28 MAY 2016 | EMSWORLD.com
process, which very closely simulates the
realities experienced in the back of the truck.
The students operate out of jump bags with
code boxes, narcotic boxes, drug boxes and
real oxygen. The students even have nebu-
lized saline to simulate nebulizer treatments.
That process has been successful because a
nebulizer treatment takes 4–6 minutes to
administer. If the student doesn't simulate
using the nebulizer, his or her timing will
be off.
An additional method of realism we use is
to hand them a "bag of bottles" with popu-
lar prescription drug names (both trade and
generic), requiring them to determine the
medical history of the patient based only on
the medications. This strengthens both assessment and pharma-
cology skills. Each of these processes is vital to the growth of the
student as he or she works through the requirements for becoming
a paramedic.
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Motlow paramedic students and
Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy fire
recruits work together to take care of a
victim of a simulated house fire.
Along with having to draw the medications, each paramedic
student has a sealed simulated narcotics box. They have to verify
what drug they want to administer, and then break the seal to get
access to the drug. This is that extra step that adds time to the