. The point is we had to think harder and work harder to get the certification and I think that made for better EMT's and ultimately better Pt care.
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As a newly-licenced paramedic, I also agree that the current system is flawed. My clinicals alternated between extremely good and a few situations where I was the most-senior person on the truck...as a student. The problem isn't limited to the civ...
doc,
You are also forgetting the relative call volumes and the effect they have. Law enforcement is the busiest function (crime fighting) so the cops have the least time to devote to other, non-crime-fighting functions.
That makes it intutively o...
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