Does anyone know any real details regarind the new EMT-B course that will be coming to NJ?

[ghurty]

Does anyone know any real details regarind the new EMT-B course that will be coming to NJ?

The course is supposed to double.

ANy details on what new skills/ scope of practice will be?

What type of bridge course will be available to existing emts?

Thanks

[island emt]

It will include 35 hours in basic English language skills and writing skills.

It will not have "new" scope of practice or more skills.

EMT-B will be soon relegated to being the stretcher fetcher or steering wheel holder.

Edited December 20, 2011 by island emt

[Just Plain Ruff]

It will include 35 hours in basic English language skills and writing skills.

It will not have "new" scope of practice or more skills.

EMT-B will be soon relegated to being the stretcher fetcher or steering wheel holder.

Line 1 seems especially poignant.

[Bullets]

Does anyone know any real details regarind the new EMT-B course that will be coming to NJ?

The course is supposed to double.

ANy details on what new skills/ scope of practice will be?

What type of bridge course will be available to existing emts?

Thanks

So this is the deal, Each eduactional project is being allowed to set their cirriculum from a menu of topics. There is a standard all must teach, and then any additional information at the projects direction. It means expansion beyond the old 120 hrs course. Some places may choose to add more A&P, pharmacology, trauma teatment, ect. based on area and type of calls. Some places where they have trialed this new course (Bergen) are running as basic course at around 300hrs with expanded clinical time, which is a monumental step in the right direction and hopefully will weed out idiots and bad providers and develop some better EMTs, while others (Monmouth) are barely changing anything to 160hrs, which is ridiculous

It will also so the addition of Aspirin administration. EMTs (no more "B") can assist with aspirin, if it is prescribed or available, to patients complaining of non-traumatic chest pain up to 325mg

Oxygen administration via NC, allowing for titration. In the past NRB was the only "allowed" route per protocol, though most EMT-B would use the NC, now its officially ok

Tourniquets get moved up in the bleeding control protocol. Before it was Direct pressure>Elevation>Pressure points>Tourniquets now its Direct pressue>tourniquets. The old fear of losing a limb is out, as it has no real medical science to advocate for in NJ, no squad has extended transports time that come anywhere close to the 4-6 hrs before Muscle, bone and tissue death

Trendelenburg Position is out, no science to support it, supine is fine, body self regulates BP, the only difference in BP sabilization is standing vs lying.

"Golden Hour" is out, its crap, now its golden period based on injury.

On Jan 1st. OEMSCERT becomes ELECTIVES ONLY and a new LMS platform will handle Initial and refresher courses on March 1st. The core 13 class that used to be required will now be broken up into three segements, one to be taken each year of your certification and known as the Core Refresher. After June 30th, CORE 13 goes away. The Core refresher will become your bridge, unless your squad or department runs an in-service course on aspirin and tourniquets.

Basically the State is adopting the national standard, along with the PHTLS guidlines regarding trauma treatment, which means less backboarding (hopefully) unless the pateint complains of neck/back pain or has clear neurological defecits and less emphasis on MOI (good), but no hope for any kind of C-spine Clearance a la NEXUS or Canadian (boo) It is also why many are hopeful for the AEMT cert to be back in NJ

[island emt]

Is NJ really that bass ackwards?

All of the things you listed have been the "standard of care for many years.

I knew NJ was screwed up in how they provided care , but WOW.

[paramedicmike]

Ed, you don't know the half of it.

[Bullets]

Is NJ really that bass ackwards?

All of the things you listed have been the "standard of care for many years.

I knew NJ was screwed up in how they provided care , but WOW.

Unfortunately yes. BLS care in NJ has been O2 via 15l NRB, wound care, splinting, oral glucose and assisting a patient with THEIR prescribed SL nitro, MDA, and thats about it. They recently allowed EMTs to carry Epipens

The BLS system, and EMS as a whole is controlled by the First Aid Council, a group of Volunteer agencies that number in the hundreds. What began as an organization that advocated for volunteers and promoted interoperability and intersquad relations has morphed into the single largest obstruction of EMS advancement in the state.They cling to old practices and standards, and most of the FAC leadership hasnt been inside an ambulance in 30 years. The EMS legislation recently passed in NJ only requires 1 EMT per truck, while the law originally required 2, but the FAC fought hard to get it changed to 1 because it would "be a hardship" on volunteers to get members to show for calls. They also dont feel that background checks should be required for EMTs to ride calls

Here is the Bill

http://www.njleg.sta...1000/818_I1.HTM

Here is the NJSFAC position on the EMS legistlation

http://www.njsfac.org/s818.shtml

ALS is equally screwed up. while they use the national protocol, the way its managed is kinda screwy. Each MICU unit is based out of a hospital. Some are employees of that hospital and the Hospital itself runs a EMS service, others are private corporations that contract with hospitals to provide ALS service out of the Hospital. So in Monmouth and Ocean counties, MONOC is the ALS provider and runs a truck out of every hospital. this is good in some ways because it allows a smoother operation between BLS and ALS since your always working with the same handful of medics from the same company. Its bad because if the ALS company is bad, the service is bad. In other counties, like Middlesex each hospital has its own medic service. So JFKMC and Muhlenberg Hospital are one service, Perth Amboy and Old Bridge run two other trucks, Robert Wood (level I) runs their own ALS service, and then Rahway, which is on the border but in Union county is a totally different company. So a BLS squad in Middlesex could get any combination of 4 different ALS companies depending on location

Edited December 25, 2011 by Bullets

[paramedicmike]

The "national protocol"? What's that? Can you please explain?

[Bullets]

The "national protocol"? What's that? Can you please explain?

NREMT? the medics are NREMT-Ps in that they at least share a more common standard of care with other medics from other states, as opposed to NJ basics who vary videly compaored to other states BLS

[island emt]

The national registry is a non profit with delusions of grandeur!

They write and administer testing for a fee. Nothing more & nothing less. They do not write protocols or training standards.

They portend to represent ALL of us that practice Prehospital Emergency Care.

Only if you pay for their lobbyist.