100 percent O2 not best treatment anymore....

[katbemeEMT-B]

I am an EMT-B and I have to agree with those that say our "education" is nothing more than a training session. I have been very fortunate in the fact that the program I was enrolled in also taught us outside the scope of the usual scope of practice for the Basic. My course was six months long. There is no possible way you can learn all that you need to in that short of time to be an effective EMT. At a minimum it should be a two year course. Until this happens it is up to us as EMTs to educate ourselves. By educate I mean learn from the calls we go on, attend classes through local colleges, attend seminars put on through the local hospitals aimed towards the medics, nurses, and doctors, attend conferences, attend ALL continuing ed classes and training, and read, read, read. Talk to the medical professionals at your local hospital and clinics about cases that intrigue you our maybe even confuse the hell out of you. Find out how the doctor came up with his diagnosis. Ask him if he has had any cases that have stumped him and discuss those with him. Show those people around you that you want to learn and they are more than willing to teach you.

The other thing you have to do is when posting be specific with your information. You don't sound like an educated EMT if your post doesn't appear that way. That doesn't mean you have to use scholarly words. It just means you have to know what you are talking about and you have to convey that to those of us that are reading your post. By the way, I was taught through my assessment skills training that not every patient needs O2. That is a case by case determination.

I know it's hard to swallow when others sit here and make it sound as though Basics are worthless. But after a few rants and raves myself with Dust and a few others I have also come to the conclusion that I was only proving them right. I made the decision that I would prove them wrong by posting more intelligent information and not take what they say so personally. They are not attacking any one person individually and that is what you have to remember. It took me a while to figure that out. I might suggest that you spend some time reading older posts before posting more of your own. It helps you to familiarize yourself with the people who post regularly here and the topics they have posted about. That doesn't not mean I won't ever go head-to-head with any of these people again but I will be prepared with facts and knowledge when I do. You can be passionate about a post but only knowledge in your reply will get you any respect.

I wish you luck and hope that you will have an open mind to those in the City.

[chbare]

=D>

"I am an EMT-B and I have to agree with those that say our "education" is nothing more than a training session. I have been very fortunate in the fact that the program I was enrolled in also taught us outside the scope of the usual scope of practice for the Basic. My course was six months long. There is no possible way you can learn all that you need to in that short of time to be an effective EMT. At a minimum it should be a two year course. Until this happens it is up to us as EMTs to educate ourselves. By educate I mean learn from the calls we go on, attend classes through local colleges, attend seminars put on through the local hospitals aimed towards the medics, nurses, and doctors, attend conferences, attend ALL continuing ed classes and training, and read, read, read. Talk to the medical professionals at your local hospital and clinics about cases that intrigue you our maybe even confuse the hell out of you. Find out how the doctor came up with his diagnosis. Ask him if he has had any cases that have stumped him and discuss those with him. Show those people around you that you want to learn and they are more than willing to teach you.

The other thing you have to do is when posting be specific with your information. You don't sound like an educated EMT if your post doesn't appear that way. That doesn't mean you have to use scholarly words. It just means you have to know what you are talking about and you have to convey that to those of us that are reading your post. By the way, I was taught through my assessment skills training that not every patient needs O2. That is a case by case determination.

I know it's hard to swallow when others sit here and make it sound as though Basics are worthless. But after a few rants and raves myself with Dust and a few others I have also come to the conclusion that I was only proving them right. I made the decision that I would prove them wrong by posting more intelligent information and not take what they say so personally. They are not attacking any one person individually and that is what you have to remember. It took me a while to figure that out. I might suggest that you spend some time reading older posts before posting more of your own. It helps you to familiarize yourself with the people who post regularly here and the topics they have posted about. That doesn't not mean I won't ever go head-to-head with any of these people again but I will be prepared with facts and knowledge when I do. You can be passionate about a post but only knowledge in your reply will get you any respect. "

Take care,

chbare.

