Course Description and Orientation

This course is the clinical component of the EMT Basic Program. Goals and objectives for each of the assigned clinicals can be found posted on the Blackboard section for this course.

Clinicals are to be scheduled outside of class time. Students will be allowed to sign up for

specific clinicals after completion of initial requirements as stated in the accompanying timeline

handout and after mandatory attendance of the Clinical Orientation. The orientation is the second Saturday of the semester at 9:00 AM, specific location to be announced.  Attendance is mandatory.

Required Books and Resources

1) EMSP Program Handbook (found on line; use the most current posted Master handbook):

http://www.austincc.edu/health/emsp/resources.php

2) EMSP Clinical Information Packet for EMSP 1160 (EMT: will be provided to students)

3) Purchase of clinical scheduler through FISDAP (see Blackboard course for instructions) See

http://www.austincc.edu/ for link to Blackboard Courses

Required Equipment

Students are to provide the following equipment for all clinicals where there is the potential for patient contact or assessments: Stethoscope, Blood Pressure Cuff, Penlight, Safety Goggles, Trauma Shears.  
The Clinical Uniform is described in the orientation lectures and in the EMSP Program Handbook under Clinical Dress Code and is worn to all clinical rotations.  

In addition, for all clinicals, students should wear a watch with second hand and bring a small pocket size (3”x5”) spiral notebook for notes and at least two writing implements (pens/ pencils).

Successful Course Completion

In order to successfully complete this course students must

• attend all assigned clinicals,
• follow the clinical guidelines as described in these Course Policies and in the Handbook,
• complete the “Clinical Readiness Test” online exam within three attempts by the specified deadline and with the minimum cut score,
• complete all preparatory requirements as described in the “Timeline Handout”  for signing up for clinicals within the specified deadlines,
• fully complete and turn in all related clinical paperwork documenting successful completion of the clinical objectives,
• complete the ICS 100 and ICS 700 modules by the given deadline (Timeline handout),
• maintain an overall grade average of 75% or greater.

Failure to complete any of the above, even though the student may have a passing average in the class, will result in failure of the course.

EMSP 1160 is a separate course from the lecture/lab component of your EMT training -

EMSP 1501. If you fail or withdraw from either course before meeting the objectives of the co-requisite course, you must withdraw from both courses.  The course grade for EMSP 1501 is independent of the course grade for EMSP 1160 – however they are linked for purposes of certification eligibility. A minimum course average of 75% in EMSP 1160 and 1501 is required for certification eligibility. A course grade less than 75% in either course is considered not “passing” and results in ineligibility for certification. If this happens, the student must re-take both EMSP 1501 and EMSP 1160 (linked courses), and meet all requirements to be eligible for certification.

Clinical Grades

Your course grade for this class is determined as shown below.

(1) “Clinical Readiness” Test: weighted as 30% of final clinical grade

Students will have up to three attempts to score at least a 90% on the test. This portion of the

clinical grade consists of the average of the attempts (If the student makes 95% on the first

attempt - that will be the grade). Testing dates will be posted in your “Timeline” handout.  If a student misses a testing opportunity, a grade of zero will be entered for that test. These tests must be taken in any ACC Testing Center.

PLEASE READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE STARTING YOUR TEST ATTEMPT!  Failure to successfully complete this portion of the course by the stated deadline will result in your withdrawal from the course. This test is found in your clinical course on Blackboard in the “Assignments” section. Information for this test is found in this handout, the Program Handbook, and on Blackboard from Course Materials and from the orientation information found in “Lectures”.  You are also provided a study guide to help you prepare for this test.

(2) Timeliness of Clinical Evaluation Form Submission: 10% of final grade

Clinical paperwork is due the next class day immediately following the clinical. Students will

begin the course with a Timeliness grade of 100% and will lose 5 points from the timeliness grade for every class day for which the paperwork is not turned in to a maximum of 20 points lost for each single occurrence.  All paperwork must be filled out completely in blue or black ink in order to be accepted when turned in.  All clinical paperwork must have the signature of the clinical preceptor and the evaluation of student performance filled out in order to be accepted.

Clinical paperwork will only be accepted at the beginning of class and not before, during break, or after class, and must be given directly to the Clinical Coordinator or the lead instructor who is giving the class lecture. Any exceptions must be requested in advance from the Clinical Coordinator. Paperwork that is turned in with missing student signature or name, filled in with pencil, or missing dates and times will automatically result in a point reduction of at least 5 points even if the problem can be corrected that class day. 

