EMSP 1110 Syllabus

Subject Code

EMSP

Course Number

1110

Course Title

Introduction to the EMT Profession

Prerequisites

Program admission

Corequisites

Terms Offered

Offered Fall

Credit Hours

(2-2-3)

Course Description

This course serves as the introductory course to the Emergency Medical Services profession. It orients students to the pre-hospital care environment and to issues related to the provision of patient care in both in-hospital and out-of-hospital circumstances. It provides foundational information upon which subsequent curriculum content is based. Successful completion of this course increases the potential for success in subsequent courses and should allow students to apply the fundamental knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained in order to effectively communicate and function safely, ethically, and professionally within the emergency medical services environment. Topics include anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, pathophysiology, cardiopulmonary resuscitation for healthcare professionals, EMS systems, research, workforce safety and wellness, documentation, EMS system communication, therapeutic communication, medical/legal and ethics, public health, the principles of safely operating a ground ambulance, incident management, multiple casualty incidents, air medical, vehicle extrication, HazMat, MCI due to terrorism and disasters, and life-span development.

Course Outcomes

Anatomy and Physiology

  • Apply fundamental knowledge of the anatomy and function of all human systems to the practice of EMS.

Medical Terminology

  • Use foundational anatomical and medical term and abbreviations in written and oral communication with colleagues and other health care professional.

Pathophysiology

  • Apply fundamental knowledge of the pathophysiology of respiration and perfusion to patient assessment and management.

CPR for Health Care Professionals

  • Establish certification in CPR consistent with the AHA Healthcare Provider level (refer to the current American Heart Association guidelines).

EMS Systems

  • Apply fundamental knowledge of the EMS system, safety/well-being of the EMT, medical/legal and ethical issues to the provision of emergency care.
  • Interpret EMS systems.
  • Articulate the history of EMS.
  • Determine the roles, responsibilities, and professionalism of EMS personnel.
  • Encourage appropriate professional interactions with other EMS personnel.
  • Demonstrate quality improvement.
  • Demonstrate patient safety.
  • Encourage patient safety.

Research

  • Discuss evidence-based decision-making.
  • Discuss impact of research on EMT care.
  • Describe data collection.

Workforce Safety and Wellness

  • Articulate standard safety precautions.
  • Demonstrate the application of standard safety precautions.
  • Demonstrate personal protective equipment.
  • Demonstrate the appropriate use of personal protective equipment.
  • Implement stress management (particularly with death and dying).
  • Demonstrate prevention of response related injuries.
  • Demonstrate the appropriate lifting and moving techniques.
  • Display appropriate lifting and moving techniques.
  • Articulate disease transmission.
  • Establish wellness principles.

Documentation

  • Articulate principles of medical documentation and report writing.
  • Demonstrate the principles of medical documentation and report writing for various patient scenarios.
  • Comply with state guidelines for transfer of care documentation.

EMS System Communication

  • Describe the EMS communication system.
  • Discuss communication with other health care professionals.
  • Discuss team communication and dynamics.
  • Demonstrate appropriate communication techniques, including communication with other health care professionals and team communication and dynamics.
  • Display appropriate professional communication techniques, including communication with other health care professionals and team communication and dynamics.

Therapeutic Communication

  • Describe the principles of communicating with patients i a manner that achieves a positive relationship.
  • Describe adjusting communication strategies for age, stage of development, patients with special needs, and differing cultures.
  • Demonstrate interviewing techniques.
  • Develop appropriate verbal defusing strategies.
  • Assess family presence issues.
  • Demonstrate appropriate therapeutic communication skills, including: interviewing techniques; verbal defusing strategies; and assessing for family presence issues.
  • Display cultural competence with respect to therapeutic communication.

Medical/Legal and Ethics

  • Characterize consent and refusal of care.
  • Examine confidentiality.
  • Outline advanced directives.
  • Articulate tort and criminal actions.
  • Articulate evidence preservation.
  • Demonstrate appropriate evidence preservation techniques.
  • Characterize statutory responsibilities.
  • Demonstrate mandatory reporting.
  • Examine ethical principles and oral obligations.
  • Maintain ethical principles and moral obligations.

Public Health

  • Identify local public health resources and the role EMS personnel play in public health emergencies.
  • Use simple knowledge of the principles of illness and injury prevention in emergency care.

Principles of Safely Operating a Ground Ambulance

  • Discuss the risks and responsibilities of an emergency response.
  • Describe the risks and responsibilities of transport.
  • Describe the operational roles and responsibilities to used ensure safe patient, public, and personnel safety.
  • Demonstrate appropriate use of a ambulance stretcher, including packaging, transferring, and transporting a patient on an ambulance.
  • Appreciate the need for due regard.

Incident Management

  • Collaborate establishing and working within the incident management system.
  • Encourage establishing and working within the incident management system.

Multiple Casualty Incidents

  • Describe triage including: performing triage; re-triage; destination decisions; and post traumatic and cumulative stress.
  • Discuss resource management.
  • Demonstrate appropriate triage techniques.
  • Encourage appropriate triage techniques.

Air Medical

  • Describe safe air medical operations.
  • Describe the criteria for utilizing air medical response.

Vehicle Extrication

  • Describe safe vehicle extrication.
  • Describe the use of simple hand tools.

Hazardous Materials Awareness

  • Describe the risks and responsibilities of operating in a cold zone at a hazardous material or special incident.
  • Respect the risks and responsibilities of operating in a cold zone at a hazardous material or other special incident.

Multiple Casualty Incidents Due to Terrorism/Disaster

  • Describe the risks and responsibilities of operating on the scene of a natural or man-made disaster.
  • Respect the risks and responsibilities of operating on the scene of a natural or man-made disaster.

Life Span Development

  • Apply fundamental knowledge of life span development to patient assessment and management.
  • Establish clinically relevant care for individuals with respect to the life span.