Assignment Ideas

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SoEasyAParamedicCouldDoIt

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Good Evening, All

I'm gearing up to teach an EMT-Basic class in the spring. One of my goals is to dial up the education aspect (as opposed to simple training).

I'm slowly coming up with assignments that require my students to actually learn. For example, I have one during which the select a court decision that sets precedent that has an effect on EMS and write an essay explaining what it means to EMS.

But my perspective isn't the only one out there. Do any of you have any bright ideas for out-of-class assignments? They don't have to be essays, I'm open to anything.
 
It’s an EMT class. Don’t make it difficult for difficulty’s sake.

Spend your time on critical thinking exercises. Create senarios that mimic real life.

For example, I’ll have a group of students work as a team on a scenario while the students not participating evaluate. Then we discuss the treatment and plan. Limit the scenario to10 minutes so it doesn’t get blown out of proportion.

A simple little old lady hip fracture or obese patient between the toilet and tub is a whole new experience to new EMTs and learning how to manage these is far more valuable at this entry level stage than writing a paper on legal precedent.

Also, rather than simple quizzes, build discussion groups. “Your patient is a slightly confused diabetic.. they have a sugar of 61. What do you do? Tell me about your assessment. Do you give oral glucose? Why or why not?”

My student’s new supervisors have told me that the scenario and discussion groups have prepared them far better than students from traditional “lecture and quiz” programs.
 
One thing that might be a cool homework assignment:

Have people write up their radio traffic and hospital hand-off report for those scenarios. At the start of each class, have 1-2 students come up and give their reports in front of all the other students, pretending they are a trauma bay full of docs and nurses.

Nothing will make people think you're an idiot faster than giving a crappy report, even if you did everything else perfectly. This doesn't help students pass the NREMT though which I suppose is why we barely spent any time on it in my EMT class.
 
As I see all of this stuff, I’m amazed at how bad some programs are.

In my program every scenario ends with a radio report, over an actual radio. Walkie talkies are cheap. Why wouldn’t you teach the things that you need to be able to do on day one?

How much stretcher movement practice did you do? Stairchairs? Scoop? A day of ”patient movement”? We incorporate this into EVERY class.

I think make work homework assignments for EMT programs is ludicrous.

An open message to every new instructor—You have students with ZERO experience in healthcare, you’re cramming them full of very specific vocational knowledge to enable them to achieve baseline competency in very basic EMS. Teach them functional skills with a critical thinking component. It’s not a college level class, nor should it be at this stage.
 
Later in the class, have the students google a handful (less than 10) of very commonly prescribed medications (metoprolol, metformin, lasix, and the like) and figure out what types of patients will likely be using them.

Later introduce practical scenarios that are obviously one category of patient or another (diabetic emergency on metformin/insulin, CHF on lasix).
The goal is to build confidence and have students come out with a basic nice-to-have list of recognizable meds (aha! insulin isn't just called insulin, it also comes in a variant called Humalog!, etc.).

If you're ambitious, this could be way to work up to a discussion of the patient that seems to have everything prescribed with every comorbidity (or someone who doesn't fit a pattern), and how to manage them.
 
NomadicMedic said:
In my program every scenario ends with a radio report, over an actual radio. Walkie talkies are cheap. Why wouldn’t you teach the things that you need to be able to do on day one?
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We used walkie talkies too, but I remember not taking it all that seriously... Forcing people to perform in front of the class might make them give more thought and spend more time organizing a decent report, and also simulate that pressure/anxiety of giving a report to a room full of people after running a big call.
 
At some point, we have to realize that the entry level is just that, entry level. Not everyone that works at Jiffy Lube needs to know the intricacies of running the franchise. To run the business, you need baseline competent technicians to change the oil. Some of those guys will want to learn more and will progress on to maybe get their ASE certification or manage and eventually own their own Jiffy Lube...but in the beginning, they learned that the old oil goes out, new oil goes in and any variation on that is bad.
 
NomadicMedic said:
I'm also not a fan of embarrassing students.
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I'm not a fan of embarrassing students, but they should be aware of what happens when they are performing with an audience. I have had a group perform an assessment in front of the class. And yes, there were mistakes made, which were commented on by their fellow students. embarrassing? maybe to some, but that isn't the intent. But what will happen when they do that in real life?

I'm not a fan of HW in EMT class, other than reading and an online component to ensure they actually did the reading. I also give quizzes every class (short 10 question ones) to verify they retained the material. The students who do poorly on the quizzes tend to do poorly on the exams.

As for ideas, complicated patients who don't fit textbook presentations, mandate equipment checks and include missing/non-functioning equipment (why is the O2 tank leaking? well, maybe it's because you never checked to make sure the o ring was there...), and hold them accountable for not doing a proper equipment check, more hands on scenarios and application of what they learned, more discussion on why stuff is happening instead of if you see this do this, and make sure your students have no issues touching a patient or talking to people. Make them create drug cards for every drug they can give, just like paramedic students do.

It is an entry level class, but that doesn't mean everyone gets to pass (esp if they don't know the material or can't perform), nor is the class an easy A. We, as instructors, aren't doing anyone favors by spoonfeeding students information, and making things easy for them, only for them to get out in the real world and find themselves completely overwhelmed and unable to do the job because it's a lot harder in the field than in class.
 
