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On-Duty Continuing Education Suggestions


EMS2712

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I am responsible for On-Duty Continuing Education on my Unit day. I am looking for suggestions for scenarios and/or lectures to do this. I am looking at about 2 hours of time per station, that I am able to teach. I am supposed to have a new rotation every 6 weeks(ballpark). We have 10 stations, and there is some built time for paperwork, office days, or teaching other courses(ACLS, AMLS, and the like). Any suggestions?

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oh there's tonnes to do!!

if it suits your hours/shifts/etc. do systems stations. ie,

respiratory

gross anatomy and physiology

quick overview of O2 delivery (including FI02)

various conditions and their pre hospital treatments

medications

techniques for advanced skills

circulatory

gross anat/phys

decide if you want to go on: ECGs (interpret and treat); CHF (suspect and treat); shock; MI (ECG interpret, suspect, treat); ACLS

techiniques and drugs with chronotropic, inotropic, dromotropic effects etc.

monitor familiarity and use (especially lesser used options)

advanced techniques.

and so on and so forth. (GI/GU, obstetrics, musc/skel, neuro, special needs, environment....)

if that does not work, consider choosing single topic (ie. hip fractures, positioning, assessment, transport, pain releif, potential blood loss, complications - both short and long term)

one day, i will teach! B)

here's some nifty websites too: think i got most of them from here somewhere:

ECG library: http://www.ecglibrary.com/

Heart sounds: http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/link.php?url...w.blaufuss.org/

tonnes of stuff: http://www.skillstat.com/learn.htm

ECG interpret guide: http://www.anaesthetist.com/icu/organs/heart/ecg/Findex.htm

also check out JEMS online website, they have tonnes of articles and info.

good luck!!

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What is your education, and what are your qualifications?

And what level of providers are you addressing?

Can't really answer your question without knowing this.

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Dustdevil to answer questions....

I am have been a Paramedic for about 6 years now, and I was an EMT-Basic for 2 years before that. I went college for fire and EMS, and completed my first year. The entire second year of the program was Paramedic School, and I didn't feel that the three month summer vacation was NEAR enough time to work as a Basic and become proficient. I took some time off and work for another year and half as an EMT-Basic before I went back to Medic School (9 month curriculum). I am going back to Nursing School as well as finishing my bachelor's degree in Health Science Administration. I have completed the Critical Care Paramedic curriculum, and an Ohio EMS-Instructor. I have held that certification for about a year and a half now. I was an Ohio Special Topics Instructor for 2 years prior to that. I have most of the alphabet cards as well. The big thing I would like for when I do the lectures while I am on duty is hands-on. We do our monthly CE lectures, and average about 30-40 personnel attending those. When we do the CE lectures on station, we usually have at most 8 guys (depending if the fire department first responders decide to join us). If they don't join us, it is myself and the medic crew I am teaching(three guys). In our system we are an EMS only system. We run a three man crew with minimum staffing 2 medics, and an EMT-I. At this point we only have 4 EMT-I's full-time in the department. We have phased out hiring the EMT-I, and are going Paramedic only. Most of our crews are all medic crews anyway.

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Sweet. I just wanted to make sure this wasn't a case of the blind leading the blind, which so often occurs. Knowing your qualifications, as well as the level you are addressing is going to help us suggest appropriate plans for you. We wouldn't want to go recommending things like advanced pharmacology if you were just teaching volunteer EMT-Bs. Similarly, we wouldn't want to talk about bandaging and splinting drills for an advanced system. Thanks.

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My personal preference would be scrap the skill stations and such (leave them for another time) and go with more of a rounds format. We have monthly interesting case rounds and a different station hosts every month. The crews from that station present some challenging cases, or better yet a call where a mistake was made and a lesson to be learned. The floor is then opened up to comments and/or questions and lively (but constructive) discussion. It is actually a pretty fun get together and our medical director buys pizza and sushi for everyone. I have found this to be a great way of learning. If you have 10 stations and each station hosts then everyone is only hosting barely once a year.

It is difficult to do in EMS, but what we are attempting to establish is a culture of personal reflection and responsibility for patient safety.

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Thanks for the response Northern. We have recently established the monthly CQI program within the division, and also participate with CQI programs at an additional 3 hospitals in the area. For us to have each station host wouldn't really be feasible for us as we can't take all of our crews out of their respective districts. In addition most of our facilities don't have the space to have 34 personnel in a conference setting(34 is our standard complement on duty at any time.) I may be mistaken, and if I am please correct me, but our definitions of stations may be different. I mean no disrespect if it comes across that way, but I want to make sure we are talking about the same things. We are going to the monthly CQI meetings, monthly In-Service/CE Lectures, and are implementing quarterly division staff meetings. We roughly have 105 full-time personnel, and an additional 20-25 part-time personnel (we have a new recruit class going through the hiring process right now).

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My personal preference would be scrap the skill stations and such (leave them for another time) and go with more of a rounds format. We have monthly interesting case rounds and a different station hosts every month. The crews from that station present some challenging cases, or better yet a call where a mistake was made and a lesson to be learned. The floor is then opened up to comments and/or questions and lively (but constructive) discussion. It is actually a pretty fun get together and our medical director buys pizza and sushi for everyone. I have found this to be a great way of learning. If you have 10 stations and each station hosts then everyone is only hosting barely once a year.

It is difficult to do in EMS, but what we are attempting to establish is a culture of personal reflection and responsibility for patient safety.

We did similar. If there was an interesting/unusual/ textbook type of call, present it but in different perspectives. We were a small enough dept. to present the same case to each shift as worse case scenario/ different results of different treatments, etc. At times they didn't recognize it as the same case as presented before.

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