Nationally known Paramedic Program Directors from across the U.S., from Maine to California, and Louisiana gathered at Acadian’s National EMS Academy (NEMSA) to teach EMS instructors on the new approach to national registry testing for paramedics.

The National Registry of EMTs has been active in developing this testing process since 2008.  The registry asked and received input from various schools and paramedic program directors across the nation, and had dozens of workshops to refine the new processes.

Acadian’s EMS program has been heavily involved in the research of the new testing and for this reason, was chosen for the first 2016 workshop.

“One of the things about having it here is that we get the input of the instructors that have come to this to build on the next program.  That input will help us improve what we’re doing from here on out,” said Debra Cason, Vice Chair of the National Registry of EMT Board of Directors.

Throughout 2016, 22 workshops will be conducted across the nation and NEMSA was chosen as its first location for the workshop. More than 50 EMS instructors from Louisiana, Texas, Illinois, Minnesota and Mississippi were in attendance at the inaugural workshop hosted by one of the faculty NEMSA’s Paramedic Program Director Greg Mullen.

“The National Registry is changing its 12 psychomotor skills testing process to include a more realistic out-of-hospital scenario,” Mullen said. “The out-of-hospital scenario will be one of the testing stations beginning in January 2017. The other testing stations will include trauma assessment, dynamic cardiology station, static EKG interpretation station, and 2 oral examination stations.”

“EMS instructors learn all about the scenario training, to help future paramedics. The new scenarios will reflect pediatric, traumatic events, adult, cardiac arrest, chest pain, asthma, all the conditions that an EMS provider can certainly respond to on a call.” said Rob Wagoner, Chief Operations Officer of the National Registry of EMT.

Chris Ebright, EMS Education Coordinator for the National EMS Academy, said, “In this workshop, the testing is helping us as educators to teach our students, how to not only work as a team but also work as part of a team.”

We’re trying to make it not only more realistic for them, but this also helps us as educators ensure competency so when the student leaves our program, they can operate as a well-trained paramedic and be a good provider, and one that’s going to be safe for the public as well,” Ebright said.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!