# Skill sheets, Skill sheets, SKILL SHEETS!



## Lil Medic (Nov 14, 2011)

I'm certain this has come up before, but I have yet to take a swing at the infamous NREMT, and have a question about it. I hear that one of the most important things you can study are scenarios and the skill sheets. EMS knowledge and logistic questions aren't nearly as important. Is that true?


----------



## Handsome Robb (Nov 15, 2011)

Are you talking NREMT practicals or the CBT?

CBT its cABC's practicals its cABC's + skill sheets skill sheets skill sheets


----------



## fast65 (Nov 15, 2011)

The EMS knowledge is much more important. There's no reason to study the skills sheets or scenarios if you don't have a solid base of knowledge. The NREMT is NOT a hard test, do yourself a favor and focus on learning how to be a good, competent EMT, instead of focusing on what MIGHT be more important for the test. If you do that, the NREMT will be even easier than it already is.


----------



## medicdan (Nov 15, 2011)

You're much better off understanding the progression of the assessment or skill and why the steps are organized the way they are rather than memorizing a list.


----------



## MICP (Dec 1, 2011)

Are you taking the psychomotor or the "written"?  I can give you some great feedback if I know which one.


----------



## Lil Medic (Dec 1, 2011)

I am going to be taking the computerized test. I Already passed the practical exams.


----------



## MICP (Dec 1, 2011)

*Skills sheets*

YES!!!  Know the skills sheets.  I do NREMT test prep and tutoring (for 10 years now) on a regular basis and I have found that there will be an increase in your success if you know the skills sheets.  Many of the questions will use phrases like:
What would you do next?
Your care would include.
Which would be inappropriate?
What is the correct sequence?
What is your priority?

The correct answer for these is almost ALWAYS found on the skills sheets.

For example:
Your patient is the 18-year-old male driver of a vehicle that struck a tree. He is conscious and complaining of neck pain. The passenger is obviously dead. You have completed your primary survey. Which of the following is the next step?
a. Immobilize the patient on a long backboard and perform a detailed examination in the ambulance. 
b. Perform a focused history and physical exam. 
c. Rule out the possibility of cervical spine injury before moving the patient. 
d. Perform a rapid trauma assessment.

Look at your skills sheet and tell me the correct answer.


----------



## Lil Medic (Dec 2, 2011)

It would be rapid assessment right? Because you've done you're initial exam, and due to the mechanism of injury plus safety concerns you want a rapid assessment before doing anything else to identify other life threats and considerations.


----------



## MICP (Dec 2, 2011)

Yep.  And if you look at your skills sheet, that is precisely the next step after the initial/primary.  There are many questions like this.  Most folks scrap their skills sheets once their practicals are over, but they are a guide to the answers.

Got one more for you:
Your patient is a 45-year-old man who was struck by a commuter train. On your arrival the patient is lying on his left side and his right leg has obviously been amputated at the mid-thigh. The patient is ashen white in color, is trembling violently, and has obviously lost a lot of blood. He is awake and struggling to breathe. What is your first priority when caring for this patient?
a. Making sure there are no risks to your safety 
b. Assisting the patient's ventilations with a bag-valve-mask and high-flow oxygen 
c. Controlling bleeding from the leg wound 
d. Finding the amputated leg


----------



## MICP (Dec 2, 2011)

Hey folks,

I just want to make sure that you all know that these are NOT actual NREMT questions.  I got a private message asking about it.  I have been in EMS education for 16 years, been doing NREMT skills testing and test prep training for 10 years, and have studied testing theory and CBT processes.

My goal is to help flesh out the different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy in light of the NREMT and non-traditional ways to approach it that I have found to be more successful.  The only way to do this is to show samples and how they correlate.  These sample questions were taken from a different source and I use them to show the correlation to the skills sheets.


----------



## Ridryder911 (Dec 3, 2011)

Actually, NREMT is evaluating new methods of having scenario base testing in lieu of skills so one can be evaluated on critical thinking skills. 

Fortunately, I have a close friend that has just been appointed in the NREMT testing and evaluation area, and continuing education, full time.


----------



## MICP (Dec 4, 2011)

They also just updated all of their skills sheets, and they definitely are more critical thinking instead of rote steps.  For example, the old EMT Medical Assessment gave lists of questions for each of the major emergencies.  GONE!  They want us to be able to critically think and understand which questions are appropriate.


----------



## Medic419 (Dec 19, 2011)

MICP said:


> Yep.  And if you look at your skills sheet, that is precisely the next step after the initial/primary.  There are many questions like this.  Most folks scrap their skills sheets once their practicals are over, but they are a guide to the answers.
> 
> Got one more for you:
> Your patient is a 45-year-old man who was struck by a commuter train. On your arrival the patient is lying on his left side and his right leg has obviously been amputated at the mid-thigh. The patient is ashen white in color, is trembling violently, and has obviously lost a lot of blood. He is awake and struggling to breathe. What is your first priority when caring for this patient?
> ...


----------

