The RN to Paramedic certificate is a 30 credit hour Certificate of Applied Science program that is designed for students who are interested in pursuing careers in advanced emergency care. The Paramedic program equips you to be a vital part of emergency medical services, providing advanced life support to critically ill and injured patients. Through a combination of classroom instruction, lab simulations, and hands-on clinical rotations, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to assess patients, administer medications, manage complex medical emergencies, and transport patients to definitive care.
Before registering for any advanced life support (ALS) level (both Paramedic or AEMT) EMSP courses, students are required to:
- Complete the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course before or during the first semester.
- Valid Non-Restricted RN Licensure in West Virginia.
- Documentation of One Year of Emergency Department or Intensive Care Unit experience as an RN OR Three Years of Generalized RN experience.
- Obtain a valid EMT certification that meets the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Standard.
- Pass the ALS Entrance Exam with a 70% or higher and submit the following documentation to the EMS Program Director:
- An Application to the AEMT or Paramedic Program.
- A photocopy of the current CPR (AHA Healthcare Provider Course) certification
- Current EMT card from either: National Registry, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Virginia.
- Complete a urine drug screen.
- Complete a national criminal background check.
Required Health and Safety Documentation
Immunizations:
Students will need to provide the documentation and/or Tilter Tests using the provided BRCTC immunization form by the deadline for each course. The following immunizations required* are:
- PPD Results (2 negative readings, titer test, or negative X-Ray (within 6 months).
- Hepatitis B (start or completion of the series, positive Titer, or declination form).
- MMR (proof of immunization or positive Tilter Test).
- Varicella (proof of immunization or positive Tilter Test).
- Tdap (proof of immunization within the last 5 years).
- Flu Vaccination Yearly (proof of immunization).
- COVID-19 Vaccination (proof of immunization).
- Please note exemptions may be available on a case-by-case basis.
*Disclaimer: Required Immunizations are subject to change based on clinical facility requirements.
Physicals:
Students must have a physical performed by a licensed physician or advanced provider to ensure that the student is able to perform the basic skills and requirements of an entry-level ALS provider.
- Students will utilize the issued physical form provided by BRCTC.
- IAFF yearly physical may be substituted for this if performed within 60 days prior to the due date.
Students in the Paramedic/AEMT/EMT Program are subject to Blue Ridge Community and Technical College’s requirements for admissions, basic skills testing, and appropriate course placement, including mandated developmental courses which are not counted toward completion of the program. Blue Ridge CTC Catalog requirements regarding academic standards, student conduct, and graduation procedures also apply.
Required Graduation Documentation
Immunizations:
Students will need to provide the documentation showing successful completion and obtainment of the following courses and/or certifications. *
- ACLS Certification
- PALS Certification
- EPC or PEPP Certification
- AMLS Certification
- PHTLS Certification
- EMS Safety Certification
- EVOC Certification
- 32 Hours of Airway Education (Must include Intubation and Surgical Cricothyrotomy Training)
- Anatomy I & II or Human Body
*Requirements are subject to change.
EMS Technical Standards
- Critical Thinking: Students should possess essential thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment. For example, the AEMT student must be able to prioritize the care of the critically injured or ill patient.
- Interpersonal Skills: Students shall possess interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families, groups, etc., from various social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds. For example: establish rapport with clients/patients and healthcare team members.
- Communication Skills: Students shall possess communication abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written forms. For example: providing verbal encode to medical direction from the field and documentation of patient care.
- Mobility: Students shall possess sufficient physical abilities to move from room to room, maneuver in small spaces, stand and walk for extensive periods, and lift average size adults with help. For example: transferring patients to stretchers, loading and unloading stretchers into the ambulance, and moving about the scene to search and discover patients.
- Motor Skills: Students shall possess sufficient gross and fine motor abilities to provide safe and effective care. For example: calibrate and use designated equipment, insertion of tubes and initiation of intravenous and intraosseous infusions, and administration medications.
- Hearing: Students shall possess auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs. For example: hear monitor alarms, emergency signals, cries for help, and auscultate breath and bowel sounds.
- Visual: Students shall possess visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary for care. For example: observe patient/client responses to treatment, use of designated equipment, and evaluation of the patient.
- Tactile: Students shall possess tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment. For example: perform palpation, percussion, and evaluation of skin vital signs.
Career Opportunities
Paramedics must be able to perform under pressure—in settings demanding excellent clinical, stress management, and communication skills. As a paramedic, you will provide pre-hospital care to patients, administering medication, interpreting EKGs, and operating equipment.
As of July 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education has implemented (Regulation 34 CFR 668.43 (a) (5) (v)) which requires Blue Ridge CTC’s Paramedic program to provide a list of all states where our curriculum meets state educational requirements for certification. The National Registry Paramedic certification is a requirement for initial state licensure in all states except Montana, where it is optional, and New York and North Carolina, where alternate entry is available. This information is subject to change. Therefor students should contact the Department of EMS in the state in which they would like to be initially certified for more specific information.
Accreditation
Blue Ridge Community & Technical College EMS Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health
CAAHEP Accredited Paramedic Programs and CoAEMSP Letter of Review (LoR) Programs track and report outcome measures annually to the Committee on Accreditation for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
For more information about our accreditation, contact:
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org
To contact CoAEMSP:
214-703-8445
www.coaemsp.org
Return to: