EmergencyMedicalTigger Posted February 25, 2007 Posted February 25, 2007 I think you should have a two-year degree just to be an EMT-B. Paramedic programs should be four years.
RescueOne Posted February 26, 2007 Posted February 26, 2007 EMT-B = 2 year program? Actually, I tried to post this 2 hours ago, however Comcast decided to go offline, so internet disappeared for a while. When you consider that if the senior-most provider in the back of the rig is an EMT-B, and is in immediate charge of the patient's well being...then yes. It comes to mind that you very well might want that EMT to have the utmost training and education they can possibly have. Here is a Wikipedia article that breaks down Canada's level of Paramedics, and the education/training requirements of each. On this page you may find links with similar info pertaining to other nation's medics as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramedics_in_Canada Back to the matter at hand... Two & Four year degrees in PreHospital Emergency Medical Sciences My proposal is such (in a perfect world, anyway): A Paramedic w/ a 2-year degree would be equivocal to an RN w/ a 2-year degree. A Paramedic w/ a 4-year degree would be equivocal to an RN w/ a 4-year degree. Each level would receive pay commensurate with experience & education. The AS Paramedic is trained up to the NREMT-P level, and nothing more. The BS Paramedic is trained to include Critical Care, as well as the 2 years of General Studies. Ideally, might the BS Paramedic program include studies for allowing a Medic-RN bridge to be more seamless? What are your ideas on this? Incidentally, here's an example of an educational institute offering a Paramedic 18-month AS Degree http://www.jchs.edu/page.php/prmID/82 They seem to have a monopoly on Paramedic education in their area, as I haven't found any other program w/in 100 miles of them. There are no colleges anywhere near me offering the AS Paramedic Program, that I've found. The closest thing I've seen is the EMT-I course, at the local Comm. College. I received my Paramedic Cert. years ago, when a 9 month NREMT-P curriculum was all you could find. If I was starting out all over again today, I'd personally go for the most advanced program available.
VentMedic Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 This is a follow up to my earlier post about Medicare caring about your education. Besides being a paramedic, I am also a Respiratory Therapist. The happenings on Capitol Hill with RT are getting good. Respiratory Therapists are relatively new...Nationally certified for more than 30 years but in most States, licensed less than 20 years. Their educational standards have been growing...trying to keep up with OT, PT, ST etc to get Medicare funds. Every profession acts like a separate business to keep money coming in to stay alive. Medicare affords a number of advanced-level allied health care providers the privilege of working without direct physician supervision, such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists. The AARC Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative will give respiratory therapists with an RRT and bachelor’s degree similar recognition that they do not now have. A respiratory therapist would need to have an RRT and bachelor’s degree to be eligible to participate under the AARC Initiative. Because other allied health professionals recognized by Medicare have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, or in a number of cases, advanced professional credentials, the AARC feels strongly that it is important to make a niche for the advanced practice respiratory therapist so that the initiative is more likely to be supported on Capital Hill. This applies mostly for reimbursement purposes outside of the hospital. They will be able to contract their services to physicians for disease management programs and testing. A profession's education level can make a big impact on the opportunities available when you look at it from a business point of view.
chicagoambo Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 Does a 2 yr assoc or 4 yr bach make a medic better at the street level, no way!Yeah the educated medic is great for becoming a supervisor but as a grunt in the ghetto?Give me a blue collar( 9 month) paramedic as a partner any day, keep the know it all,cocky pretty boys for downtown!
BushyFromOz Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 Does a 2 yr assoc or 4 yr bach make a medic better at the street level, no way! Yeah the educated medic is great for becoming a supervisor but as a grunt in the ghetto?Give me a blue collar (9 month) paramedic as a partner any day, keep the know it all,cocky pretty boys for downtown! Well, thats the most short sighted, ignorant and arrogant post ive seen in a while.........heres a banana for your troubles bojangles :roll:
Dustdevil Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 Does a 2 yr assoc or 4 yr bach make a medic better at the street level, no way! Funny how this always comes from somebody who doesn't have the education themselves. Tell us, just how many degreed medics have you worked with that you can be so sure of this nonsense you spout?
Ridryder 911 Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 Does a 2 yr assoc or 4 yr bach make a medic better at the street level, no way!Yeah the educated medic is great for becoming a supervisor but as a grunt in the ghetto?Give me a blue collar( 9 month) paramedic as a partner any day, keep the know it all,cocky pretty boys for downtown! Yeah, just give me the lights and sirens and get the hell out of my way...no need in that fancy medicine stuff!... Gettrrr done .. yooo weeee! and just to think why we are still called ambulance drivers? R/r 911
zippyRN Posted February 27, 2007 Posted February 27, 2007 I think you should have a two-year degree just to be an EMT-B. Paramedic programs should be four years. look at the UK system while not quite as extreme as that the Quallified Ambulance technician working for an NHS Ambulance service will have undertaken the following the training minimum six , usually 7 or 8 - 10 week clinical training, 3 week advanced and emergency driving course , other local training , a period of time working with a training supervisor and a year's probationary period with review by training officers and writeen assessments across the year. middle tier staff and staff working forthe volunteer agencies - who don't generally go to unselected Emergency Calls without additional training and supervisions again 5-6 weeks (equivalent) training - driving courses ( same 3 week course if doing emergency driving) and ongoing review by training officers even none emergency patient transport staff do 3 weeks training and a week's driving course ... UK paramedic preparation for practice is moving to Foundation Degree/ DipHE ( 2/3rds of a bachelors) level withi increasing numbers of bachelors programmes
chicagoambo Posted March 1, 2007 Posted March 1, 2007 Having a title next to your name doesn't mean your a good paramedic,or experience in a low volume system!I see you guys are impressed with your credentials,love to see you perform under stressful situations!I find this new breed of supposedly educated paramedics don't do well when you have large scale triaging or large crowds in the ghetto threatening to kill you.They turn and run or just freeze and can't think straight, i guess you don't learn to read the streets in a book.But when the shit hits the fan, experience wins out!You're right i'm not much educated(associate 2 yr)!I've been in the ghetto foe 25 yrs by choice!
BushyFromOz Posted March 1, 2007 Posted March 1, 2007 Having a title next to your name doesn't mean your a good paramedic,or experience in a low volume system!I see you guys are impressed with your credentials,love to see you perform under stressful situations!I find this new breed of supposedly educated paramedics don't do well when you have large scale triaging or large crowds in the ghetto threatening to kill you.They turn and run or just freeze and can't think straight, i guess you don't learn to read the streets in a book.But when the Ca Ca hits the fan, experience wins out!You're right i'm not much educated(associate 2 yr)!I've been in the ghetto foe 25 yrs by choice! And you are both impressed with your lack of credentials and your ego scared and threatened by those who have them. But your missing the point....... It's not about what was good enough in the past, or how it was done in the good ole' days. Its about what should, would, could, and can be made better in the future You cant reactively control a persons experiences, nor proactively qualitate them effectively. But you can control the quality of the education that they have those experiences with. If its not growing or changing, its dying. Quit talking about how great you are and start talking about how great things can be.
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