Alleged EMT Grade-Changing Under Investigation at Ohio Fire Academy

[MariaCatEMT]

Alleged EMT Grade-Changing Under Investigation at Ohio Fire Academy

Story by nbc4i.com

A state investigation is under way into alleged grade-changing at the Ohio State Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg. It's raising questions about public safety and whether the people providing the public with emergency medical care have been properly certified.

The following is a transcript of Nancy Burton's report, shown on NBC 4 at 11 p.m. on April 27, 2006.

Nancy Burton: If 70 is passing, you can see from this report obtained by NBC 4 more than half the students who took the EMT exam at the State Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg last December failed the final exam. Anything below 70 percent means students are not permitted to sit for the national registry exam, which they must also pass to become certified emergency medical technicians.

State employee, Ohio State Fire Academy: Nine of the 17 failed the final exam. We were shocked. This has never happened in the entire history of the program that that many people failed any test, let alone a final.

Burton: The nine students who failed the latest test were scheduled to take the national registry exam the very next day, but they wouldn't be able to do that without first passing the Fire Academy's final. This academy employee, who's worked with students for years, agreed to talk to NBC 4 under one condition -- no name.

State employee, Ohio State Fire Academy: Some of them, their jobs depended on them passing this course. They were angry.

Burton: So angry, we're told the nine students went to the deputy superintendent's office, Scott Walker, and complained. What happened next raises serious concerns that no one has explained.

State employee, Ohio State Fire Academy: The grades were changed.

Burton: How do you know the grades were changed?

State employee, Ohio State Fire Academy: The students told us the grades that they had passed.

Burton: A student who failed that final exam confirmed that.

Read more here...

 

[Wingnut]

We had a big problem with failing students. They were never passed and had to take the course over again but when my EMT class started we were told we were going to be the guinea pigs for a new cirriculum. They said the NR was a difficult test to pass and the fail rate was high because the NR gave "best answer" questions rather than obvious multiple choice answers. So we had a test every week that emulated the NR and then a final that also emulated it and we had to pass with an 80%.

This contradicted with our skills lab but we made do and our class passed with I think a 95% rate. I'm suprised that this would happen...and I'm suprised the students would be ok with it. If I didn't pass, knowing the responsibilty I'm undertaking I'd want to retake the class and make sure I know my s**t before I go out there.

 

[Ridryder911]

There are appearantly many institutions that have a no-fail type program. This is disgraceful and very unprofesional and those programs should be shut down. Again, it does not take a rocket scientist to become an EMT. The test is and can be written to any level. Even the NREMT is only written at a 8th grade science level.

Why is it so hard for EMT students to deal with education and training ? Other medical careers know and realize, if you don't study.. you won't pass the boards. There should be no exemptions or excuses to "pass over" anyone.

Shame on Ohio State Fire Academy, on trying to keep the quota.. if they failed .. they failed.. short and simple !. Job or no job.. If this was rope rescue, or SCBA, would we be allowing excuses ?

R/r 911

 

[Jon]

Why is it so hard for EMT students to deal with education and training ? Other medical careers know and realize, if you don't study.. you won't pass the boards. There should be no exemptions or excuses to "pass over" anyone.

I've got to agree with you on this.... Our training institute taught 3 classes this spring. All classes are testing out in the next two weeks.

I keep on talking to people who "dropped out" etc. from the class. I can't imagine EMT Class being THAT hard... I took it at 16 years old, and it wasn't difficult...

Jon

 

[Wingnut]

It's not hard that's partly why I finished top of my class, I'd be more excited about it but it only took my regular study habits to put me there. Our weekly tests were a cakewalk if you just read the chapter.

It's the same problem that's everywhere else, people are lazy, want to use thier time for other things, or just don't care enough. In which case they should not be in the medical field at all.

 

[EMTBSmokeMonkey]

my class lost 2/3 of the students by the end of the program. this is VERY average where i am. many were too busy to study (and failed out) 3 didnt even show for the first day of class, some just dropped out for whatever reason. some just couldnt catch on to the medical terminology or the skills. some weren't used to the type of tests we were taking (similar to the NR test) some just had no business being in the class, if you arent going to take it seriously go away and let the rest of us learn so we can do a better job once we leave the class.

now out of those who do pass the skills test and go on to the NR test most pass, which is about 1/3 of the original class.

It's not hard that's partly why I finished top of my class, I'd be more excited about it but it only took my regular study habits to put me there. Our weekly tests were a cakewalk if you just read the chapter.

It's the same problem that's everywhere else, people are lazy, want to use thier time for other things, or just don't care enough. In which case they should not be in the medical field at all.

yup people are lazy or dont care enough. one girl in my class treated everything like a joke, fresh out of highschool and got through the class up to the NR test but failed, which i was glad for. she didnt take any of it seriously. the guy who was at the top of the class had two left hands with nothing but thumbs, he could pass every test with high marks but couldnt do a skill to save his life. somehow he made it and is now an EMT but everyone else in the class has ZERO confidence that he'll make it as an EMT. he constantly made inappropriate comments at the worst times and seemed to have a real talent for rolling every trauma patient with an unstable pelvis during skills and never really took it seriously. the last day of class before the skill testing day and he couldnt do the KED skill right because he couldnt remember to do PMS before and after and actually made one person turn blue because he didnt watch what he was doing. he'll be lucky if he doesnt kill someone.

some people can do this job, IMO most cannot and shouldnt. thats not to be insulting but in this line of work rolling a patient when you shouldn't can cost you more than your job, it can cost the patient their life. on top of knowledge and skills there is also attitude and work ethic, if you cant be bothered to take the time to study and make sure you learn as much as you can before as well as AFTER you become an EMT maybe this isnt the job for you. of course this is why they have the NR test, this is why they have skill testing. this is also why they have continued education.

 

[joemt]

It's sad that certain programs bend the standards... I don't lose a lot of students, and the majority (17/18 in the last class) pass registry.... I just tend to be a little more strict than most instructors.