ALS Intercepts

[Just Plain Ruff]

Until EMS in the United States is taken out of the direct control of the Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Administration (USDOT/NHSTA), the need for higher educational standards is going to be a lost argument.

With organizations like NAEMS and NREMT focusing on 'minimum required hours of education', EMS is going to have a difficult time advancing from the 'dark ages'.

But Lone that is why the NAEMS and NREMT are focusing on Minimum hours.

Until the education component is increased the NAEMS and NREMT will focus on that.

If we as a collective industry will not mandate more education then the powers that be will continue to advocate for less is more concept.

I look at it this way, I taught my son an algebra equation the other day (he's 7) A+B=C I told him what A and C were and he needed to figure out what B was. Without fail he got B right. Now he thinks he knows algebra.

This is what's happening in EMS today. We see a condition(A), we have a protocol book( so we know C(treatment)

Condition + Protocol Book = Treatment

What is wrong with the above algebra equation? There is no accounting for variables in the patient, the protocol or the treatment.

Variables such as allergies, current meds and the interactions. CASE in point. Multiple PVC's versus Paced rhythm. Teach someone the protocol for multiple PVC's and they might consider giving an antiarrhythmic right? Maybe. IF it's in the protocol book, yes they would. What happens if the pvc's are actually a paced rhythm and the monitor isn't picking up the pacer spikes? What happens when you give Lido or an antiarrhythmic to a person with a pacemaker? I'll let you answer that question.

That variable will possibly kill the patient. But if they follow the basic algebra equation condition+protocol=treatment then they will do more harm than good. This will only happen one time but what a bad thing to happen to the patient and to you as a medic/EMT-I

More education will help fix these issues.

We need education that goes beyond the algebra concept and takes in the theory and calculus and trignometry and all that. This correlates in EMS to At least an AA or AS level education or better yet, a bachelors. If you are wanting to go on to critical care paramedic level knowledge then maybe a masters in EMS would be the base.

[Richard B the EMT]

Quick Question:

I know of the NREMT (National Registry of EMTs) and NAEMT (National Association of EMTs). I don't know NAEMS, of which I can only find a Northern Arizona EMS reference via Google.

What is the reference here (EMT City) of NAEMS?

If typo, let me know. Tnx.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Quick Question:

I know of the NREMT (National Registry of EMTs) and NAEMT (National Association of EMTs). I don't know NAEMS, of which I can only find a Northern Arizona EMS reference via Google.

What is the reference here (EMT City) of NAEMS?

If typo, let me know. Tnx.

try www.naemsd.org

I was a member of the NAEMS a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away but I'm not a member of any of these groups anymore. Don't have the money to pay them for membership. I don't even belong to my state ems org. www.memsa.org

[Kiwiology]

You want increased education?

1. Remove the IAFC/IAFF who want to suck up all the tax money but have no real interest in Paramedicine

2. Remove volunteers; its nice they want to help but seriously the days of accepting the constraints they place on the system are over

3. Get medicaare to pay something better than what, like 30c on the dollar?

... would be a good start; the DOT/NTHSA are no where as powerful force as the self intereted Fire Unions and volunteers.

Edited August 5, 2010 by kiwimedic

[zippyRN]

Meanwhile, nanna with the busted NOF is still waiting for someone to relieve her agonising pain...........

which in the UK even some First responders are doing and middle tier, volunteer and tech trucks have as mandatory equipment in Entonox but we'd already been down entonox in this thread ...

[BushyFromOz]

Uglyemt and BoCat,

Don't take everything so personally. Far be it for me to speak for Bushy, but from what I took from his post was he was advocating ALS (or total pt. care, which I personally prefer) everywhere for all patients. I don't think he was slamming you personally.

Yup. Its not ALS v BLS, (its hard for me to use american jargon without coming off sounding like a pompous ass). Total patient care is a great descriptor, that is, EMT's, paras, whatever you choose to call them having a skill set and education appropriate to patients needs. This does not necessarily have to equate to contemporary US style ALS, but clearly the contemporary US style BLS is outmoded.