National Registry, WHATS WRONG with it ? I'll tell you

[FireMedic65]

For the love of pancakes... what is so wrong with advancement?

[paramedicmike]

Thanks for all the responses.... I agree with "benzo boy" that the NR is a bit of a scam, to make money. When i was originally cert. in NYS, I did not take it, because it was not needed and 50 or 75 bucks was a lot of money back then.

While there is a business aspect to NR, there is no scam involved. Every business needs money to operate. Every organization that offers any kind of certification charges for exams. This is true not only in medicine but in other industries as well.

To follow your argument any organization that charges a fee to take their certification exam is a scam. Do you honestly believe that?

I stand by my post, and will add that there are nervous test takeers out there, who are GREAT medics, but just test badly. I think that the inability to know what you FAILED on is some kind of HUSH, HUSH, the "mystic" of NR, and so on... about 3/4 of his class failed some portion of the practical..

Seventy five percent of the students in this particular group failed some portion of the practical exam and it's the fault of NR? That kind of failure rate points more towards inept training and student preparation than it does to problems with an exam.

In NY and MANY other places, this is unheard of. by the time you get finished you are READY to test. and if you get testing gitters, you are handed a skills sheet saying this if what you fialed, and you retest the same day, and usually PASS..

This isn't a state issue. This is an education issue. If students take and fail the exam this isn't the fault of the state or the examiners or the exam. It's the fault of the student and/or the fault of the educational facility. Failure on behalf of the student reflects poor or inadequate preparation that can be traced to either the individual student or the educational facility.

Did you blame your grade school or high school teachers because you didn't pass a test they administered in class? I didn't think so.

I think that the high level of failures in both practical and written indicates that there is a BIG Problem with NR..

Funny. I think it points to the lousy educational preparation provided to candidates preparing for the certification exam. How is it the fault of the test if a candidate fails? I can't quite grasp this pass the buck mentality.

Remember years ago, you could not even get copies of NR skills, sheets, like they were blueprints for a nuclear warhead or blueprints to the White House... My point is the high level to SECRECY detracts from making Pre-hosptial care providers, and Paramedics in particular recognized the way firefighters, and police officers are. IMHO.

Funny, now you CAN get copies of the skills sheets and yet your friend still failed. What does this say about the preparation of your friend? The information was right there and easily accessible. Not only do they tell you what you need to do but they tell you what NOT to do. How difficult a concept is this?

And to what secrecy are you referring? The secrecy that you don't get to see the exam either before or after it's administered? That's how they maintain the integrity of the exam. It wouldn't be much of a test if they gave it back for review.

There have been several excellent explanations offered as to why things are they way they are. And I don't quite understand why people in EMS feel the need to blame the testing agency for their own shortcomings (either through study/preparation or the quality of instruction they received). I don't see this in any other industry. And I certainly didn't see it when I worked for a (non-EMS) professional certification granting organization.

Firefighters and cops are recognized differently than EMS providers for a variety of reasons. One is that they "have a better union" (so to speak). Another is that they have that whole public safety thing behind them. There's just not a lot of glamour to medical care when there are strict limitations on what you can say or share so as not to violate patient privacy.

It's understandable to be upset if one fails a test or a part of a test. It's not only not understandable but completely wrong to blame anyone but the test taker for that particular failure.

-be safe

[FireMedic65]

Forgot about this. On top of knowing what you will be tested on.. you are asked at the end of each scenario/station "is there anything you would have done differently?". So, you are allowed to see the skill sheets to know what you are being tested on. They are very easy to find if you haven't seen them. Then you are given a second chance to make amends to something you make have forgotten to messed up on. The critical fails in the testing scenarios are pretty significant things. If you miss doing one of them, or do something you shouldn't that is bad, very bad for the patient. When they "keep is a secret" about what you messed up on, it's meant for you to go back and review it all so you don't make that same mistake again, along with making a different one.

[Richard B the EMT]

I skimmed the postings, so if this was already mentioned, oops on me.

If no skills sheets are shown to a student following a failed skills test, on presumption that the student will go back and study each and every little detail on a skills station, leaves open a potential problem that, no many times the student studies up, the student misses the same point each and every time, and has no inkling that they ARE missing that one fatal point.

I use as an example, one time I was told an office I was looking for was upstairs to the right. I went up the stairs, turned right, and hit a wall.

After 3 tries, I returned to the directing individual, who then realized I had not seen a hidden staircase to the right. The office was at the top of the hidden stairway.

[FireMedic65]

I skimmed the postings, so if this was already mentioned, oops on me.

If no skills sheets are shown to a student following a failed skills test, on presumption that the student will go back and study each and every little detail on a skills station, leaves open a potential problem that, no many times the student studies up, the student misses the same point each and every time, and has no inkling that they ARE missing that one fatal point.

I use as an example, one time I was told an office I was looking for was upstairs to the right. I went up the stairs, turned right, and hit a wall.

After 3 tries, I returned to the directing individual, who then realized I had not seen a hidden staircase to the right. The office was at the top of the hidden stairway.

but there are no hidden staircases in the NR. The skill sheets tell you what you need to do and what not to do. No secrets. It's there, plain English.

[mobey]

http://www.nremt.org/nremt/EMTServices/exa...=1#BSkillSheets

I dunno.... looking through the skills sheets, it seems pretty hard to miss anything. If you cannot figure out your "critical failure" yourself, you probably are not ready to hit the street.

*Damn, why does every COPD exacurbation I treat end up dying?.... Oh well... I'll just keep doing the same thing*

Get my drift.

[HellsBells]

Think the cost for your exam is bad? The in Alberta, the dreaded Alberta College of Paramedics exam now costs $747. As well as a $375 a year registration fee.

