What Happens In Medic School

[emtbasic13]

I was wondering during your clinicals in the different hospital settings during medic school. Are you just observing the nurses and doctors or are you assissting with treatments and exams also ?

[fiznat]

It probably depends on where you are, but when I did my clinical time the staff always tried to get us hands-on as much as possible. We were required to get 100 IV starts and 15 intubations as I recall, along with some number of various kinds of assessments, med deliveries, etc etc.

[JTpaintball70]

You'll be administering meds, starting lines, doing assessments, trying to get tubes, and generally doing whatever the docs and nurses tell you to do.

But on the other hand, I'm not sure what EMT-B clinicals are like since I never had to do them.

Edited December 9, 2010 by JTpaintball70

[JakeEMTP]

I agree with the above responses. When I did my hospital rotations, we did patient assessments, and all interventions up to my scope of practice. IV starts, blood draws, medication administrations and intubations, etc. Even did some above my scope under direction of the EMS medical director. You are there to learn. This is a hands-on business. When you show up for your first clinical shift, introduce yourself and ask if there is anything they need help with. You are not there to be their bitch, but it doesn't hurt to make up a stretcher or two.

Embrace your clinical time. It is a learning experience. Don't be afraid to ask questions from everybody! Nurse's and Doctor's. The staff get a fresh bunch of students regularly. If you show some interest, they will be willing to help you. They all have more education than you, and some are even willing to share it.

Good Luck!

Edited December 9, 2010 by JakeEMTP

[Richard B the EMT]

Back in 1974, the NY State EMT class I was in, required an 8 hour rotation in an ER. I did as asked by the doctors and nurses, "hold this here", "take a pulse", "hold him down while we put in this IV".

This was when all I knew of was EMTs and Paramedics, no EMT-D, EMT-A, A-EMT, EMT-IV, EMT-CC. I'd hear of them later on.

Also, the starting EMT classes back then were 45 hours long (plus that 8 hours in the ER).

In 1985, when taking my 3 week orientation classes for the municipal EMS, I rode third on an ambulance, where, in addition to being utilized as a pack mule, some of the crews actually had me take vitals and treat some minor wounds. They knew I was already an EMT, being taught to do things in the ways approved by the service ("the right way, the wrong way, and the Army way").

Edited December 10, 2010 by Richard B the EMT

[RomeViking09]

In our clinical we have to get 5 intubations, 25 IVs, 25 Drug pushes, so many patient assessment in a range of ages and complaints (example 30 adults ages 18-59, 20 adults 60+, each 2 newborn, infant, toddler, pre-school, school age, pre-teen, and teen, also need 15 chest pain, 20 trauma, 10 ABD pain, 20 Res distress, and so on)

Basically in the ER, ICU, & CICU we act as techs and get most of some skills like drugs, in the OR we just tube, in EMS we put it all together.

I would say ask questions and get hands on, don't sit back and watch when you can learn but know when to get out of the way.

In our clinical we have to get 5 intubations, 25 IVs, 25 Drug pushes, so many patient assessment in a range of ages and complaints (example 30 adults ages 18-59, 20 adults 60+, each 2 newborn, infant, toddler, pre-school, school age, pre-teen, and teen, also need 15 chest pain, 20 trauma, 10 ABD pain, 20 Res distress, and so on)

Basically in the ER, ICU, & CICU we act as techs and get most of some skills like drugs, in the OR we just tube, in EMS we put it all together.

I would say ask questions and get hands on, don't sit back and watch when you can learn but know when to get out of the way.

[medicgirl05]

When I did my basic clinicals we rotated through respiratory therapy, OB, ER, and EMS. We gave nebeulizers and I learned alot form the respiratory rotation! In OB we observed childbirth. ER we did vitals and patient assessments. EMS we did vitals and mostly just observed.

Doing paramedic clinicals was much more intense.

I went through the lab where we needed 25 blood draws.

I went through ER where we needed 25 IV starts and 25 patient assessments.

I went through OR where we needed 5 intubations.

I went to the health department and needed 15 med administrations.

I did EMS clinicals needing 25 patient contacts broken into different categories; OB; trauma, pedi...

I did 4 hours in a dispatch center to learn how their job is sometimes difficult.

The best way to have a good clinical experience is to make yourself available. If you walk in and offer to take vitals or even change sheets nurses are much more likely to take you under their wing and show you things. If you walk in and lean on a door frame thats where you will probably spend your rotation. For the most part they could care less if you are there but if you make an attempt they will be much more accepting.

[Kiwiology]

Our Paramedic (ILS) students undertake over 1,200 hours of intergrated clinical praxis and exposure during the three years of thier degree ranging from the fundamentals in Year 1 with the Patient Transfer Service to Year 3 where you are assigned to an Intensive Care Paramedic ambulance and expected to be a reasoned, functioning member of the crew under clinical supervision able to critically think and apply cognitive knowledge dexteriously with recall to appropriate clinical oversight if necessary.

The clinical component covers a range of in hospital, ambulance and community health settings aimed at reinforcing theoretical concepts and creating a well rounded, thinking, critically reflective healthcare provider. During such time it would not be uncommon for a student to strt several hundred IVs, administer a range of medication and be presented with a wide variety of clinical scenarios.

[Siffaliss]

The paramedic (EMT-P) program in Alberta is 2 years, not including the prerequisites as an EMR or EMT, or previous experience required and recommended. During the two years at the school I'm currently attending there is an approximate total of 16 months didactic and another 1400+ hours of clinical including an intermediate ambulance practicum, hospital practicum and advanced ALS practicum (over approximately 7-8 months).

Our scope of practice can be found here:

http://www.collegeofparamedics.org/Content_Files/Files/aocp_emtP.pdf

There is too much to list ...

[<8IN2B8]

The program that I am in is pretty similar, our program is two years and is nationally accredited. The clinical time is spent in the field, the ER, OR and other clinical & special events venues. Total clinical time is anywhere from 1040 hours to over 1200 depending on the student and availability of extra shifts at the field site. As the we advance through the program and gain more skills, we become responsible for more patient care issues. If you want to be a medic, this is the program to apply to, the staff cares about their students, a lot of clinical time, even one-on-one time with the medical director. Opportunities to use clinical skills at events such as the Little League World Series & Penn State Football and at a class I trauma center in their ER & with flights with their Aeromedical service.

http://www.pct.edu/schools/hs/paramedic/