kristo Posted September 29, 2007 Posted September 29, 2007 Me too! With a BLS scope of practice! Since we are discussing EMS history here (among other things), I'd like to know the origin of the BLS/ALS distinction. I've never heard of it anywhere in any medical profession, except EMS. I know doctors and nurses who have never heard of this division. From their point of view, it's all just patient care. If a patient needs a drug, they administer it through the best route practical at the time, be it orally, rectally, IV, IM, etc. They don't consider themselves being "crossing a line" when they decide to give it IV instead of orally. I wonder if it's time to forget about this and merge the two into just one; "emergency care". If a patient needs to be splinted or backboarded, it's patient care. If an IV or an ET tube is needed, so be it. This is also the reason why I've never understood "BLS before ALS" or claims that an EMT needs to be present to make sure the medic doesn't "get to caught up in ALS to do BLS".
Ridryder 911 Posted September 29, 2007 Posted September 29, 2007 You are correct, only in EMS setting there is so much "labeling" of BLS vs. ALS. It started in the late 60's when nurses were allowed to start performing procedures on their own per verbal order of IV, EKG, etc... many of these programs of an extension of coronary care unit. I know there were a few historical units, one of those was located in my region in OKC. In 1968, a "Mobile Coronary Care Unit" was staffed by two nurses and a firefighter driver to respond with the ambulance or squad on "heart attacks". Like other programs, even those that were training ambulance attendants to deliver procedures more than the usual "ambulance attendant or first aid" level, it was considered to be "advanced". Again, it was never really initially designed to allow fireman, ambulance attendants, funeral home to be "health care providers". Like everything else, we place a band aid on an arterial bleed and deal with it later. Unfortunately, we never get around of dealing with it. One needs to remember as well, that nurses were strictly to follow physician orders and nursing programs were not as detailed in direct patient care. It was a quite different then. I agree, that it is unfortunate that such labels were created to separate care as advanced and basic. Now, patients and the system has to suffer. If we had only one level... communities would be expected to deliver the full care. R/r 911 R/r 911
spenac Posted April 8, 2008 Posted April 8, 2008 Education and division in EMS are the trouble. Lets put the patients first not ourselves and our egos.
Ridryder 911 Posted April 9, 2008 Posted April 9, 2008 Okay, over 6 months later... a reaction? R/r 911
spenac Posted April 9, 2008 Posted April 9, 2008 Okay, over 6 months later... a reaction? R/r 911 Some posts like some meds take longer to get the result desired.
JPINFV Posted April 9, 2008 Posted April 9, 2008 Paramedic school should be a 4 year degree with no entry requirements taught only at a college or university. Chemistry, physics, general biology, histology, anatomy, physiology, and neurophysiology should all be core requirements before starting the applied part of the course. By making it a continuous program, the administration can better streamline courses and provide proper monitoring of the courses.
Scaramedic Posted April 9, 2008 Posted April 9, 2008 Paramedic school should be a 4 year degree with no entry requirements taught only at a college or university. Chemistry, physics, general biology, histology, anatomy, physiology, and neurophysiology should all be core requirements before starting the applied part of the course. By making it a continuous program, the administration can better streamline courses and provide proper monitoring of the courses. I think I just heard Harold Schaitberger gasp in shock and pain!
Eydawn Posted April 9, 2008 Posted April 9, 2008 I'll agree on everything except the physics.... and you forgot Algebra. Wendy CO EMT-B
Eydawn Posted April 9, 2008 Posted April 9, 2008 Nope. Calculus is good for learning the higher sciences, but for what we utilize and need to understand, calc is not a necessity. Algebra, however, is. I liked Calculus... but I don't find myself using it very often... and I don't think that it would make someone a better medical provider. (Someone who doesn't dig higher math, that is. Anyone who pursues the study of anything they're interested in or have a yen for makes themselves a more rounded provider... even if it's studying dance theory in depth..) Wendy CO EMT-B
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