I am honestly not a fan of covering gurney or stairchairs for the EMT Class. We have a lot of students who take the class who are never going to go into the field working on an ambulance (LEO, military, nursing). So it’s pointless to go over something they. In the limited amount of time that we have the students for there are better topics to spend time on.
 
DesertMedic66 said:
I am honestly not a fan of covering gurney or stairchairs for the EMT Class. We have a lot of students who take the class who are never going to go into the field working on an ambulance (LEO, military, nursing). So it’s pointless to go over something they. In the limited amount of time that we have the students for there are better topics to spend time on.
Click to expand...

And I have the complete opposite.
 
DesertMedic66 said:
I am honestly not a fan of covering gurney or stairchairs for the EMT Class. We have a lot of students who take the class who are never going to go into the field working on an ambulance (LEO, military, nursing). So it’s pointless to go over something they. In the limited amount of time that we have the students for there are better topics to spend time on.
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Yeah, I've worked with many nurses who take an EMT class so they can be considered an MICN.... they have no idea how to use a stairchair, can barely use a stretcher, and when you put them on an ambulance, they complain about the bumpy ride. I mean, if its that far beneath them, why bother at all? Or, you hold everyone to the same standard, to make sure they have a baseline level of competency, and if their agency or job doesn't include it, well, at least they knew how to use it in class.

As a firefighter, I don't have a lifepak monitor, nor a stairchair, nor any ALS equipment. We don't have backboards either. We have some board splints, but not much (they are all on the ambulance). and I know we won't have a traction splint. should I be exempt from all those classes?
 
DrParasite said:
Yeah, I've worked with many nurses who take an EMT class so they can be considered an MICN.... they have no idea how to use a stairchair, can barely use a stretcher, and when you put them on an ambulance, they complain about the bumpy ride. I mean, if its that far beneath them, why bother at all? Or, you hold everyone to the same standard, to make sure they have a baseline level of competency, and if their agency or job doesn't include it, well, at least they knew how to use it in class.

As a firefighter, I don't have a lifepak monitor, nor a stairchair, nor any ALS equipment. We don't have backboards either. We have some board splints, but not much (they are all on the ambulance). and I know we won't have a traction splint. should I be exempt from all those classes?
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Sure, let’s hold everyone to the same standard. Where is the NREMT testing station for gurney operations or stairchairs? What if the only gurneys my college has are Fernos but everywhere local uses strykers? I’m going to spend 1-2 hours going over gurneys when they will not be tested on that by NREMT or any state that I am aware of. Gurney operations are covered during your orientation process or third rider training.

I, and the program I teach for would much rather spend that extra hour or 2 we saved from not covering a topic that will not be tested on and instead using it to cover topics that will be tested.
 
DrParasite said:
Yeah, I've worked with many nurses who take an EMT class so they can be considered an MICN.... they have no idea how to use a stairchair, can barely use a stretcher, and when you put them on an ambulance, they complain about the bumpy ride. I mean, if its that far beneath them, why bother at all? Or, you hold everyone to the same standard, to make sure they have a baseline level of competency, and if their agency or job doesn't include it, well, at least they knew how to use it in class.

As a firefighter, I don't have a lifepak monitor, nor a stairchair, nor any ALS equipment. We don't have backboards either. We have some board splints, but not much (they are all on the ambulance). and I know we won't have a traction splint. should I be exempt from all those classes?
Click to expand...

Aside from whether or not stair chairs are worth being taught, I don't think it's worth the precious time in class. Many EMTs and medics will never use one even if they they work on an ambulance. I've never used a stair chair even though we had them on our ambulances back when I worked in fire, I never found a situation where it was beneficial. There are many topics I would prefer to spend time teaching in leu of something that is department specific.
 
CCCSD said:
Never embarrass students purposely. Ever.
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Not in front of anyone else, I agree...but privately, I've purposely allowed a student's pitiful attempt to BS me to progress to a point to where it is completely indefensible, even by a world class BS'er, then go for the throat. A rare student and circumstance, to be sure (I hope), but they never forget that shame. I consider it my duty.

I'd do it again in a minute.
 
Nothing wrong with constructive private discussion.
 
Peak said:
I've never used a stair chair even though we had them on our ambulances back when I worked in fire, I never found a situation where it was beneficial. There are many topics I would prefer to spend time teaching in leu of something that is department specific.
Click to expand...
I've used the stairchair numerous times in my career. I consider myself lucky anytime during a shift when I didn't use it. I've used it more than the scoop stretcher, traction splint, KED, and suction. When you only have two people, it was THE best way to get a non-ambulatory person out of a structure, especially if there were more than 3 steps between the ambulance and the patient, or really narrow hallways.

I would also argue that, with the sheer number of career ending back injuries, knee and shoulder injuries, and other injuries that could be prevented by proper lifting techniques, if we, as instructors, teach them the correct way to use these lifting devices when they are in class, they might not prematurely end their careers physically broken.
 
I think essays are appropriate for Paramedic school, since NAEMT/NREMT are trying to move Paramedics out of a tech role into a provider role. I don’t see the point for EMT’s though. It would be like having an essay on drownings to complete a lifeguard class. Kinda misses the point of being an entry level technician.

I do think learning the 20 most commonly prescribed medications would be very helpful.
 
Idea have your students watch an episode of a Medical and or EMS TV drama (at home) and have write out what was done wrong and what they believe would be real world consequences would be. Then have quick discussion in class.

Most if not all of your students are watching at least one of these types of shows so take advantage of that
 
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