training in basic emergency care skills

• automated external defibrillation
• use of airway adjuncts
• assisting patients with certain medications

Training in

• specific aspects of advanced life support
  • IV Therapy
  • cardiac monitoring

Extensive Training in 

• advanced life support
  • IV Therapy
  • pharmacology
  • cardiac monitoring
  • advanced assessment & treatment

10 Criteria from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Technical Assistance Program Assessment Standards

1-5

1. Regulation and Policy
2. Resource Management
3. Human Resources and Training
4. Transportation Equipment System
5. Medical and Support Facilities

• Law Enforcement Officers
• Fire Fighters
• Park Rangers
• Ski Patrollers
• Organized Rescuers who often arrive before the ambulance

• Developed to assist dispatchers in providing callers with vital instructions to help them deal with medical emergency until the arrival of the EMS crews

1. Relay relevant instructions to the callers
2. Select appropriate resourced units to respond
3. Relay all relevant and available information to the responding crews

1. Daily operations & administrative tasks
2. Overall direction of the service
3. Provide clear guidelines

1. Authorizes the EMTs in the service to provide medical care in the field
2. Set of written standing orders & Protocols

Described in a comprehensive guide delineating the EMT's scope of practice.

The part of the Protocols and designate what the EMTs is required to do for a specific complaint or condition.

Medical Control

Authorized by the Medical Director

Is either:

1. Off-line (Indirect)

•  
  • Standing Orders
  • Training
  • Supervision

2.  On-line (Direct) phone or radio directly from the medical director or designated physician

Medical Director is in charge of

Quality Control

Ensuring that all staff members who are involved in caring for the patients meet appropriate medical care standards on each call

1. Continuous internal and external reviews of audits of all aspects of an EMS call
2. Periodic review meetings
3. Provide feedback
4. Discuss details with involved individuals
5. Identify areas of Improvement
6. Ensuring appropriate continuing education and training

1. Familiarize yourself with the roads in your PSA
2. Check all of the equipment & supplies
3. Check communication equipment
4. Check fuel, oil, key fluids, tire pressure
5. Test each of the driver's controls 
6. Test built in units in the patient compartment

1. Trauma Centers
2. Burn Centers
3. Poison Centers
4. Psychiatric Centers
5. Nursing Homes/ Rehab Centers
6. Children's Hospitals

1. Transportation for nonambulatory patients
2. Transport for patients with acute or chronic medical conditions
3. During Transport, the EMT is responsible for the patient

•  
  • Obtain patient's medical history
  • Chief complaint
  • Obtain vital signs

Become familiar with hospital staff, use of equipment, policies, and procedures in the Emergency areas

1. Become familiar with the roles and responsibilities of these agencies 

• Utility workers
• Police officers

Providing a Coordinated Continuum of Care

1^st Phase

1. Patient or bystander recognize that there is an emergency
2. Someone initiates the EMS system
3. Initial patient care is provided by dispatch until EMS arrives

1. Patient assessment
2. Initial prehospital care
3. Proper packaging
4. Safe hospital transportation

1. Patient receives continued assessment and stabilization in the hospital emergency department

Patient receives the necessary definitive specialized care

1. Ensure patient care without endangering myself or others
2. Maintain professional appearance
3. Reflect knowledge and dedication, and compassion
4. Be nonjudgmental

• Ensure my safety, the crew's safety, the patient's safety, bystander's safety (in this order)
• Locating and safely driving to the scene
• Sizing up the scene and situation
• Rapidly assessing the patient's gross neurologic, respiratory, and circulatory status

• Providing any essential immediate intervention
• Performing a thorough, accurate patient assessment
• Obtaining an expanded SAMPLE history
• Reaching a clinical impression and providing prompt, efficient, prioritized patient care based on my assessment

• Communicating effectively with the patient and advising him/her of any procedures I will perform
• Properly interacting and communicating with fire, rescue, and law enforcement responders at the scene
• Identifying patients who require rapid packaging and initiating transport without delay

• Identifying patients who do not need emergency care and will benefit from further detailed assessment and care before they are moved and transported
• Properly packaging the patient
• Safely lifting the patient from his/her initial location into the ambulance for transport

• Providing safe, appropriate transport to the hospital emergency department or other designated facility
• Giving the necessary radio report to the medical control center or receiving hospital emergency department
• Providing any additional assessment or treatment while en route

• Monitoring the patient and checking vital signs while en route
• Documenting ll findings and care on the patient care report
• Unloading the patient safely and, after giving a proper verbal report, transferring the patient's care to the emergency department staff
• Safeguarding the patient's rights

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

HIPAA

• We are bound by patient confidentiality
• We cannot discuss findings or disclosures made by the patient with anyone but those who are treating the patient, or as required by law, the police or other social agencies