Should I Write My Own EMS Textbook?

[buddha]

I also agree that EMS education is not perfect, but the point is that we need to work for change rather than sit around and complain about it. If you believe something is lacking, work to change the standards. I have been at this for more than a couple years, and feel qualified to make a couple observations. Many of the folks in here appear relatively new to EMS - not a bad thing. I am happy to see and to work with a new generation of provider. Your enthusiasm is very much appreciated and admired from my point of view. However, being new, many of you haven't had the opportunity to see where we started and how much we have truly changed as a profession over the last 25 years. The national standard curricula have changed greatly since my first EMT class, and many additions have been made. As we look forward to the National Scope of Practice model, the future holds many interesting changes in store for us. We need to support meaningful change and it starts at the curriculum - not the textbooks.

I have suffered through many of those clinical rotations you guys describe, and I am glad that NY has worked at developing better clinical requirements. One thing that no one has really discussed here is the fact that many people are "book smart" but lack even a hint of "street sense". When I did Paramedic years ago here in NY, completion of clinical rotations was competency based rather than time based. My students are required to do competency based clinicals. There are certain things each student must complete to be able to sit for final exams. I always felt that we were providing good classroom training and then sending people into the field like lambs to the slaughter. My students now rave about the clinical rotations and the amount of knowledge they gain from experienced preceptors, and when they pass the certification exam, I feel like they are truly ready to go out on their own.

The best changes we could make to our EMS educational program, in my opinion, would be a long term internship/clinical rotation such as the residency that doctors undergo. You can be at the top of your class, but the real test is in the field. And yes, I still learn new things every shift (as well as from my students).

[Ridryder 911]

Amen.. Budha

I was hoping with the curriculum change in the mid-'90's was supposed to have more competency's clinicals However, it seems (us) educators have failed implementing & demanding this.

We also need preceptors who want to teach. Just because they are a good medic, does not make them a good instructor ( or boss/supv). Some people feel uncomfortable teaching & should not have students.

I know some of the institutions now require EMS instructors to be on site at hospitals etc.. at some clinical sites. This has helped reduce clinical objective confusion as well as having a mediator to be sure the student is exposed to & has the ability to meet objectives.

So many EMT's do not understand the value of clinical exposures. Hour based clinicals with objective met criteria is the best. Just because you have an intubation clinical.. & stay there for 2 days & only intubate 3 patients is really not successful. The student should have a minimum number set criteria.. such as cardiac arrest, intubations, IV insertions etc.. This may mean more clinical time, but increased patient contact time. Also, EMT's are not aware, most medical students travel for specialty clinicals. For example I traveled 90 miles just to be able to do a pediatric burn rotation & 500 miles to do a trauma internship rotation. I know of physicians actually moving or traveling several hundred miles to work in a busy trauma center to get exposure.

If we required more, and students received more, can you imagine the skill level & feeling of competence our students would have. Also, I believe several would not have the feeling of leaving the field so easily, if time & money was placed into their career.

Respectfully,

Ridryder 911

[AnthonyM83]

I don't necessarily think anything more needs to be added to this thread, but I felt like bumping it (I was doing a search on textbooks). Some great stuff was said here. It also reminded me that not everyone has the same progressive mindset that's become so dominant here (and perhaps has driven some away by seeming arrogant without proper explanation like the ones in the thread, about the demands of the field expanding in recent years).

The thread just seemed like an EMTCity historical document or basic building block to where it is today.

[Just Plain Ruff]

ok, why are we quoting usaf when some of the quotes ahve come from ditch doc? I might be the only one confused though.

I just re-read the entire thread and USAF-the punisher has not made a single post here on this thread.

All the quotes that ended up being used to foster the negative harsh replies were Ditch Doctors quotes.

[spenac]

Well I wasted time reading a person bragging about their being better than the rest of us.

I am all for more books. It would be nice to see a collaboration of some of the people compiled into a text that addresses real EMS and where we want to see it in the future. The current textbooks Brady, Mosby, and AAOS when used together lead to a pretty good basic understanding. I have all 3 and can tell you I love parts of all of them and hate other parts. To be outstanding a student has to go out on their own and research subjects much more in depth, and honestly even if we created a fourth book would still need that additional research. Research is something that all professionals will be doing their entire career. Who knows maybe someday all students will be using SPENAC's Guide to denying transport paramedic book. :twisted:

[Dustdevil]

ok, why are we quoting usaf when some of the quotes ahve come from ditch doc? I might be the only one confused though.

I just re-read the entire thread and USAF-the punisher has not made a single post here on this thread.

All the quotes that ended up being used to foster the negative harsh replies were Ditch Doctors quotes.

LOL! Well, it's a little confusing, but they are all the same person. USAF_medic changed his name to Ditch Doctor after getting out of the AF, I think. Then after a long absence from EMT City, he re-registered as The Punisher, without a lot of fanfare. Still see him around on other forums, but I haven't seen him here in quite awhile.

[brentoli]

Holy

Batman

[AnthonyM83]

Well I wasted time reading a person bragging about their being better than the rest of us.

Yeah...it was mostly the replies that I appreciated, but also some of what he said...and also reminded me to avoid having an attitude/mindset like his.

As far as research, research is good, but you can't count on it as your fourth source, b/c you can't research every topic. Research helps get better at areas here and there not with overall education. I think research should be one of the topics IN the book...since it's a way of extending how long the book material will be up to date...if you teach research, then it allows the student to self-update on medical topics more.

[captainstandup]

The problem isn't with the quality of books, its with the idiots permitted to "teach" the subject matter and the political "stuff" that surrounds learning. In North Carolina the Association of Rescue and EMS has lobbied and bribed its way to credibility. They oppose virtually every advancement in educational requirements or in raising the bar for "instructors" The company line is " you cant increase the educational requirements, it would destroy our volunteer organizations" The government coalesces and nothing changes.

A single book simply will not do. Anatomy and Physiology is poorly addressed, if at all in most EMS textbooks. The reason is that it cannot be effectively covered in a section of a book since it is at least a two semester course with labs. (OK perhaps its not everywhere, but it should be) This is the very foundation of caring for others and must be given the appropriate attention instead of being an aside or nuisance.

[firedoc5]

One thought I'd always had is that there needs to be more text books out there that incoporates the academics and the practicle information from the actual field. There needs to be a happy medium between the two. I've taught some classes that right after the final test(s) are given and everyone had passed, then you tell the students that now is the time to learn what really needs to be learned.