Book question

[bdoss2006]

This is more of a survey type question than anything. If read cover to cover, do you think the EMT textbook has all the information one needs to know (besides hands on skill stuff of course) to be a good EMT, or do you need an actual class to be taught the fundamental knowledge (once again not including hands on skills)?

 

[NomadicMedic]

The book contains all of the information required to meet the learning objectives that have been specified in the National education standards. Whether or not an individual can take that information and have it translate into a passing cognitive exam is dependent on the learner. There are many programs that use online elements (without a traditional class) to deliver the didactic material and have good pass rates.

 

[Akulahawk]

Agreed. The book does contain all the required information specified. Some individuals can absorb the material appropriately and pass the cognitive exam. Some people will need an instructor to present that same information in a different modality to enhance the learning process. How that instructor presents that information can vary.

 

[EpiEMS]

The book alone should suffice for cognitive exam purposes. A class itself can be anywhere from totally useless to helpful.

Obviously one would be hard pressed to expect somebody to pass a psychomotor test without some sort of lab / kinesthetic component.

 

[MManley]

When I taught, with every new class I'd tell them the secret to passing the class, read the book. Everything you need to know to pass, quizzes, exams, NREMT is in that book.

 

[DrParasite]

The book does have all of the information you need (in theory, some textbooks are better than others), however the hands on skills are as important or more so than what you read in the book. The two most important hands on skills are the medical patient assessment and trauma patient assessment, which should involve you taking what you are learning in that book and applying it in a simulated environment.

Now, can you pass the written exams just by reading the book? absolutely. When I used to make quizzes, I would pull the questions directly from the textbook. However, that wasn't the question, and there is more to being a good EMT than passing the written exam. the most critical thing that makes a good EMT (in my opinion) is the ability to perform a good patient assessment, determine sick vs not sick, and have the ability to learn from their mistakes. You can't practice or learn those things simply from reading a book. Can you pass a NREMT skill sheet? probably, but the real world is a much more uncontrolled environment than a skill station.

BTW, a good EMT is also subjective, depending on the role you are in. A good EMT on an ALS ambulance is not the same as a good EMT on a BLS ambulance in a tiered 911 system, and a good EMT / single responder on a first responding fire apparatus is different than one who is on an ambulance. They might all have completed the same education course, and passed the same exams, but the qualifications for "competence" in a role differs by the job you are performing.

 

[EpiEMS]

BTW, a good EMT is also subjective, depending on the role you are in. A good EMT on an ALS ambulance is not the same as a good EMT on a BLS ambulance in a tiered 911 system, and a good EMT / single responder on a first responding fire apparatus is different than one who is on an ambulance. They might all have completed the same education course, and passed the same exams, but the qualifications for "competence" in a role differs by the job you are performing.

Agreed! OJT and a good field training program are key for this

 

[Hogandoc]

I found the book certainly covers the topics on the exam. But that didn’t satisfy me starting out. I bought additional books with the “real life stories” stuff, learned a lot that way, and by working with people, always learning more. Example, primary book doesn’t really cover what to do if the rig breaks down, caught in a snowdrift, if crew is assaulted with no LEO’s around, Decon, setting up linens on the pram, organizing your supplies, your ambulance, etc.

 

[DrParasite]

Many of these are operational questions that are agency specific, or you should speak to your agency's supervisor / FTO / agency's guidelines for how to handle

primary book doesn’t really cover what to do if the rig breaks down,

call dispatch, request a tow truck

caught in a snowdrift,

call dispatch, request a tow truck, or get some shovels.

if crew is assaulted with no LEO’s around,

call dispatch, request additional help, call 911, request police, grab your partner and flee the scene

Decon,

my book covered decomm, but the details are beyond the scope of an EMT textbook.

setting up linens on the pram,

ummmmmm, sheet on the bottom, pillow on head, spare sheet and blanket on the bottom, all buckles secured? this is agency (and sometimes crew) specific

organizing your supplies, your ambulance, etc.

hmm, I wonder why you won't find how to every single ambulance organizes their supplies or their ambulance in a text book... things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[DesertMedic66]

I found the book certainly covers the topics on the exam. But that didn’t satisfy me starting out. I bought additional books with the “real life stories” stuff, learned a lot that way, and by working with people, always learning more. Example, primary book doesn’t really cover what to do if the rig breaks down, caught in a snowdrift, if crew is assaulted with no LEO’s around, Decon, setting up linens on the pram, organizing your supplies, your ambulance, etc.

The book isn't going to be able to cover every little thing. This is where agency SOP comes into play and where your field training time also comes into play. You don't need to buy other books about real-life stories to learn any of them. What someone says they did in the book can be 100% against company policy. If only there was this process that agencies had that would tell EMTs/Paramedics about their SOPs, what to expect, and then have some kind of a process where they are taught specific stuff from someone in the company who has worked there for a while...