Pre-Hospital Care (Paramedicine) Certificate

If you want to play a front-line role changing people’s lives, pursue a certificate in paramedicine. Our program, which meets national EMS education standards and is accredited by the State of West Virginia and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, gives you the skills to succeed as an entry-level paramedic. Successful completion of this course qualifies you to take the National Registry Examination Paramedic.

Program Overview

The Pre-Hospital Care Program is designed for students who are interested in pursuing jobs in the pre-hospital setting. Within the core curriculum for the degree, all students are required to take the EMT course, which meets the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Standard Curriculum for Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Successful completion of this course qualifies the student to take the National Registry Examination for EMT. The clinical concentration within the EMS degree meets the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Standard Curriculum for Paramedic training programs. Successful completion of the program qualifies the graduate to take the National Registry Examination for Paramedic. The clinical concentration of the EMS Program is designed to prepare the graduate for a volunteer or paid career as a certified Paramedic.

To be eligible to earn a Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Certificate the student must be a current degree-seeking student or complete the application and admissions process to the college. Eligibility to earn and receive a Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Certificate does not interfere with the degree-seeking status of the student.

Admission to the Emergency Medical Services Program is made after admission to the College and prior to enrollment in any of the advanced clinical level EMS courses in the Paramedic Program (200-level EMSP courses), and the student must complete the following and submit to the EMS Program Coordinator:

1. An application to the EMS Paramedic Program;
2. A photocopy of current CPR (Healthcare Provider Course) certification;
3. Current EMT-B or EMT card from either: National Registry, West Virginia, Maryland, or Virginia.
4. Submission to the EMS Clinical Coordinator of a completed immunization record prior to participation in any EMS Practicum course;
5. Submission to the EMS Clinical Coordinator of yearly PPD results (or chest X-ray, if appropriate).
6. Successfully completed a urine drug screen and national criminal background check.

Emergency Medical Service Program Goal

To prepare competent entry level Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.

EMS Technical Standards

The following activities are examples of the kind of activities in which a student in the EMS program will be required to perform in order to successfully complete the program.

1. Critical Thinking: Paramedic students should possess critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment. For example: the paramedic student must be able to prioritize the care of the critically injured or ill patient.
2. Interpersonal Skills: Paramedic students shall possess interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families, groups, etc. from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds. For example: student shall establish rapport with clients/patients and health care team members.
3. Communication Skills: Paramedic 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.
4. Mobility: Paramedic students shall possess physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room, maneuver in small spaces, stand and walk for extensive periods of time and lift average size adults with help. For example: transferring patients on to stretchers, loading and unloading stretchers into the ambulance and moving about the scene to search and discover patients.
5. Motor Skills: Paramedic students shall possess gross and fine motor abilities sufficient 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 of medications.
6. Hearing: Paramedic students shall possess auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs. For example: hear monitor alarms, emergency signals, and cries for help and auscultate breath and bowel sounds.
7. Visual: Paramedic 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 assessment of patient.
8. Tactile: Paramedic students shall possess tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment. For example: perform palpation and percussion, assessment of skin vital signs.
9. Weight Bearing: Paramedic students shall possess ability to lift and manipulate/move 45-50 pounds on a daily basis. For example: position patients/clients, carry designated equipment.
10. Cognitive Abilities: Paramedic students shall possess ability to be oriented to time, place and person and organize responsibilities, make decisions and function effectively in critical situation. For example: student shall assess client/patient complaints and implement appropriate plans for care.
11. Occupational Exposures: Paramedic students may be exposed to communicable diseases/ and or body fluids, toxic substances, medicinal preparations and latex. Students shall use appropriate precautions at all times. For example: student maybe be assigned a client/patient with a communicable disease and shall provide total care using universal precautions.
12. Driving Skills/Abilities: Paramedic students must have a valid driver’s license in order to complete their coursework at BR CTC.

Career Opportunities

For three years and running, our graduates have achieved 100% job placement in hospitals, fire departments, and other healthcare settings.

The following information pertains to Blue Ridge Community & Technical College’s Paramedic Program for the most recent three-year period.

	2013	2014	2015	2016
Retention Rate	72%	93%	86%	65%
First Time Pass Rate	89%	78%	93%	100%
Job Placement Success	100%	100%	100%	100%