Emergency Medical Services - Paramedic, AAS

Length: 67 credits

Purpose: This program is designed to provide knowledge and skills to prepare selected students to qualify as practitioners of emergency medical services in a variety of health service facilities.

Employment Objectives: Employment opportunities for the Paramedic include pre-hospital EMS agencies, municipal fire departments, emergency departments in hospitals, nursing homes, physician’s offices, clinics, industry, and home health agencies.

Potential Certification: After successful completion of the AAS degree students will be eligible for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians Paramedic (NRP) Certification examination. A student who resides outside of Virginia and plans to apply for certification as a Paramedic subsequent to completion of this education program may not meet the requirements for certification in the state of residence.

Program Learning Outcomes: Graduates of the program will:

• demonstrate minimum proficiency in General Education Skills which are defined as oral communication, written communication, mathematical/problem solving, scientific reasoning, information literacy, and critical thinking;
• demonstrate ability to apply concepts and skill required to practice as a paramedic level provider;
• demonstrates required clinical skill competencies to deliver appropriate client care;
• administer medications within the scope of practice as a paramedic provider;
• demonstrate acceptable workplace skills, attitudes, and behaviors;
• appropriately interpret ECG readings and provide ALS intervention; and
• demonstrate competency identifying human organs and listing specific functions of organs that make up organ systems.

Special Accreditation Status: The Patrick & Henry Community College EMS-Paramedic Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

To Contact CAAHEP:
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
www.caahep.org

To Contact CoAEMSP:
8301 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 111-312
Rowlett, TX 75088
(214) 703-8445
FAX (214) 703-8992
www.coaemsp.org

The program is also accredited to provide Paramedic training in the Commonwealth of Virginia by:

Virginia Department of Health
Office of Emergency Medical Services (VAOEMS)
1041 Technology Park Drive
Glen Allen, VA 23059-4500
Phone 1-800-523-6019

Special Admission Requirements: The applicant must meet the following requirements for admission to the EMS Education program. Interested students should contact the EMS Program Director for academic advising.

1. Be accepted as a student to the college.
2. Graduation from high school or satisfactory completion of the GED. Verification of high school graduation or GED is required by Virginia OEMS for this level of certification. Submission of official transcripts or GED scores is mandatory for all applicants.
3. Completion of the EMS Admission test scoring 80% or higher on no more than two attempts in one application cycle. 
4. A cumulative college grade point average of 2.0 or better in all related and general education requirements completed before admission into the EMS Education program is desired and will be given higher priority for admission into the program.
5. Submit an EMS Program Application form along with required paperwork, i.e. high school transcripts, college transcripts, current EMS certification, etc. during the specified EMS Education program application period.

Admission Procedure: Applications to the program will be accepted during the specified EMS Education program application periods. After the application period has concluded all completed application files will be reviewed and considered. Qualified applicants enrolled at the college or holding current Virginia certification as an Emergency Medical Technician, Virginia Advanced EMT, or holding current National Registry and/or Virginia EMT-Intermediate certification will be given first priority for admission. Incomplete files will not be considered.

• EMS-Paramedic program applicants must complete an entrance exam to be ranked and accepted into the program. The exam evaluates basic math and reading comprehension skills and is a reliable predictor of the applicant’s readiness and capability for successful completion of the Paramedic program.
• Applicants must successfully complete the entrance exam with a minimum of 80% for math and reading on no more than two attempts. In the event an applicant has been denied entrance due to two unsuccessful attempts of the entrance exam, the applicant must wait until the next EMS-Paramedic application period to test again.
• Passing scores are only good for the current EMS application period.
• After submission of a EMS-Paramedic application during the published application period, qualified applicants will be invited to take the entrance exam. Please note qualified applicants are those that meet the outlined program application requirements. The cost of the exam is $5 and is administered electronically from Platinum Education. Applicants will be provided an exam schedule with multiple dates and times the exam will be offered for the application period.
• Applicants are encouraged to be prepared to complete simple math including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions/proportions, decimals/percents, conversions, and some basic algebra, as well as be prepared to type a 125-word minimum essay on why a potential career path in Emergency Medical Services has been chosen.

A completed application file includes the following:

1. The completed EMS Program Application form.
2. Official transcripts of all high school work and all prior college work other than P&HCC.
3. Results of the EMS Admission Test.
4. A copy of your current Virginia EMS certification, if applicable.

