BLS with no medical knowlege?

[blachatch]

I was wondering if doing a BLS program will be hard with no previous medical training or knowledge? should i take some college courses first such as anatomy and physiology? I am looking in joining my city's volunteer program.

thanks

 

[Steam Engine]

I was wondering if doing a BLS program will be hard with no previous medical training or knowledge? should i take some college courses first such as anatomy and physiology? I am looking in joining my city's volunteer program.

thanks

Additional training is never a bad thing, and I would highly recommend it. But to answer your question...it shouldn't be hard. The vast majority of EMT-B candidates enter into their programs with limited or no medical knowledge. As long as you're willing to read and study, you should do fine.

 

[Flight-LP]

I was wondering if doing a BLS program will be hard with no previous medical training or knowledge? should i take some college courses first such as anatomy and physiology? I am looking in joining my city's volunteer program.

thanks

Educational courses never hurt, but no a BLS course will not be hard. The EMT-B course involves simplistic skills and is just a step above the first aid level. The course materials are written to a junior high level. You should be fine.

 

[blachatch]

Ok thanks I want to become a paramedic, once i start to learn the basics i will take some courses to learn some more about the body.

thanks

 

[Akulahawk]

Educational courses never hurt, but no a BLS course will not be hard. The EMT-B course involves simplistic skills and is just a step above the first aid level. The course materials are written to a junior high level. You should be fine.

This is pretty much it. Most people take an EMT-B course and do well without having had any A&P (or even first-aid training for that matter) education. Read the material, listen in class, don't fall asleep during the videos and do the skills labs and you'll do just fine, if not very well. If you have time, take an A&P class (actually the 1 year version if you can). Look at your local college's RN program or other Allied Health prerequisite courses and think about taking those, if you think you'll want to go further in your medical education. If you choose to go Paramedic, or want to leave a door open for Nursing, take those courses as soon as you can. As you complete those courses (especially A&P) you'll have a good appreciation for what "normal" is and you'll easily see differences from that. Your ability to provide care and make good clinical decisions can only get better from there.

Have a great time learning!

 

[blachatch]

That's great info thanks so much.. That would be great if my college has a year long A&P course as I have heard that can be tough to grasp.

 

[Akulahawk]

That's great info thanks so much.. That would be great if my college has a year long A&P course as I have heard that can be tough to grasp.

A&P is typically taught or broken down into 2 ways: an Anatomy class and a Physiology class (each 1 semester) or 2 courses covering various systems, A&P at the same time. The end result is the same: you have a knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology. I personally like the 2nd approach as you learn the systems and how they interact and interrelate, but either way you'll learn the same info.

 

[JPINFV]

[snark]
Don't worry, you won't come out of EMT class with a lot of medical knowledge anyways.
[/snark]

A&P is typically taught or broken down into 2 ways: an Anatomy class and a Physiology class (each 1 semester) or 2 courses covering various systems, A&P at the same time. The end result is the same: you have a knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology. I personally like the 2nd approach as you learn the systems and how they interact and interrelate, but either way you'll learn the same info.

I think it depends. I think the physiology separate than anatomy is a better style with the provision that anatomy is taught by location instead of by system. I think anatomy is much better taught when learning the structures of the arm all at once instead of learning the nervous system separate from the circulatory system separate from the muscular system, etc.

 

[Akulahawk]

[snark]
Don't worry, you won't come out of EMT class with a lot of medical knowledge anyways.
[/snark]



I think it depends. I think the physiology separate than anatomy is a better style with the provision that anatomy is taught by location instead of by system. I think anatomy is much better taught when learning the structures of the arm all at once instead of learning the nervous system separate from the circulatory system separate from the muscular system, etc.

Each way does have it's advantages.

 

[dstevens58]

I took my first EMT-Basic class back in the mid-1970's with little more than first aid skills I learned in Boy Scouts. As stated above, listen in class, take notes, study, hit up some of the people in class that know their way around.

Good luck, it's been a wild ride in the 35 years or so.....still enjoying the ride.

 

[SSwain]

No prior A&P experience here... first aid, cpr/aed was my extent.
Right in the middle of my EMT-B course...and holding a 94% average.
Like stated before...read and study...and read some more. Know your training manual/text book and worksheets. It helps.

 

[traumaluv2011]

It shouldn't really be a problem. I really only had basic knowledge of first aid from boy scouts and basic anatomy from high school biology prior to the class. I had a B+ at the end of the course. There is a whole chapter devoted to A&P in the text book and then there are plenty of chapters that go over the specific injuries related to certain parts of the body, systems, etc.

 

[NomadicMedic]

[snark]
Don't worry, you won't come out of EMT class with a lot of medical knowledge anyways.
[/snark].

That made me snort with laughter.