AEMT-CC
Encyclopedia
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician - Critical Care (EMT-CC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
certification
unique to New York. The curriculum is similar, but beyond that of the national standard EMT-I/99 (EMT-Intermediate - I/99). EMT-CCs are fully classified as Advanced Life Support (ALS)
providers within New York and are trained in advanced airway management, IV fluid administration, cardiac monitoring/defibrillation and medication usage/administration in adult and pediatric patients.
. However, an EMT-CC's education never truly ends as many continuing medical education requirements are required to maintain certification.
, Operating Room, Coronary Care Unit
, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
, Burn Unit
and Medical Intensive Care Unit
. The clinical time is designed to expose the student to a large volume and variety of patients in an educational setting so didactic skills and clinical knowledge can be practiced and refined.
preceptor. Field clinical time represents the phase of instruction where students learn how to apply cognitive knowledge, and the skills developed in the didactic laboratories and hospital clinical time, to the EMS field environment.
While the ALS protocols vary slightly between the different regions in New York as to which are standing orders versus those which require on-line medical control, all protocols follow current guidelines for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
, Pediatric Advanced Life Support
(PALS), Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), and Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS). Ultimately, EMT-CC's are capable of initiating venous access, administering medications, performing endotracheal intubation
, interpreting ECGs, performing electrical cardiac therapy, performing chest decompression, performing intraosseous access and comply with all state defined Basic Life Support (BLS)
protocols.
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
certification
Certification
Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit...
unique to New York. The curriculum is similar, but beyond that of the national standard EMT-I/99 (EMT-Intermediate - I/99). EMT-CCs are fully classified as Advanced Life Support (ALS)
Advanced Life Support
Advanced Life Support is a set of life-saving protocols and skills that extend Basic Life Support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation .-Components of ALS:These include:...
providers within New York and are trained in advanced airway management, IV fluid administration, cardiac monitoring/defibrillation and medication usage/administration in adult and pediatric patients.
Training
Like all ALS providers, the fundamental prerequisite is current EMT-Basic certification. Most instructors require at least one year of active experience at the EMT-Basic level. On average, students receive approximately 300-400 total hours of instruction. This instruction is broken up into 175-225 classroom/practical laboratory hours, 50-75 clinical hours and 75-100 field internship hours. At the end of the class, students must pass the state's practical skills and written exam to obtain certificationCertification
Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit...
. However, an EMT-CC's education never truly ends as many continuing medical education requirements are required to maintain certification.
In The Classroom
A wide variety of topics are covered in class with specific didactic laboratory time. These topics include:- Foundations of the EMT-Critical Care Technician
- Overview of Human Systems/Roles and Responsibilities
- Emergency Pharmacology
- Venous Access and Medication Administration
- Airway Management And Ventilation
- Patient Assessment
- History Taking
- Techniques of Physical Exam
- Clinical Decision Making
- Communications and Documentation
- Trauma Emergencies
- Trauma Systems and Mechanism of Injury
- Hemorrhage and Shock
- Burns
- Head, Thoracic & Abdominal Trauma
- Trauma Practical Laboratory
- Medical Emergencies
- Respiratory Emergencies
- Cardiovascular Emergencies
- Diabetic Emergencies
- Allergic Reactions
- Poison/Overdose
- Neurological Emergencies
- Non Traumatic Abdominal Emergencies
- Environmental Emergencies
- Behavioral Emergencies
- Gynecological Emergencies
- Obstetrical Emergencies
- Neonatal Resuscitation
- Pediatrics
- Geriatrics
In The Clinical Setting
A significant amount of time is spent observing health care professionals in various clinical settings such as the Emergency DepartmentEmergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
, Operating Room, Coronary Care Unit
Coronary care unit
A coronary care unit is a hospital ward specialized in the care of patients with heart attacks, unstable angina, Cardiac dysrhythmia and various other cardiac conditions that require continuous monitoring and treatment.-Characteristics:...
, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Neonatal intensive care unit
A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit —also called a Special Care Nursery, newborn intensive care unit, intensive care nursery , and special care baby unit —is an intensive care unit specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants.The problem of premature and congenitally ill infants is not a...
, Burn Unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
and Medical Intensive Care Unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
. The clinical time is designed to expose the student to a large volume and variety of patients in an educational setting so didactic skills and clinical knowledge can be practiced and refined.
In The Field
EMT-CC students participate in many EMS calls in the field that require ALS skills under an EMT-CC or ParamedicParamedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
preceptor. Field clinical time represents the phase of instruction where students learn how to apply cognitive knowledge, and the skills developed in the didactic laboratories and hospital clinical time, to the EMS field environment.
Scope of Practice
EMT-CCs, like all EMS providers, follow a set of protocols for patient care under the guidance of a medical director. These protocols are typically listed in an algorithm format and consist of either routine standing orders or orders that require direct, on-line communication with medical control via radio or telephone. As compared to a Paramedic, an EMT-CC has fewer routine standing orders and requires more contact with medical control.While the ALS protocols vary slightly between the different regions in New York as to which are standing orders versus those which require on-line medical control, all protocols follow current guidelines for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
Advanced cardiac life support
Advanced cardiac life support or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support refers to a set of clinical interventions for the urgent treatment of cardiac arrest and other life threatening medical emergencies, as well as the knowledge and skills to deploy those interventions.Extensive medical knowledge...
, Pediatric Advanced Life Support
Pediatric Advanced Life Support
Pediatric Advanced Life Support is a 2 day American Heart Association training program. The goal of the course is to aid the pediatric healthcare provider in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to efficiently and effectively manage critically ill infants and children, resulting in...
(PALS), Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), and Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS). Ultimately, EMT-CC's are capable of initiating venous access, administering medications, performing endotracheal intubation
Intubation
Tracheal intubation, usually simply referred to as intubation, is the placement of a flexible plastic or rubber tube into the trachea to maintain an open airway or to serve as a conduit through which to administer certain drugs...
, interpreting ECGs, performing electrical cardiac therapy, performing chest decompression, performing intraosseous access and comply with all state defined Basic Life Support (BLS)
Basic life support
Basic life support is the level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until the patient can be given full medical care at a hospital. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and by...
protocols.