HEALTH PROFESSIONS:  Emergency Medical Services

• Associate of Applied Science Degree: Emergency Medical Services (146)
• Career Studies: Critical Care (221.146.10)
• Career Studies: Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate (221.146.03)
• Career Studies: Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (221.146.05)

The skilled pre-hospital provider is key in providing a vital link between the patient and the emergency room. These personnel become the “eyes and ears” for the physician, rapidly assessing and administering appropriate care and maintaining communications with the emergency facility. The
pre-hospital personnel must be skilled in Emergency Medical Services.

Emergency Medical Services are used by ambulance providers, fire-rescue, hospitals, industry, military, voluntary services, nursing homes, sport organizations, cruise ship lines, and other recreational entities, among other possibilities.

The Emergency Medical Services field offers a vast range of opportunities in the medical profession, all starting with the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-Basic. The EMT-Basic course provides a basic medical background in pre-hospital emergency medicine. The course is offered each semester in both day and night schedules and prepares students to test at the State level for certification. The National Registry EMT exam also is available throughout the year.

For admission into the Associate of Applied Science degree program, students must complete a second application (in addition to the general college application). Prospective students must be proficient in reading, writing, and speaking the English language. All candidates must be at least 18 years of age at the start of the training program, have a high school degree or GED, have no felony convictions for any sexual crime (and a record free of felony convictions for five years), have no prohibitive physical disability, and must consent to a criminal background investigation.

The programs of study offered by the college are all based on the standards and curriculum established by the United States Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Administration. The Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, and the Committee on Accreditation of Education Programs for EMS Professions (CoAEMSP) that accredits the college’s program have incorporated the National Standard Curriculum into their standards.

Associate of Applied Science Degree: Emergency Medical Services (146)

Career Studies: Critical Care (221.146.10)

The Career Studies Certificate in Critical Care provides the knowledge and skills that qualifies students who complete the program successfully to function in critical care environments, from flight programs to critical care ground transports and critical care units within hospitals. The courses are open to registered nurses and paramedics and foster the interaction and cooperation of both professions in the care of the critically ill or injured patient. After completing this program of study, nurses are eligible, from an education standpoint, to sit for the Critical Care Nurses Exam (CCRN), while paramedics are eligible to sit for the Flight Paramedic exam.

Career Studies: Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate (221.146.03)

The Career Studies Certificate in Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate provides the knowledge and skills that allows successful students who complete the program to sit for the national registry EMT-Intermediate certification exam. This is the initial advanced level of certification that may be required for employment in the fields of ambulance providers, hospital emergency medicine, military corpsmen, and fire-rescuers. In the process of completing this program, students may also be eligible to sit for the Virginia EMT-Enhanced test. Admission to this program requires current EMT/B certification

Career Studies: Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (221.146.05)

The Career Studies Certificate in Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic provides the knowledge and skills that people functioning as advanced life support providers need to advance to the highest level within their field. After completing this program of study, students are eligible to sit for the National Registry EMT-Paramedic exam. Students must have completed the Career Studies: Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate or have equivalent background.

1      Eligible courses are listed on page 34 in the 2009-2010 catalog.  See your

        academic advisor or counselor to choose the appropriate course(s).

2      Eligible courses include any EMS, FST, or HLT courses not required in the program.

    

NOTE:

>   BIO 141/142 Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II are recommended if the student is

      planning to transfer to a medically-related program.  

>   Program has special admission requirements.  Call 822-7335 for information.     

Contact(s):

• Emergency Medical Services website with contact information and more
• Health Professions Division
• Information Center