(3) Blackboard Assignments: 50% of the final grade (only 1 attempt allowed per assignment)

The following assignments are in Blackboard:

●Labor & Delivery

●EMS Communications

●EMS Field Experience

●EMT Medication Quiz #1

●EMT Medication Quiz #2

●EMT Medication Quiz #3

Answers will come from your textbook, on-line information or other credible sources. The assignments should be completed by the deadline listed on the assignment in Blackboard. A grade of 100% will be awarded for questions that are successfully completed. Answers should be written at an EMT level.

(4) ICS Training: 10% of the final grade

Complete both the NIMS ICS 100.b and ICS 700.a training modules by the deadline date as specified in the “Timeline” handout.  Instructions on how to complete this training and to post your certificates are found in the “Assignments” section of Blackboard. ICS previously completed may not be more than two calendar years prior to the submission date. ICS certificates must be for the correct course (IC100.b and IC-700.a), and must be submitted through Blackboard, in pdf format, in order for credit to be given. Be aware that it may take two to three days for the certificate to be generated after the training is completed. Certificates that are completed by the deadline but are not for the correct course (IC100.b and IC-700.a), or correctly submitted through Blackboard, in pdf format by the deadline will receive a zero for the assignment. Certificates that do not show a completion date by the deadline will result in failure of this course.

Program Medical Director/ Privilege to Practice:

Students are allowed to participate in clinical activities and perform procedures on patients by an extension of the medical license of the Program Medical Director who grants students the Privilege to Practice. If at any time the Medical Director loses confidence in the student’s ability to behave professionally and with integrity or to operate safely in the clinical environment, the student will be removed from the clinical course and may be permanently removed from this Program.  

HIPAA and Online Exams

During this course you will have the opportunity to interact with many patients in the clinical environment.  Maintaining patient confidentiality is a critical part of providing health care.  Prior to beginning clinical rotations you must complete the ACC Health Sciences training in the federally mandated HIPAA guidelines. Violation of HIPAA standards is serious and will result in disciplinary action up to and including possible personal fines and removal from the Program and/or Health Sciences.  Be aware that sharing any patient information outside of what the guidelines allow is a HIPAA violation, even if no names are used. 

To that end, students shall not take any photographs, make audio recordings or videos during any portion of clinicals nor may they share any information obtained during a clinical rotation either informally or on social media or other public formats.

Students shall not remove any patient data from a clinical site, even if it has been de-identified.  Avoid including any identifiable patient information on your clinical evaluation forms.  All requested information must be documented in a way that would not link the information to any specific patient. Students may discuss patient care issues only as permitted by HIPAA guidelines. Students should refer to the section on “Professional Ethics and Confidentiality” in the Program Handbook for additional information.

Each student is required to complete online HIPAA training and other online training as specified in the “Timeline” handout.  The HIPAA test and the other on-line training can be found at the following web site: http://www.austincc.edu/health/dmt.php.

FISDAP for Clinical Scheduling

In order to track your clinical schedule you will use the online clinical scheduler through FISDAP. It is your responsibility as a student to maintain a complete clinical schedule throughout the semester.  Students may not schedule any clinical which conflicts with an EMSP course in which they are registered. Students may not schedule or attend any clinical during any time where Austin Community College is closed. This includes holidays (Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Spring Break, for example) or when the College closes due to weather or other unforeseen reasons.

You must also update your contact information on FISDAP to include the ACC issued email, a phone number where you can be easily contacted and an emergency contact number if needed by the Program.  These phone numbers must be kept current throughout the clinical course.

Refer to the Program Handbook for more specific guidelines.

Required Clinical Rotations for EMSP 1160

ATCEMS 1 rotation x 12 hours (beginning at either 6 am or 7 am)

Williamson County EMS 1 rotation x 12 hours (beginning at 8 am)

San Marcos/ Hays County EMS 1 rotation x 12 hours

Emergency Department 2 rotations x 8 hours each

Labor and Delivery 1 rotation x 8 hours (must repeat once if no births seen)

Communications 1 rotation x 4 hours

Students may be required to repeat a clinical rotation if the clinical documentation indicates that the student did not meet the learning objectives of that clinical. Students must have at least three patient transports by the end of the EMS rotations. It is the responsibility of the student to enter all clinical activities accurately on the clinical forms and to be aware of any deficiencies.  

Clinical Attendance and Schedules:

The FISDAP schedule is the official schedule.

You are expected to attend all clinicals as scheduled. Failure to attend a scheduled clinical without providing proper notification will result in disciplinary action.  Also, you may only attend clinicals which have been properly approved and scheduled and for the times scheduled.  Attendance at a clinical that has not been properly scheduled put all at risk and will be grounds for disciplinary action.

