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Advanced Emergency Medical Technician? The NHTSA says so.


NREMT-Basic

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I'm just going to try and keep this short and to the point of what I think is relevant. When I first started to enter into an EMT-B program, I'd say that 98% of those who entered wanted to advanced to the Paramedic program. The other two percent or so just wanted to get a little more information but didn't particularly want to be Paramedics. Some knew they were getting up in years and would be "retiring" in the near future. But for the most part it seemed like the EMT-I program was an introduction into the Paramedic program. And in some small way did weed out those who wanted to be Paramedics but didn't have the academic or the dedication to follow through the entire class.

I might elaborate more on this later. But I'd like to see how other's thought about having to go through the different levels to become Paramedics.

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IMHO...starting lines is not very difficult....I've seen junkies on the street that can get IV access in their own neck....even in paramedic school you practice on some manikin arms then each other and then during clinicals in your rotations. Why not have Basics in rural areas that can quickly give d50 or narcan? Maybe the pharmacology isn't all there but if there was ever a case for cookbook medicine here it is -

"He took three bags of heroin and now he is blue"

Also in the Army NREMT-B's are trained in I/O access during CMAST. It's about an hours worth of training. This isn't going to be narcotics, acls drugs, etc. It is life saving, easier to dose medications.

It is not a substitute for a paramedic...it is just enhancing the life saving capabilities of emergency medical technicians....I think this would work best in rural areas with sparse populations...just my opinion though

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The rural population is actually the one least served by this mindset. Giving an uneducated provider a few select advanced skills does nothing to improve the treatment that the population needs.

The patients that are furthest from the hospital wait the longest prior to asking for help, in my experience. They are also much sicker when help finally arrives. They do not need a few, select band-aid add on skills. They need someone with a full armamentarium of experience/knowledge to draw from when that provider walks in the door.

No starting lines or using intraosseus devices, even the advanced blind insertion airways are not difficult. Knowing the why of each of them is much more challenging. These guidelines do nothing in terms of actual education. They merely change the names of the providers that are introduced to the unknowing public.

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How many states are even going to change the names? A few maybe, but I'd put money on a decent number of them changing nothing.

As for this "we need a national scope" BS, what would that accomplish?

Do RNs have a national scope? Respiratory therapists? PTs, OTs, rad techs, surgical techs, perfusionists, psychologists, pharmacists or anyone else? This seems to be an extension of skillz mindset, i.e. that which determines quality based on cool skilz.

Further, any hypothetical scope would undoubtedly have to accommodate the lowest common denominator, thus handcuffing the few systems that don't suck.

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4. Inhaled Nitrous Oxide for relief of pain/discomfort

Does nitrous really work? As a child, I had a dentist who tried that gas on me a few times. Was great for a buzz ;) . But it still hurt like heck once the drilling commenced. I had no idea nitrous was used in EMS. Based upon just my own personal experience, I can't say that I have much faith in it.

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WTF? Please tell me you're being sarcastic.

Actually while i know it can be used there are no services within 300 miles of me using it. Perhaps the other poster just never seen it or heard of it because of similar.

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