Critical Care Training

[AMESEMT]

In January I will be starting my Paramedic, which I am looking forward to! My question is, would it be advisable to get critical care training soon after getting my paramedic? I am planning on working in a high call volume system (Kansas City, MO) where I think it would be a plus. Also, later in my career I would like to be a flight medic and I know the services I have looked at around KC require CCP or FP-C training. What have people done in their own careers and what would you suggest? From my understanding, the CCP courses offered provide more training and education on many different medical devices used in the field when transporting patients either from the scene or from one medical facility to another. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

AMESEMT

[Ridryder 911]

I highly encourage to have the minimum of two years of active duty as a Paramedic first. It is not that you cannot understand, rather you will have the clinical experience to understand and have seen some difficult cases to fall back upon, onto experience. As well, to be able to troubleshoot and understand critical care versus emergency care.

If you are in the KC area, then I realize that there is multiple providers from FD to MAST. MAST has a specialty division for critical care transports, and many require years experience before considering to be able to provide such. I personally would recommend at least a couple years experience in hospital as well. There is a major difference between prehospital and ER and then a MAJOR difference between critical care and emergency care.

You are lucky! One of the best CCEMT/P courses is in your area. I highly.. highly recommend Blue Springs F.D. CCEMT/P course. Albeit, I am not a F.D. supporter, they have one the most progressive and academic systems that I have ever seen in my 30 year career. I just attended their course a month ago to renew mine, and I cannot say anything bad about it. They had contracted excellent speakers, teachers, to give the best education possible, with hands on and clinical exposure for those that need it. (Life Eagle is also stationed at one of their stations)

Their course is slightly higher in price, but definitely worth the difference, again in your area. Here is a link to their site : http://www.cjcfpd.org/. Talk to Capt. Mike Wallace for more information.

They are considering offering the FP-C test, after their course to ensure credibility. If so, I highly recommend good critical experience prior, and a very highly knowledge of medicine, not just prehospital care.

Good luck,

R/r 911

[flight-lp]

Also consider doing the CCEMT-P course first. FP-C offers no additional training per se, it is only a certification test...........

[AMESEMT]

Thanks for the posts and advice. I figured a lot of the recommendations for the two years experience were due to needing the clinical experience to look back on.