[paramedicmike]

I know it's hard to swallow when others sit here and make it sound as though Basics are worthless. But after a few rants and raves myself with Dust and a few others I have also come to the conclusion that I was only proving them right. I made the decision that I would prove them wrong by posting more intelligent information and not take what they say so personally. They are not attacking any one person individually and that is what you have to remember. It took me a while to figure that out. I might suggest that you spend some time reading older posts before posting more of your own. It helps you to familiarize yourself with the people who post regularly here and the topics they have posted about. That doesn't not mean I won't ever go head-to-head with any of these people again but I will be prepared with facts and knowledge when I do. You can be passionate about a post but only knowledge in your reply will get you any respect.

Bravo!

+5

-be safe

[Richard B the EMT]

Would someone care to comment on the fact that First Responders, EMTs, and Paramedics have regularly scheduled, mandated "refresher" training to keep them current on practices and protocols for the area, county, state/provence, or country, but the nurses, physician's assistants, and doctors get out of their various training schools, and can actually be using training practices and protocols that are 40 or more years old, possibly outdated, due to whatever age the person is? They don't have to keep current on the newest practices and protocols, unless they choose to.

Also, all things medical, no matter what the level and scope of practice, as per the local medical board or Department of Health, are still called MEDICAL PRACTICE!

[chbare]

I am not sure I follow your question. I am required by my state to have at least 30 CE's if I want to renew my nursing license. To stay employed, I must keep current in ACLS, PALS, CPR, and NRP. I must also complete an educational session every quarter and successfully complete an educational session and clinical rotations every year. I also must either retest or obtain 100 CE's to keep current on my CEN. This does not include policy and protocol reviews and updates or QA/QI requirements. I guess I could choose not to do all of that and start looking for another job.

Take care,

chbare.

[Dustdevil]

Would someone care to comment on the fact that First Responders, EMTs, and Paramedics have regularly scheduled, mandated "refresher" training to keep them current on practices and protocols for the area, county, state/provence, or country, but the nurses, physician's assistants, and doctors get out of their various training schools, and can actually be using training practices and protocols that are 40 or more years old, possibly outdated, due to whatever age the person is?

You are incorrect.

I am required to maintain CEUs to maintain my nursing licence. Pretty sure that is universal. Same with PAs and physicians.

Reading around this board, it is painfully obvious that, even with that whole 24 hours of CEUs that is required for EMTs, many of them are still practising in the 1970s. In fact, many of them are still being taught in the 1970s.

[Ridryder 911]

Simple, the reason is they have received a formal education prior to specializing. That formal education itself is the foundation that basics are lacking. It is up to the person to decide on what area that they are going to go into after graduating, that then requires continuing education in that speciality area. For example, nursing will have more than the 48 hours in two years, at any competent hospital that is JCAHO accredited with. As well, once board specialized, such as CEN, CCRN, etc. that person(s) have to either refresh and take the test over or attend CEU's to maintain that certification level.

Not all states require CEU's for medical re-license, but many are including and increasing the number of required CEU's.

I believe the whole re-cert for EMT's is a joke. Most never attend conferences or upgrade their education or learn something new. The refresher is a mini- EMT class, that a summarized repeat of what they had when the attended EMT class the first time. Usually boring, waste of time, and nothing really progressive. I much rather see mandated courses of attendance such as PHTLS/ITLS, ASLS, NRP, PALS, ACLS etc.. be required in lieu of refreshers that at least give more current information and has some merit to them.

Refreshers are a great idea, if and only if produced right and has merit of actually refreshing material that might have been forgotten or presented weak in the initial training.

R/r 911

[JPINFV]

I agree that EMT-B recert/refresher is a joke. The refersher was a useless waste of time taught by a burt out RN that was never involved with prehospital care. She, based on my experience in the class, did not even have a firm understanding of physiology. My 48 hours of additional CEs came from 2 college classes (I believe I used physiology and cell biology), each was worth 24 hours. Of course I'm not supposed to use anything from my college class because that would be "diagnosing" and EMTs aren't supposed to do that (per my company's ex-training coordinator).

[Asysin2leads]

Maybe EMT-B training when you were younger was equivalent to couple hours of training, but dust it arn't today. My classes were 3 hours two days a week for a semester.

Someday Speedy, I pray to the good Lord our God that will find that sentence as funny as I do right now.

[Dustdevil]

Someday Speedy, I pray to the good Lord our God that will find that sentence as funny as I do right now.

LOL!

Actually, both sentences were pretty funny!