Emergency Medical Services

Emergency Medical Services

Emergency Medical Services

Four levels of EMS training are offered at South Arkansas College.  a) A one-semester CP (Certificate of Proficiency) in EMT Basic (Emergency Medical Technician); 2) An Advanced EMT (AEMT) program, which is only one semester in length and results in the student earning a CP; 3) a Paramedic program, which is three semesters in length (August to August) and earns the student a TC (Technical Certification) with an option to advance to earn an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree; and 4) a Community Paramedic program that earns the graduate a CP. 

EMS (EMT and Paramedic) Occupational Risks

The provision of emergency medical services poses inherent occupational risks for EMS responders. Risks include, but are not limited to, the following.

  1. Violence/assaults
  2. Verbal threats/aggression
  3. Motor vehicle crashes
  4. Infectious disease
  5. Lifting injuries
  6. Sprains and strains
  7. Psychological trauma
  8. Hazardous chemical exposure
  9. Hyper/hypothermia

Please click here for a paramedic position functional job analysis and for the technical standards associated with the role of the paramedic.

Emergency Medical Technician

This seven-credit-hour course is designed to prepare students for the EMT licensure examination administered by the Arkansas Department of Health and National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician’s (NREMT). The course includes an overview of EMS (Emergency Medical Services) systems, well-being of the EMT, airway assessment and management, CPR, introduction to human anatomy and physiology, dealing with trauma, splinting, use of spine motion restriction devices, bandaging, emergency care of patients experiencing a medical emergency, and other approved equipment, techniques, and procedures.

The EMT course requires the student to satisfactorily complete both mandatory clinical practicum hours AND mandatory ambulance emergency experiences (ambulance runs). The required clinical practicum hours, at a minimum are 24 hours, AND the required mandatory ambulance emergency runs, at a minimum are 4 runs. The required mandatory ambulance emergency runs are required, even if it takes longer than the minimum required 24 practicum hours AND the required mandatory minimum 24 hours of clinical practicum are required, even if it involves more than the minimum 4 ambulance emergency runs.  In addition, please note that additional clinical practicum experiences and/or ambulance runs will be required if it is found this is needed to ensure the student is satisfactory and proficient with their EMT skills and abilities. Upon successful completion of the program, the student is awarded a Certificate of Proficiency.

Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (As Needed)

This fifteen-credit-hour program is for certified EMT’s to obtain further training at an intermediate level between EMT and Paramedic. The program is designed to prepare students for the AEMT licensure examination. The primary focus of the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician is to provide basic and limited advanced emergency medical care and transportation for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency medical system. This individual possesses the basic knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care and transportation. Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians function as part of a comprehensive EMS response under medical oversight. AEMT’s perform interventions with the basic and advanced equipment typically found on an ambulance. The AEMT is a link from the scene to the emergency health care system.   Almost all of the AEMT program courses are Paramedic program courses. Therefore, the AEMT graduate who is accepted into the Paramedic program will have a majority of the courses already completed, thereby creating an easier path to becoming a paramedic.

The applicant must already be a certified EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). This program has specific application qualifications and processes, selective admission, timelines, and other important information that can be found on the college’s website under Academics/Health Science/Emergency Medical Services or from the program director.

Paramedic  

This program requires an application.

The Paramedic program consists of three semesters of concentrated study including classroom, hospital clinical experiences, and field internship rotations with an Advanced Life Support ambulance service. A minimum of 1200 contact hours is required for course completion to include: 1) 600 classroom and laboratory hours, 2) 300 hospital clinical hours, and 3) 300 hours of ALS ambulance field internship. 

The Paramedic is currently the highest classification of Emergency Medical Services Professional (EMSP) in Arkansas. EMSPs are health professionals concerned primarily with pre-hospital care of acutely ill and injured patients. EMSPs perform such measures as CPR, extrication of patients from constraining environments, initial patient assessment, stabilization, and emergency and routine transport to healthcare facilities. Paramedics play an expanded role in administering emergency care using invasive techniques through standing orders, and they may assist in various basic settings, such as the Emergency Room (ER) or Intensive Care Unit. 

Students completing the three semesters of Paramedic courses will be awarded a Technical Certificate. Students are then eligible to sit for the state or national registry licensure exam.  Students may earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree by completing the additional 30-hour general education requirement.

South Arkansas College is an approved Arkansas EMS Training Site for the Paramedic Program, by the Office of Preparedness and Emergency Response Systems of the Arkansas Department of Health.

The South Arkansas College Paramedic Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs 
727-210-2350 
www.caahep.org 
9355-113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 337754

To contact CoAEMSP: 
214-703-8445 
www.coaemsp.org

 

Community Paramedic (As Needed)

The Community Paramedic program at South Arkansas college is a one-semester, 12-credit hour certificate of proficiency level program that provides additional training to licensed paramedics in the following areas:

Public health

Health prevention

Patient advocacy

Triage

Disease management

Mental health

Management of ongoing illness or injury

The Community Paramedic works under the direction of an emergency medical services (EMS) medical director in cooperation with a primary care provider. Community Paramedics work for EMS agencies, health care organizations or in other areas of public health.

The applicant must already be a certified Paramedic for a minimum of two years. This program has specific application qualifications and process, selective admission, timelines, and other important information that can be found on the college’s website under Academics/Health Science/Emergency Medical Services or from the program director.

The day of the week, time of a class session, and the number of hours in a class session may need to be changed. Notification will be provided to students as soon as the faculty have that information. Dates and times for clinical rotations (and field rotations for paramedic students) are different from the class session schedule and are determined by the clinical facility.