Accelerated EMT B to EMT I courses

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Earthen

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Hi all, I need a quick way to upgrade my EMT-B to an EMT-I so that I can find a job in Georgia... because apparently you cant really get employed as a basic down there.

I had found a 2 week EMT-I85 course slated for January, but it got cancelled :sad:


Do any of you know of anything similar taking place in december, jan, or feb? wilderness or tactical courses are fine with me as long as i can get a NREMT approved emt I out of it.
thanks much

Earthen
 
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From what our instructor told us, it takes atleast 3 months to take in all the information and skills for Emt-I. Down here in Griffin, they might have a class starting in january that is in 3rd quarter, which is when our Emt-I stuff begins. Might wanna check it out. Southern Crescent Technical College.
 
... and here Brown was thinking six months to a year to complete our old IV/cardiac course was too short :P
 
Georgia is a different beast then other states because we only have EMT-I and paramedics. If you are already in Georgia the only thing you can do is sit through a EMT-I class. Some schools will let you skip the first month which is the basic class, but you will be required to do everything else.

If you are in Metro Atlanta you wont be able to get into a class starting in Jan. because the schools around here usually are full for EMT-I. and it normally takes 1 full quarter to get all your paperwork together before the quarter you want to attend.

You may want to try Medix, although the school is often made fun of, because its not a college they might be able to work wtih you on this.
In metro atlanta your EMT schools are Dekalb Tech, Lanier Tech and Gwinnett Tech. I cant think of any others.

A friend of mine has the same problem, he cant work here because he is only a basic in his state, but has all the skills of an I-85

This is the exact reason I say get rid of basic, have a First responder, an EMT-I and a Paramedic

Ok jumped off my soap box. Good luck, and welcome to Georgia
:)
 
See, I say get rid of Intermediate! Should have Basic and medic. No need for watered down certs.
 
As long as a basic can start iv's, give o2, and maybe d50, I'm ok with losing emt I. I don't understand the need for 4 levels of care, and each state picking what a basic or I level means for them. My friend who works in a diff state as a B can do all that I can do minus king airway,
Have a first responder level, ie basic first aid
A emt level ie iv, basic airway,
And a paramedic,

But simple is to much to ask for these days.
 
While a lot of basics can do IVs. Why need it, if they are with a medic? Why need D50, if they are with a medic?

King is a BIAD, just like a combi or LMA. Should be no reason a Basic cannot drop one.
 
They need those skills because emts are not always with a medic, and a lot of areas run bls trucks,
 
If they are a BLS truck, then they don't need those skills.
 
ah, thats so frustrating. Its not exactly easy finding an EMT-I course outside of Georgia either, since so many states are phasing it out...

Do any ambulance companies hire B's and train them in-house to an I?
 
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Earthen said:
ah, thats so frustrating. Its not exactly easy finding an EMT-I course outside of Georgia either, since so many states are phasing it out...

Do any ambulance companies hire B's and train them in-house to an I?
Click to expand...

some do, i know in my area they train up to I/A and P level.. where are you at?
 
from what i've noticed on this site, most professionals take offense to people begging for fast track short cuts. Slow down and educate yourself.
 
8jimi8 said:
from what i've noticed on this site, most professionals take offense to people begging for fast track short cuts. Slow down and educate yourself.
Click to expand...


I'm looking to do this before grad school starts, or I wouldn't have any issue taking a semester long course.

Thanks for the advice, but you can sometimes get more hours of good training in class 12 hours/day than you can 6 hours/week. I take offense that you're implying I'm not professional, and that I am begging. I've been riding on a rig for years, and I'm simply asking for good, helpful information.

I'm hanging just fine with my 4 week basic from WMI; admittedly, a lot of that might be because my major made the didactic portion of the course 90% review.
 
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goodgrief said:
As long as a basic can start iv's, give o2, and maybe d50, I'm ok with losing emt I. I don't understand the need for 4 levels of care, and each state picking what a basic or I level means for them. My friend who works in a diff state as a B can do all that I can do minus king airway,
Have a first responder level, ie basic first aid
A emt level ie iv, basic airway,
And a paramedic,

But simple is to much to ask for these days.
Click to expand...

seperrybasic-iv
I know i got my cert. in TN and they do the EMT-IV and now that ive moved to GA I cant seem to get a job, even in the Hospitals because i my IV skills do not transfer over. Now i have to look into schools that i can get my EMT-I Cert. If you know of any good schools in the metro atlanta?:)
 
Until you can answer me the following, Brown does not think you should be starting IVs on people.