Once you sign up for your clinical rotations you are expected to adhere to that schedule.   While we realize that unexpected events can make changes necessary, and you should never attend a clinical while you are ill, it may not be possible to accommodate requests for schedule changes.  Change requests should only be for circumstances that are unforeseen and beyond your control. The Program is unable to guarantee slots for a new clinical time if you must cancel a clinical rotation.  In addition, you may be asked to produce documentation of need to support a request for change if you have to cancel a clinical or reschedule.

For emergency cancellations: the student must directly contact the Clinical Coordinator by phone not more than 24 hours prior and not less than one hour prior to the scheduled start of the clinical to cancel if for unforeseen reasons he/ she is unable to attend a scheduled shift.

Requesting Clinical Changes:

Students wishing to change, or replace a clinical shift must first receive permission from the Lead Instructor.  The student should look at the schedule on FISDAP for an available clinical shift and then email the request to the Lead Instructor using the provided format. Once the request is approved by the Lead Instructor, the Clinical Coordinator will place the student on the FISDAP schedule.

A student who changes a shift or adds a clinical directly on FISDAP without having received direct written permission from the Clinical Coordinator allowing them to do so will be placed on probation.

A student wishing to change a clinical date must submit a formal request to the Lead Instructor in writing by email at least two business days prior to the date of the clinical being changed. A request for change does not imply that the request will be granted.  

A student wishing to reschedule a clinical that was missed by absence or which was cancelled must submit a formal request to the Lead Instructor in writing by email within at least two business days from the date the clinical was cancelled.

You must speak directly to the Clinical Coordinator as soon as possible for any issues that impact your successful completion of an assigned clinical. Examples of when immediate contact is required include (but are not limited to) cancelling a clinical because of illness, arriving late for a clinical and being sent home, becoming ill or injured during a clinical, or having to leave the clinical early.  Email notification in such circumstances is NOT acceptable.  Failure to provide timely notification may result in the student being placed on probationary status.

Clinical Evaluation forms:

Clinical evaluation forms are specific to each clinical site.  Other forms may not be substituted for the correct form and the student should expect to be sent home from the clinical resulting in probationary status.

Forms must be filled out using blue or black ink.  White-out may never be used.

Also, if the student leaves a clinical site without the required signatures or completed evaluation information it may not be possible to return to that site to get the missing information.  Students may not attempt to contact a clinical preceptor to get a form completed after the preceptor has left work for that shift.  If this occurs the Clinical Coordinator must be notified as soon as possible.  A clinical rotation with incomplete paperwork cannot be accepted and the clinical must be rescheduled, subject to available time. This will not result in a point deduction if the Clinical Coordinator is notified of the problem in a timely manner before the paperwork is turned in.

Uniform:

The EMSP clinical uniform for EMT students is described in the Program Handbook (see online http://www.austincc.edu/health/emsp/resources.php) and in more detail in the Clinical Orientation materials found on Blackboard.  Your uniform must be approved by the Clinical Coordinator before you can begin your clinical rotations. 

If a student arrives at a clinical site with an incomplete or inappropriate uniform or without the required equipment or paperwork, the student may be sent home from the clinical and receive an unexcused absence.

Skills cards:

You will be issued a “skills card” once you have met all requirements to begin your clinical rotations.  This card must be worn along with your name tag for all clinical rotations. You may perform only the verified skills listed on the card and only under the supervision of your clinical preceptor. As an EMT basic student it is possible that you will attend a clinical rotation and be asked to perform a skill for which you have not yet been trained in class.  In that case you should NOT perform the skill. Under no circumstances can a student perform a skill without the knowledge and permission of the clinical preceptor.

The skills card must be returned at the end of your clinical rotations.  

This course has no required readings beyond the Student Master Handbook.

No lectures within course

This course is offered as a predominantly clinical work based environment.  The students will travel to a variety of clinical locations to practice their assessment and treatment skills under the supervision of faculty and preceptors. 

Common Course Objectives/Outcomes.  Upon completion of the course the student will be able to:

1. Safely and effectively perform all psychomotor skills within the National EMS Scope of Practice Model AND state Scope of Practice at this level.
2. Demonstrate professional behavior including: but not limited to, integrity, empathy, self-motivation, appearance/personal hygiene, self-confidence, communications, time management, teamwork/diplomacy, respect, patient advocacy, and careful delivery of service.

Report and document assessment data and interventions