Catalog Description

Prerequisite: Completion of HSCI 55 with grade of "C" or better; current enrollment in the CSU Sacramento Paramedic Program
Hours: 498 (18 lecture, 480 laboratory)
Description: Part four of a four-part series providing the foundational knowledge required for the paramedic level of care in the Emergency Medical System (EMS). The field Internship section provides the paramedic student the culminating field experience minimum of 480 hours on an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance and/or fire engine. The paramedic student will work in a variety of patient care situations under the direct supervision of a Paramedic Preceptor, and will demonstrate the ability to perform an assessment, identify abnormal physical findings, and be able to apply appropriate priority interventions while working in dynamic field environments. (CSU)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Perform professional communication skills required to promote team work and a strong student-preceptor mentoring relationship in the field environment.
  • CSLO #2: Integrate ALS theories and skills from prerequisite courses to provide care for patients with a variety of medical disorders/emergencies and critical trauma emergencies across the adult life span under direct supervision of a field preceptor.
  • CSLO #3: Access, use, and evaluate patient care technologies in a field environment.
  • CSLO #4: Explain concepts related to patient safety and quality healthcare in a field environment.
  • CSLO #5: Exhibit the leadership skills and scene management abilities to promote optimal patient care and crew safety in a field environment.

Effective Term

Fall 2023

Course Type

Credit - Degree-applicable

Contact Hours

498

Outside of Class Hours

36

Total Student Learning Hours

534

Course Objectives

1. Calculate a drug dose, and safely administer the medications.
2. Perform an esophageal-tracheal intubation on an unresponsive patient.
3. Demonstrate ability to safely gain a peripheral venous access on an adult patient.
4. Demonstrate ability to safely gain a peripheral venous access on an adolescent patient.
5. Demonstrate ability to safely gain peripheral venous access on a pediatric patient.
6. Demonstrate ability to safely establish an intraosseous access in the adult patient.
7. Demonstrate ability to safely establish an interosseous access in the pediatric patient.
8. Demonstrate ability to effectively ventilate an intubated adult patient.
9. Demonstrate ability to effectively ventilate an intubated adolescent patient.
10. Demonstrate ability to effectively ventilate an intubated pediatric patient.
11. Demonstrate ability to perform an advanced assessment on a pediatric patient.
12. Demonstrate ability to perform a comprehensive patient assessment on an adult.
13. Demonstrate ability to perform an advanced assessment on geriatric patient.
14. Demonstrate ability to perform an advanced assessment, formulate and implement a treatment plan for a critical trauma patients.
15. Demonstrate ability to perform an advanced assessment, formulate and implement a treatment plan for patients with acute cardiac chest pain.
16. Demonstrate ability to perform an advanced assessment, formulate and implement a treatment plan for patients in acute respiratory failure.
17. Demonstrate ability to perform an advanced assessment, formulate and implement a treatment plan for patients with acute abdominal pain.
18. Demonstrate ability to perform an advanced assessment, formulate and implement a treatment plan for patients with an altered mental status.
19. Demonstrate ability to serve as the team leader in a minimum 40 advanced life support (ALS) type patient in a variety of prehospital emergency situations.
20. Demonstrate ability to accurately and clearly document patient care, record the interventions and accurately describe the patient response to the intervention and the resulting outcome of patient care.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
      • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
        • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)

          Articulation Information

          • CSU Transferable

          Methods of Evaluation

          • Reports
            • Example: Under the direct supervision of their Paramedic Field Preceptor, the student will be evaluated for their ability to accurately and clearly document all patient care contacts, record the interventions, accurately describe the patient response to the interventions, and resulting outcome of patient care. Student performance outcome will be based on their ability to communicate accurate information in a medical legal document.
          • Skill Demonstrations
            • Example: 1. Under the direct supervision of a Paramedic Field Preceptor in a field setting, student will be required to interact with an actual respiratory patient in acute respiratory failure. Student will be evaluated for their ability to perform a rapid patient assessment, and formulate and implement a treatment plan for acute respiratory distress. The student will correctly evaluate and assess the patient using critical thinking skills to select appropriate prehospital protocols. Students performance will be assessed based on standard of care and local protocol. 2. Under the direct supervision of a Paramedic Field Preceptor student will be given a practical emergency medical scenario with minimal information on patient history. The student will be evaluated on a human simulator for their ability to utilize subjective and objective components of the primary assessment, and to demonstrate their ability to select an appropriate intervention utilizing advanced life support protocols. Students performance will be assessed based on standard of care and local protocol

          Repeatable

          No

          Methods of Instruction

          • Laboratory
          • Lecture/Discussion

          Lab:

          1. The Field Preceptor will review skill procedure and then observe the advance psychomotor skills of student on a human simulator; Field preceptor will then evaluates the students performance in the field by observing their ability to gain peripheral venus access on a live pediatric patient, and observe students ability to safely establish an intraosseous access in the live pediatric trauma patient.
          2. The Field Preceptor will review how to accurately record and clearly document patient care. The Field preceptor along with the Field Coordinator will evaluate the students ability to record their field interventions and accurately describe the patient's response to the intervention and the resulting outcome of the prehospital patient care.

          Lecture:

          1. The Field Preceptor will review medication administration and patient assessment on a human simulator. Preceptor will then evaluate the students performance in the field experience by observing their effectiveness to perform an advanced cardiac assessment, formulate and implement a treatment plan, calculate a cardiac medication dose, safely administer the medication, and then perform an effective transfer of care at the hospital.

          Typical Out of Class Assignments

          Reading Assignments

          1. Read current EMS industry/EMS professional publications or manuals provided by instructor/clinical coordinator. Compare articles to local protocols, text books or other EMS industry-related journals 2. Read the regional paramedic protocols for Advanced Life Support care for Severe Allergic Reaction Emergencies and explain the rapid physiological changes that occur within the body during an anaphylactic reaction. 3. Read the regional paramedic treatment protocols on trauma and explain the pathology of traumatic injuries. Describe the signs and symptoms of perfusion compromise and the physiological effects on the body.

          Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

          1. Through required documentation, student will log all activities, track daily tasks, training discussions and training activities, Advanced skills learned, training projects completed, and any type of new knowledge gained in the course of making actual patient contacts. 2. Student will complete a new patient care report (PCR) for all documentation of medical/legal activities involved with patient care, to include chief complaints, sign and symptoms, subjective and objective findings during the assessment, recording all trending of vital signs and any trending changes in the ongoing assessment, and document all patient procedures attempted, completed, and any new changes or results in overall patient condition.

          Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

          Required Materials

          • AAOS Emergency Care in the Streets
            • Author: Nancy Caroline
            • Publisher: Jones and Bartlett Publishers
            • Publication Date: 2018
            • Text Edition: 8th; Volume 1
            • Classic Textbook?:
            • OER Link:
            • OER:
          • AAOS Emergency Care in the Streets
            • Author: Nancy Caroline
            • Publisher: Jones and Bartlett
            • Publication Date: 2018
            • Text Edition: 8th; Volume 2
            • Classic Textbook?:
            • OER Link:
            • OER:

          Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.