By Joe Bigley
Special to The SUN
Pagosa Springs Medical Center’s EMS Education Center will provide an EMT Refresher course in Pagosa Springs starting on June 10.
Unique to this course will be the availability of distant learning for students who are in remote locations and want to attend the course, but can’t travel to Pagosa Springs for the 11 classes. Only two of the 11 classes require local attendance — the first and last classes.
The program is based on the Colorado approved Department of Transportation’s EMT-Basic Refresher Curriculum. It includes 24 hours of didactic instruction and 16 hours of skills instruction and testing.
The course meets the requirements for both the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) national recertification and the state of Colorado’s recertification requirements allowing the student to continue to provide professional EMT services.
Students who complete the course will receive continuing education (CE) credits that can be used towards both NREMT and Colorado’s core requirements and elective hours.
While students are always encouraged to be in the classroom in person, it is not always possible. As a result, with a web cam, Internet connection and a microphone, all students will be able to attend lectures utilizing a completely integrated synchronous classroom environment when they are not able to attend the lecture in person. Students attending remotely will be able to participate in the class as if they were in the classroom, including being able to ask questions and participate in group discussions for a total learning experience.
The course will start on Monday, June 10, and will be held Monday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m., through July 20, with a break (no classes) for the July 4week. The last class will be held on Saturday, July 20, from 9 a.m. until complete. The last class includes a Neonate, Trauma and Airway Lab, as well as a CPR skills checkoff for those students who need it.
The cost of the EMT Refresher is $360 per student.
Additionally, for those students who need only a few CEs and don’t need the entire refresher, there is a solution: they can attend only the courses that are needed to round out their training for $50 per lecture and receive continuing education credits for each lecture attended.
The schedule of topics:
• Introduction Patient Assessment, Monday, June 10, 6-10 p.m. Class attendance required,
• Airway, Thursday, June 13, 6-10 p.m. Live or remote.
• Shock, Monday, June 17, 6-10 p.m. Live or remote.
• Cardiology, Thursday, June 20, 6-10 p.m. Live or remote.
• Respiratory, Neurological, Monday, June 24, 6-10 p.m. Live or remote.
• Endocrine, Head and Spine Trauma, Thursday, June 27, 6-10 p.m. Live or remote.
• Chest and Abdominal Trauma, Burns and Environment Injuries, Monday, July 8, 6-10 p.m. Live or remote.
• OB/GYN, Neonate, Thursday, July 11, 6-10 p.m. Live or remote.
• Pediatric, Monday, July 15, 6-10 p.m. Live or remote.
• CPR, Thursday, July 18, 6-10 p.m. Live or remote.
• Neonate Lab, Trauma Lab, Airway Lab, CPR Skills Assessment, Saturday, July 20, 9 a.m. until finished. Class attendance required.
Classes will be held at the Pagosa Springs EMS training center located at 189 N. Pagosa Blvd., in Pagosa Springs. The course has been designed to meet or exceed the National Standard Curriculum for EMT Basics, as developed by the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The last day to register for the course is June 3, 2013.
In addition to being able to recertify as an EMT, each successful student will also receive an American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support for Healthcare Provider (CPR/AED) certificate.
The PSMC EMS Education Center offers quality training to increase the knowledge necessary for managing emergency medical situations. Courses are taught by qualified, street experienced emergency medical providers. The Education Center coordinates a wide range of courses, including CPR and First Aid for the lay-person, entry level EMR and Basic Emergency Medical Technician courses, advanced level training for the Advanced Life Support provider, and specialty seminars taught by industry leading experts in emergency medicine.
Interested parties can call (970) 317-4286 or e-mail pagosaemstrainingcenter@gmail.com for more information on upcoming courses.
