Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to serve as a team leader in a variety of pre-hospital emergency situations with patients of varying ages and complaints.
2. Demonstrate appropriate scene management of any situation and function competently under stressful situations to include appropriate assessment, treatment and transportation priorities.
3. Demonstrate accurate completion of all required documentation for all patients encountered.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of didactic content and lab skills in developing and implementing a treatment plan for a variety of patients in assigned pre-hospital settings.
5. Develop a treatment plan based on the patient’s history and physical exam.
6. Solicit and utilize a preceptor’s feedback to improve performance.
    

Course outcomes and objectives are met in a pre-hospital advanced life support environment. Field internship represents final evaluative phase of the paramedic program. The student must actively participate in providing care in at least 40 ambulance calls: no less than ten each in cardiac, respiratory, general medical, and trauma emergencies, during which clinical skills as required by the Oregon Department of Human Services EMS are performed under a preceptor. The student must complete this requirement during enrollment in EMT 248 and EMT 250.

Students will be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. Field internship preceptors will assess each student on an assessment form designed for the field internship area reflecting the skills and abilities required of paramedic interns. The course director will review and evaluate preceptor’s assessment and student completed pre-hospital report forms and case presentations for final grade.

During the course the student may be presented with the following:

•EMS systems/ roles and responsibilities of the paramedic
•Well-being of paramedic illness and injury prevention
•Medical / legal issues
•Ethics
•General principles of pathophysiology
•Pharmacology
•Venus access and medication administration
•Therapeutic communications
•Airway management and ventilation
•Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation
•Medical emergencies including: pulmonary, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, allergies and anaphylaxis, renal/urology, toxicology, hematology, environmental conditions, infectious and communicable diseases, behavioral and psychiatric disorders and obstetrics
•Patient assessment including: history taking, physical examination, clinical decision making, communications and documentation
•Trauma including: trauma systems/mechanisms of injury, hemorrhage and shock, soft tissue trauma, burns, spinal trauma, thoracic trauma, abdominal trauma and musculoskeletal trauma
•Special considerations including: neonatal, pediatrics, geriatrics, abuse and assault, acute interventions for chronic care patients
•Assessment based management
•Operations including: ambulance operations, rescue awareness and operations, hazardous materials incidents and crime scene awareness