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Posted

Well I just completed my 17th exam to end our first semester didactic element of our program. Tomorrow I have my orientation for our introductory ALS ambulance practicum. It is to be 360 hours or 8 tours in duration.

This practicum is to critique my assessment skills and reinforce the learning we did in the didactic portion. Although I will be able to assist on ALS level calls, they will be run by my preceptor. I will be expected to apply and begin to interpret 12 leads, calculate, draw and administer meds as directed by the attending medic. Also it will be expected to advance my learning via studying and doing a paper or two on a case study of a Pt chosen by the preceptor.

It should be an interesting experiance and I am so looking forward to it. I will try and keep you all posted on my progress.

Posted
Well I just completed my 17th exam to end our first semester didactic element of our program. Tomorrow I have my orientation for our introductory ALS ambulance practicum. It is to be 360 hours or 8 tours in duration.

This practicum is to critique my assessment skills and reinforce the learning we did in the didactic portion. Although I will be able to assist on ALS level calls, they will be run by my preceptor. I will be expected to apply and begin to interpret 12 leads, calculate, draw and administer meds as directed by the attending medic. Also it will be expected to advance my learning via studying and doing a paper or two on a case study of a Pt chosen by the preceptor.

It should be an interesting experiance and I am so looking forward to it. I will try and keep you all posted on my progress.

EMT-P? I could have sworn they had started to adopt the PCP/ACP designations in Alberta?

Regardless, good luck! I'm half way done mine and it's amazing what you will learn...

Posted

Good luck Dave, break a leg :twisted:

EMT-P? I could have sworn they had started to adopt the PCP/ACP designations in Alberta?

Nope. I don't think it's even in the plans to adopt this. The College is quite picky on not calling everyone a 'Paramedic' as it seems to be a desire of protected title. It's still EMT and EMT-P.

Posted

I don't mind them not calling EMT's Paramedics. I just don't like them calling Paramedics EMT's. Why not protect both titles equally?

However, as the new EMT-B standards are applied in AB, they are progressing far, far away from what people think of as an EMT. And since the governing body for all practitioners is the Alberta College of Paramedics, they really should move towards the PCP/ACP system.

Dave, wtf? 360 hours in 8 shifts? I'm no mathmagician, but that's 45 hour shifts. How the hell does that work? :shock:

Posted

My apologies in the wording ( I was fairly excited after writing my last exam) it is actually 384 hours or 8 TOURS (32 shifts) the schedule is 4 on 2 off 4 on 6 off. In the 4 on it is 2 10 hour days and 2 14 hour nights.

Little better explanation after coming down off my high of finishing the didactic with a 3.5 GPA.

Posted
I don't mind them not calling EMT's Paramedics. I just don't like them calling Paramedics EMT's. Why not protect both titles equally?

However, as the new EMT-B standards are applied in AB, they are progressing far, far away from what people think of as an EMT. And since the governing body for all practitioners is the Alberta College of Paramedics, they really should move towards the PCP/ACP system.

I can't say I disagree, I was just trying to indicate the position (from what I understand) from ACP itself. For whatever reason, ACP just want's to be different than the rest.

Posted
I don't mind them not calling EMT's Paramedics. I just don't like them calling Paramedics EMT's. Why not protect both titles equally?

However, as the new EMT-B standards are applied in AB, they are progressing far, far away from what people think of as an EMT. And since the governing body for all practitioners is the Alberta College of Paramedics, they really should move towards the PCP/ACP system.

Dave, wtf? 360 hours in 8 shifts? I'm no mathmagician, but that's 45 hour shifts. How the hell does that work? :shock:

A "tour" is traditionally 4 shifts in duration...

  • 2 months later...
Posted

Well, finally finished with " exceeding expectations" and an A+ grade on my first practicum. It was an awsome experiance finally getting to work with an ALS service. My preceptors were awsome and the crew at the hall made me feel like one of the guys letting me get involved in training with them as well. Up to my mid-term evaluation, I was being assessed on BLS skills and treatments. After that point, my preceptors pushed me a little further to the neat level that I am going to be assessed on in my next practicum by studying meds that they use and integrating them into calls, after being able to convey why I would use them in a given situation. I was also giving all the reports to the RN's including the ALS calls.

This practicum was such an awsome experiance and I am looking forward to January when I will be starting my 2nd ambulance, ER and OR all in the first 2 months of next year. Now I just need to start pre-reading for next semester that starts in Sept.

Cheers,

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