Effective: 2024-01-01

Course Description

The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.

General Course Purpose

The purpose of this course is to introduce the novice student to the foundational aspects of advanced life support care.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisite: Current Virginia EMT and CPR certification as approved by the Virginia Office of EMS.

Course Objectives

• Identify components of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system
• Correlate valid research findings to evidence-based practice
• Identify elements of workforce safety and wellness
• Define components of EMS communication systems
• Demonstrate understanding of effective communication
• Describe legal aspects related to patient care
• Explain ethical and moral issues related to patient care

Major Topics to be Included

• The student will be able to integrate comprehensive knowledge of EMS Systems, including the following topics, in order to improve the health of EMS personnel, patients, and the community:
• EMS Systems:
• Roles, Responsibilities, and professionalism of EMS personnel;
• Quality Improvement vs Quality Assurance;
• Role of medical oversight;
• Culture of safety and concepts of patient safety;
• Systems of care (i.e. Stroke, STEMI, Trauma, Pediatrics);
• Foundational knowledge of the continuum of care;
• Foundational knowledge of the history of EMS; and
• Foundational knowledge of Mobile Integrated Healthcare/ Community Paramedicine, and other EMS-related specialty roles.
• Workforce Safety and Wellness:
• Standard safety precautions;
• Personal protective equipment;
• Lifting and moving patients;
• Stress management;
• Prevention of work-related injuries and illnesses;
• Responder mental health, resilience, and suicide prevention;
• Wellness principles;
• Disease transmission; and
• Foundational knowledge of Crew Resource Management.
• Research:
• Impact of research on paramedicine;
• Data collection;
• Evidence-based decision making; and
• Foundational knowledge of research principles to interpret literature and advocate evidence-based practice.
• Documentation:
• Recording patient findings;
• Supporting medical necessity; and
• Comprehensive knowledge of principles of medical documentation and report writing.
• Communication:
• EMS communication system;
• Communication with other health care professionals to include cohesive and organized patient handoff;
• Team communication and dynamics; and
• Simple knowledge of telemetric monitoring devices and transmission of clinical data, including video data.
• Therapeutic Communication:
• Health Care Literacy;
• Interviewing techniques;
• Managing communication challenges;
• Adjusting communication strategies for age, stage of development, patients with special needs;
• Non-discriminatory communication that addresses inherent or unconscious bias, is culturally aware and sensitive, and intended to improve patient outcomes;
• Medical/Legal and Ethics:
• Consent/involuntary consent/refusal of care;
• Confidentiality;
• Advanced directives;
• Tort and criminal actions;
• Statutory responsibilities;
• Mandatory Reporting;
• Ethical principles/ moral obligations;
• End-of-life issues;
• Health care regulation;
• Patient rights/advocacy;
• Ethical tests and decision making;
• Foundational knowledge of evidence preservation.
• EMS roles in public health;
• Human trafficking;
• EMS HER Reporting and data collection;
• Governmental and nongovernmental roles and resources;
• Public health mission and goals;
• Social, geographic, economic, and demographic determinants of health;
• Patient and community education;
• Injury prevention and wellness;
• Unique pediatric, geriatric, and special populations of public health concerns;
• Foundational knowledge of infection prevention and control; and
• Foundational knowledge of the impacts of political, social, and economic issues.