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EMSWORLD.com | AUGUST 2017 13 For More Information Circle 15 on Reader Service Card ground units for their two counties of service, but also coordinates all air ambulances in a 10-county region. One of the crew-centric policies recently enacted is centered around food breaks. People like uninterrupted meal times, and happy people make better providers, so dis- patch actually tones crews out to take their breaks. The call center then makes every effort to avoid sending them calls during that downtime. Obviously, that's not entirely pre- ventable, but providers appreciate the effort. Crews are comprised of one "ambulance worker" (equivalent to an AEMT in the U.S.) and one paramedic. Traditionally, becoming a paramedic in Norway required an individual to practice as an ambulance worker for two years and then take a year of classes at the university. However, this year Norway joined a few other countries that offer a bachelor's degree in paramedicine. Paramedic students now attend year-round for three years to complete their coursework. In Norway, you don't go to "high school" at age 16, but rather choose either four years of vocational training (two years of "high school" plus two years of apprenticeship) or a three- year general study "high school." So up until three years ago, the EMS career path was two years of vocational college plus two years of EMS apprenticeship plus one year of general study college classes to become an ambu- lance worker. As an ambulance worker, you could then attend the university for one year (60 credit hours) to become a paramedic. Three years ago, a new career ladder was developed in which you attend a three-year general study high school (U.S. high school age) and then attend a university year-round for three years (180 credits) to receive a bach- elor's degree in paramedic science. This May the inaugural paramedic class completed their coursework and graduated 30 students. The class was made up of about 80% military veterans, half of whom had been deployed abroad. Other students had engineering or other healthcare experience in their backgrounds, and there was even a physiotherapist enrolled. To help integrate old-school and new- school paramedics, current paramedics are actually recruited to teach students in the sim lab. Paramedics would literally come off a night shift into the sim lab and take students through the hands-on experience, sometimes relating the simulation to actual experiences they had the night before. The sim lab becomes a very synergistic and lively meeting point between theory and practice. According to Carl Christiansen, paramedic instructor at Oslo University, the old-school paramedics get paid for their time in the lab, but they primarily do it because "they think it's fun, and we make sure of that. It's a rewarding experience for all." Students spend 60 days in the sim lab during the program. They are also in the ED and in operating departments performing mutilation training. They work in walk-in clinics, mental health departments and, of course, are primarily on ambulances con- ducting clinical placements for 40 weeks. According to Christiansen, "At the end of the day, we want responsible and autono- mous practitioners. We want people who behave professionally and can make sound clinical decisions in the field. We work very hard to create a culture of respect for them, and they back to us, in order to develop a deep sense of mutual trust." Interestingly, the new degree program uses almost exclusively American and Brit- ish textbooks, partly because the U.K. served as a model for the Norwegian program. The pay expectation for ambulance workers is similar to that of a plumber in Oslo, and a paramedic can expect pay similar to a BSN. My Oslo visit was a wonderful experi- ence and I wish the recent graduates a very fulfilling and rewarding career. I also want to thank Ronald Rolfsen for playing a most hospitable host during my visit. If you have any questions about the program, Rolfsen will be available at EMS World Expo in Las Vegas, Oct 16–20 this year. 800-795-6227 sales@macsliftgate.com www.macsliftgate.com Ambulance Built by Excellance Inc. MACS is Making Ambulance Crews Safer with the Mac's Bariatric Ambulance Lift. With a 1,300 lbs. weight capacity the lift is prepared for any job you can roll on it. The platform is universal and will accommodate whatever equipment you choose to use. The Bumper Stow Technology makes the lift available to the ambulance crew at all times and functions as a bumper and step. Don't Strain Your Back...Go See Mac!