Fluid Balance
• Define the boundaries of each of the three fluid compartments and state the proportional volumes typically found in each

• Define the terms: electrolytes, ions, cations, anions. Give examples of each found in the body, and state their physiological functions. (half page)

• Define the term non-electrolyte and give three examples

• Give a brief explanation of the following electrolyte disorders. Include signs and symptoms that may manifest as a result of these.
o Hyponatremia
o Hypernatremia
o Hypokalemia
o Hyperkalemia

• Explain the initial fluid shift that would occur if the if the patients blood volume was suddenly reduced under Starlings Law.

• Define the following terms and explain the role each process plays in human fluid dynamics.
o Diffusion
o Osmosis
o Active Transport
o Facilitated Diffusion

• Define the following terms
o Shock
o Perfusion
o Inotropic
o Chronotropic
o Pulse Pressure
o Mean arterial pressure (MAP)

• Explain these complications of irreversible shock and how we may pre• vent and help treat them.
o Renal Failure
o Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
o Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (IDC)

• Describe the pathophysiology, common presentation and briefly outline the management of distributive, cardiogenic and hypovolaemic shiock

• Discuss the differences between how children and adults (particularly the aged) maintain and respond to blood pressure changes

• Provide a definition of the peripheral resistance and stroke volume

• What factors about a blood vessel determine its peripheral resistance?

• During exercise stroke volume will increase. How is that achieved?

• Explain why fluid tends to shift from the interstitial to intravascular space in the early stages of shock.

• Blood transports a number of substances around the body. What are those substances and how are they transported in the blood

• Pulse Oxymetry measures the oxygenation of the blood flowing through the capillary beds and peripheral tissues. Explain how this concept works and when the use of pulse oxymetry is not indicated and why?

• Define isotonicity, hypertonicity and hypotonicitiy

List the constituent of various IV fluids and there respective tonicity.
o normal saline
o 0.45% NaCl
o 5% Dextrose
o Hartmanns

Homeostasis Regulation

• Explain the Renin-angiotensin pathway and explain how homeostasis of blood pressure and volume is maintained.

• Describe how the kidneys regulate the excretion of water in urine, and the role of the hormones ADH, and Aldosterone

Acid / Base Balance

• What is the normal pH range of body fluids?

• Define the term buffer system and list the 3 major buffer systems involved in acid / base balance

• Briefly describe the renal and respiratory compensatory mechanisms of acid/base balance

• A person presents with hyperventilation syndrome, classic signs of carpopedal spasm, peri-oral parasthesia. Explain the physiology that results in these signs and symptoms.

Trauma

• Explain the difference between blunt trauma and penetrating trauma, the difference in the types of injuries commonly encountered and their MOI (mechanism of injury) and the difference in the management of shock occuring as a result of each.

• Describe causes of shock, other than hypovolaemia, in trauma patients, and how to recognize and manage them.
o Tension pneumothorax
o Myocardial contusion
o Acute Myocardial Infarction
o Spinal injury

• Explain the shock management of this patient (on your 20min ride to hospital) with this head injury?
o B.P - 80/30
o Pulse – 128
o Resps – 28
o GCS - 13

IV Cannulation and Complications

• Indicate the anatomical location of common cannulation sites

• Discuss and explain factors that influence choice of vein for cannulation

• Intravenous cannulas are colour coded. List the colour, gauge and flow ware of various sized IV cannulas.

• Define ‘aseptic technique’ and explain universal safety measures taken while cannulating.

• Describe and discuss the concept of ‘informed and implied consent’.

• When gaining informed consent. List the information that you would inform the patient. (6234 – P.C 3.4)

• Prior to the administration of I.V fluids to a patient what checks should you perform? (6231 – P.C 4.4)

• State the clinical procedure for administering IV fluids to the shocked patient.

• List the signs and symptoms of the three IV complications below.
o Infiltration
o Phlebitis
o Extravasation

• For the following complications of IV cannulation describe the signs and symptoms and management of each.
o Fluid Overload
o Air Embolism
o Catheter Shear

Oh and yes, this was taken out of our IV/Cardiac course.
 
I'm telling you right now, 8 months out of Paramedic school, that I wouldn't get half that crap right. Does that make me a bad medic, or that that make me a realist saying that theory is all good, but realistically very little of that plays in to my decision of starting an IV, and the stuff that DOES matter is the stuff I remember.
 
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It may not be important in your decision to physically put a drip into somebody but it should play a part in your decisions to administer IV fluid and/or the amount you give.
 
What is hartmans fluid? I've never heard of that one, honestly.
 
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