[EMS49393]

I think NR is a scam and sucks for a completely different reason than those stated by the folks here that either can't pass it or have never had to take it.

I think it's too easy. The practicals are handed to you on a nice paper printout platter. NR gives away the practical portion of the exam with their study sheets. If you don't go to their website, print them off, hand them to a friend, and run through your stations for practice, you are a twit and probably deserve your epic fail.

The written exam was even easier. As I've said before, I've had middle school math tests that were more challenging.

The re-certification requirements are also incredibly easy to obtain, in fact, they don't require near enough hours. Forty-eight hours of refresher, and 24 hours in everything else for a two year period. Hell, nearly everyone requires ACLS and PALS, giving a person 16 of the required 24 additional. If your employer holds competency classes at least on a quarterly basis (which they should, or they suck), you'll have enough hours to re-up yourself and twelve of your closest friends. It's actually kind of pathetic how few hours are required to maintain our certifications and licenses, especially compared to other health care providers. Then again, what can a person expect when there are so many 6 month medic mills out there. The last few times I've re-upped, I've had well over 120 hours, and those were just the hours I could find the certificates of attendance to.

Whine, whine, whine, what a whiny freaking profession. No wonder we remain the red-headed step children of public service, health care, department of waste removal, or whatever your company falls under.

Once upon a time this was going to be my forever career, but whiny people complaining about education requirements have made it nearly impossible for me to even stand to be a paramedic anymore. I've heard enough pathetic dribble about pay, respect, and education. This is the crap that makes me equate my job with one at McDonalds, except I'm not loving it, and thanks to "easy way out" punks, I'll never make as much as they do.

I'm back in college working on a masters in a completely unrelated field. You know who is b**ching about the education required for the degree? NO ONE. Shocking.

[croaker260]

I think NR is a scam and sucks for a completely different reason than those stated by the folks here that either can't pass it or have never had to take it.

I think it's too easy. The practicals are handed to you on a nice paper printout platter. NR gives away the practical portion of the exam with their study sheets. If you don't go to their website, print them off, hand them to a friend, and run through your stations for practice, you are a twit and probably deserve your epic fail.

The written exam was even easier. As I've said before, I've had middle school math tests that were more challenging.

The re-certification requirements are also incredibly easy to obtain, in fact, they don't require near enough hours. Forty-eight hours of refresher, and 24 hours in everything else for a two year period. Hell, nearly everyone requires ACLS and PALS, giving a person 16 of the required 24 additional. If your employer holds competency classes at least on a quarterly basis (which they should, or they suck), you'll have enough hours to re-up yourself and twelve of your closest friends. It's actually kind of pathetic how few hours are required to maintain our certifications and licenses, especially compared to other health care providers. Then again, what can a person expect when there are so many 6 month medic mills out there. The last few times I've re-upped, I've had well over 120 hours, and those were just the hours I could find the certificates of attendance to.

Whine, whine, whine, what a whiny freaking profession. No wonder we remain the red-headed step children of public service, health care, department of waste removal, or whatever your company falls under.

Once upon a time this was going to be my forever career, but whiny people complaining about education requirements have made it nearly impossible for me to even stand to be a paramedic anymore. I've heard enough pathetic dribble about pay, respect, and education. This is the crap that makes me equate my job with one at McDonalds, except I'm not loving it, and thanks to "easy way out" punks, I'll never make as much as they do.

I'm back in college working on a masters in a completely unrelated field. You know who is b**ching about the education required for the degree? NO ONE. Shocking.

Cant say I disagree at all.

[FireMedic65]

I think NR is a scam and sucks for a completely different reason than those stated by the folks here that either can't pass it or have never had to take it.

I think it's too easy. The practicals are handed to you on a nice paper printout platter. NR gives away the practical portion of the exam with their study sheets. If you don't go to their website, print them off, hand them to a friend, and run through your stations for practice, you are a twit and probably deserve your epic fail.

The written exam was even easier. As I've said before, I've had middle school math tests that were more challenging.

The re-certification requirements are also incredibly easy to obtain, in fact, they don't require near enough hours. Forty-eight hours of refresher, and 24 hours in everything else for a two year period. Hell, nearly everyone requires ACLS and PALS, giving a person 16 of the required 24 additional. If your employer holds competency classes at least on a quarterly basis (which they should, or they suck), you'll have enough hours to re-up yourself and twelve of your closest friends. It's actually kind of pathetic how few hours are required to maintain our certifications and licenses, especially compared to other health care providers. Then again, what can a person expect when there are so many 6 month medic mills out there. The last few times I've re-upped, I've had well over 120 hours, and those were just the hours I could find the certificates of attendance to.

Whine, whine, whine, what a whiny freaking profession. No wonder we remain the red-headed step children of public service, health care, department of waste removal, or whatever your company falls under.

Once upon a time this was going to be my forever career, but whiny people complaining about education requirements have made it nearly impossible for me to even stand to be a paramedic anymore. I've heard enough pathetic dribble about pay, respect, and education. This is the crap that makes me equate my job with one at McDonalds, except I'm not loving it, and thanks to "easy way out" punks, I'll never make as much as they do.

I'm back in college working on a masters in a completely unrelated field. You know who is b**ching about the education required for the degree? NO ONE. Shocking.

You make a lot of good points. This however, is not NR's fault. People will complain about anything and everything on stuff. Easier to make excuses than it is to just admit to sucking. Look at the last Summer Olympics. Gold medal races, and people were making excuses for losing.

NR is easy in a few aspects. The practical portion was pretty simple. I had trouble with the written solely because of it's format. I know the material, I just over thought everything. No big whoop, it's not their fault, it is mine.

NR is trying to make things better for EMS all around though. It is those whiners you talk about that keep this profession a laughing stock.