Because the EMS Education program addresses the educational needs of students with a variety of experiences and prior education, a limited number of entering class positions may be designated for certified EMT-Intermediates who graduated from accredited programs or for prospective high school graduates who also have been enrolled at P&HCC as part of an EMT approved program of dual enrollment. Interested high school sophomores should see their counselors in the spring of their sophomore year. Interested high school juniors should see their counselors in the fall of their junior year.

Functional Abilities required for the program include:

• verbally communicate in person, via telephone and telecommunications using the English language;
• hear spoken information from co-workers, patients, physicians and dispatchers and in sounds common to the emergency scene;
• ability to lift, carry, balance up to 125 pounds (250 with assistance);
• ability to interpret and respond to written, oral, and diagnostic form instructions;
• read road maps, drive vehicle, accurately discern street signs and address numbers;
• read medication/ prescription labels and directions for usage in quick, accurate, and expedient manner;
• communicate verbally with patients and significant others in diverse cultural and age groups to interview patient, family members, and bystanders;
• discern deviations/changes in eye/skin coloration due to patient’s condition and to the treatment given;
• document, in writing, all relevant information in prescribed format in light of legal ramifications of such;
• perform with good manual dexterity all tasks related to advanced emergency patient care and documentation;
• bend, stoop, balance, and crawl on uneven terrain;
• withstand varied environmental conditions such as extreme heat, cold, and moisture.

After admission to the EMS Education program, the prospective student is provided with an EMS Physical Examination form that must be completed by a physician prior to enrolling in the clinical & field internship classes. Students must provide proof of all required immunizations as mandated by clinical & field agencies. 

Upon admission, all students are required to undergo mandatory drug screening. Students must have a negative drug screen in order to begin the clinical & field internship classes. Drug screens may be repeated after program acceptance to comply with clinical & field agency requirements. 

Please NOTE that any prospective EMS student with a criminal conviction needs to speak with the EMS Program Director prior to enrollment at P&HCC. Certain convictions will prevent the person from being certified as an Emergency Medical Services Provider in Virginia. Students must produce a satisfactory criminal background check to the standards of all clinical agencies used by the college for experiential learning prior to enrolling in the EMS program. Background checks may have to be repeated to comply with clinical & field agency requirements.

Readmission Requirements: Any student wishing to re-enroll in the EMS Education program must have at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average at P&HCC to be considered. A student who wishes to re-enter the EMS Education program must follow the readmission procedure outlined in the EMS Education Program Student Handbook. The student may be required to enroll in and satisfactorily complete specific courses before and/or after readmission. Additional data may be required. The EMS faculty will consider each student’s application for readmission and the decision to readmit will be based on additional data, prior performance in the EMS Education program and space availability.

Students who fail an EMS course or withdraw for any reason from the EMS Education program may be readmitted to the program only once. All readmissions are at the discretion of the EMS faculty.

Advanced Placement: Current credentialed Virginia EMT, Advanced EMT or EMT-Intermediate providers may be eligible for advanced placement.

Financial Requirements: In addition to the usual college tuition and fees, this program requires additional expenses.

Approximate costs include:

Drug screening	$38 minimum
Criminal background check	$48 minimum
Books	$650
Uniforms	$100
Physical examination	$100
Platinum Planner	$85 (minimum)
EMS Testing	$100
Reel Dx Scenarios	$69 (minimum)

Transfer of EMS Credit: Students seeking to transfer credit received from EMS courses at other institutions will be considered on an individual basis by the EMS faculty. The student may be asked to provide course descriptions, course syllabi, achievement scores and selected data from the course instructor in order to determine placement in the EMS program, subject to availability of space. Since there frequently are differences among EMS programs, students wishing to transfer should be aware that there might be an interruption in program progression.

Curriculum Requirements: In addition to formal lectures and laboratory exercises, selected experiences within driving distance of the college will be scheduled at day, evening and/or weekend times, depending on the availability of facilities.

EMS students will be required to successfully pass cognitive and psychomotor examinations at various points in the curriculum in order to continue in the program. Students who are unsuccessful will be counseled and guided in a specified number of remediation efforts. Upon successful completion of remedial requirements and passing the appropriate examinations, students may continue in the program.

To remain in the program, a student must have a “C” or above in all required EMS courses. Additionally, a grade of “C” or above in all semesters of biology and psychology is required to meet degree requirements.

Clinical/field/preceptor experiences require access to contracted clinical agencies.