CCT: credentialing critical care providers

[ExpatMedic0]

Speaking of which, I think I am going to stir the pot a little. Many people hold the FP-C as a gold standard for critical care Paramedics. I agree it is quite an academic achievement to pass such a hard test, but that is all it is, a written exam.

The "BCCTPC" which issues the FP-C and CCP-C, requires no minimum hours in critical care training, education, work experience, ect. Anybody who is a paramedic can just walk in off the street and take it. There is not even a practical aspect to the exam.

At least the NREMT maintains NCCA Accreditation and states the minimum national standards by requiring paramedics must complete 1200 clock hours of paramedic education from an CAAHEP and CoAEMSP accredited institution. Far from enough, but %100 more than the BCCTPC requires.

 

[SeeNoMore]

Ideally you should alreay be part of a Critical Care team before you take the FP-C / CCEMT-P exam. While anyone can take these exams my antecdotal imperssion is that the ovewhelming majority of people who do are aleady part of a HEMS service and go through a seperate educational/orientation process.

 

[ExpatMedic0]

Ideally you should alreay be part of a Critical Care team before you take the FP-C / CCEMT-P exam. While anyone can take these exams my antecdotal imperssion is that the ovewhelming majority of people who do are aleady part of a HEMS service and go through a seperate educational/orientation process.

Then my question would be, why not make the "recommendations", requirements? Critical Care Transport loves the word "recommendations", anyone else notice that CAMTS, BCCTPC, and UMBC, all love using that word instead of setting any kind of solid requirements? In addition to that why not set some kind of minimum national training/education standard? I think the whole thing could carry a lot more merit.

 

[Carlos Danger]

Then my question would be, why not make the "recommendations", requirements? Critical Care Transport loves the word "recommendations", anyone else notice that CAMTS, BCCTPC, and UMBC, all love using that word instead of setting any kind of solid requirements? In addition to that why not set some kind of minimum national training/education standard? I think the whole thing could carry a lot more merit.

I think the answer to that is money.

To the BCCTPC, the only thing that instituting an experience or clinical requirement would do is decrease the pool of potential FP-C and CCP-C takers. Why would any business want to decrease the number of potential customers?


*The CCRN is the only critical-care related credential I know of that has a firm experience requirement. You need 1800 hours of time spent caring for critical care patients, half of which must have been in the year preceding application. (It was also the hardest certification exam I've taken by a long shot).

 

[ExpatMedic0]

I think the answer to that is money.

To the BCCTPC, the only thing that instituting an experience or clinical requirement would do is decrease the pool of potential FP-C and CCP-C takers. Why would any business want to decrease the number of potential customers?

That is exactly what I was thinking.

 

[Clipper1]

I think the answer to that is money.

To the BCCTPC, the only thing that instituting an experience or clinical requirement would do is decrease the pool of potential FP-C and CCP-C takers. Why would any business want to decrease the number of potential customers?


*The CCRN is the only critical-care related credential I know of that has a firm experience requirement. You need 1800 hours of time spent caring for critical care patients, half of which must have been in the year preceding application. (It was also the hardest certification exam I've taken by a long shot).

Respiratory Therapists also have their critical care credential requiring 1 year of experience before testing. Like the CCRN there is one for adults and one for peds. For transport, these are highly recommended. But RRTs can easily gain experience by working in the ICUs and probably 80% of their school clinicals are done in the ICU.

It would be very difficult for a Paramedic to gain ICU experience unless they were affiliated with a school program or working for a company with a hospital agreement such as some flight teams have.