So I think my course isn't worth it's weight in gold

[premedtim]

Well, I had started to become suspicious when we started doing patient assessments and vitals during lab not last class meeting but the one before it, about 2 hours worth. What made me suspicious? Well, they tell us to practice assessments and vitals and then that's it. No direction. No scenarios. Nothing. They'll walk around the room and answer questions or explain something but that's about it.

Talking to my friend in medic school, he said that at NCTI, they do the same thing for EMT students as they do for medic students such as him: when it comes time for labs, people are split up into 5 -person groups with 1 instructor per group who gives the group a scenario, and the group as a whole has to do the assessment, vitals, interventions, etc.

So this brings me to a question. If I think I'm receiving a very inadequate amount of training, is there any way to correct this problem before it kills me when I try to get on with an ambulance company and have next to no classroom experience, let alone any real experience?

 

[fm_emt]

Maybe they're trying to encourage you guys to think on your own and come up with your own exercises?

 

[Ridryder911]

Sounds like the typical education now being given at many EMS institutions.. very crappy. A student should not have to "think" or come up with ideas as well as correct themselves or have other students correct them.

Hopefully, they are going to go more in detail as each module progresses. I would address this face to face with the instructor (if there are others, have them with you) and discuss that you would like more detail. They can answer or at least aware of your concerns.

I blame majority of EMS problems on EMS instructors and their lack of education on how to teach adult courses, as well as lacking in medical knowledge. So many assume because one is a good medic that they will make a good instructor is mythical fallacy.

May I suggest Bledsoe's Paramedic assessment book, which is small and goes into a good assessment for medical and trauma, from Brady. It might be a good aid.

I wish you the best of luck,
R/r 911

 

[Chimpie]

I had a similiar experience in my First Responder course. Each training session was four hours long. The first two hours was classroom lesson, the last two were always pt assessment, packaging and lifting. The instructor was there to answer questions, but he mainly just told us to come up with scenarios and go. In a group of 20, split into groups of 4, we ran out of scenarios pretty quick and by the fourth night we all pretty much were tired of this. In fact, for the rest of the training I pretty much left after the first two hours.

I put myself through another FR course, and since I was already a FA/CPR instructor, decided to become a FR instructor so that I can train the rest of our guys the right way.

 

[premedtim]

Well, I'm going to try to respond to everyone since you guys took the time to give me feedback.

Fm_emt: I think that /may/ be the case, but more likely, since there's about 25 or so students and only a few instructors, I think it's probably just a shortage of manpower. Plus, like I told the people in my group last class, it's kind of hard for an EMT to make up a scenario and run it when we haven't been on any calls so it's kind of hard to think something up anywho.

Rid: The Bledsoe's book, what exactly is it, does it list a variety of scenarios and then what the assessments are? If it's anything like that, I'll probably go ahead and pick it up, that sounds like it'd be pretty helpful in my situation. Thanks!

Chimpie: That's pretty much exactly what's happening. We've only been told to do our own thing in two classes so far and we're already sick of it. Good on you for wanting to help fix the problem!

 

[Jon]

I've help teach the more "functional" side of practials... my TI divides the class in as many as 6 groups for practicals, with at least 1 instructor per group. For packaging/lifting/moving... one group was working on a stairchair... another was working on draw sheet / 2-man carries... another was working on ambulance/strecher ops, etc... we set it up that the skills instructors teach the same material to each group, and the groups rotate.

 

[emtbuff]

I also do Evaluation and help with the local EMT classes. Our classes are 3 hours long so some times they lecture of the 3 hours (rare but does happened) other nights we have 3 hours of strictly hands on practicles, and most of the nights its a combo of lecture and practicles. We currently have 15 students in the class and on most nights we have at the min 3 instructors. If we have more we break them down to smaller groups or have the instructors pair up and run stations and have a good patient. This way the 2 instructors can use real life scenarios and combine Ideas to come up with good scenarios. I know that they do also have a 3 ring binder full of scenarios for any type of occasion you want to go threw.

But I do agree with Rid bring it to the instructor especially with a group if possible. I'm sure its a mutual feeling between you and others in the class. I do also agree that because your a good medic in the field doesn't mean your a good instructor. If you have any other questions for class stuff let us know There are plenty here that are willing to help you out as much as we can. Good luck and if worst comes to worst look into withdrawing if you can and take a different course.

 

[Glorified]

My program is pretty well established and has been around for awhile. They seems to do a fairly good job at creating scenarios and answering questions. The paramedic students and instructors will serve as supervisors at practicals. Good luck.