Emergency Medical – Paramedic Policies and Procedures

Accreditation #303 – Program Admission Opens in Spring Semester

Overview

Admission to the College does not guarantee admission to the Paramedic program or EMT or Advanced EMT courses. Students must be 18 years of age and out of high school to attend any EMS course and to be certified. (Please see the CCP enrollment policies outlined in the College catalog). It is recommended that students contact the EMS/Fire Coordinator prior to seeking admission to the program.

Students are considered for admission to the program as soon as the EMS/Fire Coordinator or Admissions Office receives the following:

Placement test scores
High school transcript or GED test scores
Copy of valid driver’s license
Copies of ICS/NIMS 100, 100a, or 100b and 700, or 700a submitted during course
Medical clearance/physical form on file prior to student entering clinical or field internships
Advanced and Paramedic students only – Program pre-test scores (75% or higher)
Advanced and Paramedic students only – Interview with program coordinator
Advanced and Paramedic students only – Copy of valid Ohio EMT-B certification or Ohio Advanced EMT (AEMT) certification
Advanced and Paramedic students only – Copy of NREMT certification if applicable
Advanced and Paramedic students only – Copy of current AHA Health Care provider CPR certification
Advanced and Paramedic students only – Copies of ICS/NIMS 100, 100a, or 100b and 700, or 700a
Paramedic students only – Completion of BIO 2110, Anatomy & Physiology, or equivalent with a grade of “C” or better

When this required information is on file, the potential student must schedule an interview with the EMS/Fire Program Coordinator to determine admission to the program. When accepted into the program, the student will then be permitted to register for class.

Students wishing to complete only the Advanced EMT course must complete all entrance requirements and enroll in EMT 1150. Students must be Ohio Certified EMTs to apply for admission to the Advanced EMT program. Students must be Ohio certified EMTs or Advanced EMTs to apply for admission to the Paramedic Program. Potential students will be admitted at the discretion of the Program Director and as space permits.

Students who complete the above listed criteria after the class is full will be placed on a waiting list in chronological order based on the date of a completed file. Students will be accepted into the program as space becomes available.

Ohio Division of EMS Certification

To obtain certification from the Ohio Division of EMS, the student may not have been convicted, pled guilty to, had a judicial finding of guilt for, or had a judicial finding of eligibility for treatment in lieu of conviction for any of the following:

Any felony;
A misdemeanor committed during practice;
A misdemeanor involving moral turpitude;
A violation of any federal, state, county, or municipal narcotics law;
Any act committed in another state or jurisdiction that, if committed in Ohio, would constitute a violation set forth in this paragraph;
Has not been adjudicated mentally incompetent by a court of law;
At the time of application, is not under indictment for any felony or a misdemeanor as outlined in paragraph (A)(3) of this rule;
Does not engage in the illegal use of controlled substances, alcohol, or other habit-forming drugs or chemical substances while on duty as an emergency medical provider;
Has not committed fraud or material deception in applying for, or obtaining a certificate issued under Chapter 4765 of the Revised Code;
Within twelve months prior to making application with the board, has passed an examination administered by the board in accordance with section 4765.29 of the Revised Code at the level for which certification is sought.

An applicant who has pled guilty to, had a judicial finding of guilt for, or had a judicial finding of eligibility for treatment and/or intervention in lieu of conviction for an offense listed in paragraph (A)(5) of rule 765-8-01 of the Administrative Code must, at the applicants expense, submit with the application a certified copy of the judgment entry from the court in which the conviction occurred, a civilian background check from the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI&I), and a certified copy of the police report or law enforcement agency report, if applicable. Subject to the discretion of the division (of EMS), failure to submit this documentation will render the application incomplete; however, the application will not be returned to the applicant and will not be processed until the above documentation has been submitted to the division (of EMS).

If the above applies to the student, he/she may still enroll in and complete the course; however, the student may or may not be certified by the Ohio Division of EMS. Please contact the EMS/Fire Director (if any of the above circumstances apply to you) in order to start the process with the State of Ohio Division of EMS if applicable. Declaration forms can be downloaded at: http://www.ems.ohio.gov/.

Grades

Grades will be given to individual students following each semester in the program and may be accessed via the JICS student portal or through the Records Office. Students will be graded on cognitive, psychomotor, affective, and clinical objectives. Students must demonstrate competency with a minimum cut score on exams and receive a minimum passing score of 77% in each course. The following grading scale will be used for all EMS program courses:

+/- Grade Scale
A	95-100
A-	91-94
B+	89-90
B	85-55
B-	83-84
C+	81-82
C	77-80
C-	75-76
D+	73-74
D	70-72
F	69-Below

Failure to Maintain “C” Average

Emergency medical students will automatically be dropped from the program if they fail to maintain a “C” average in each course. Unsuccessful EMT and Advanced EMT students must repeat the entire course. Unsuccessful paramedic students are required to resubmit entrance requirements and begin the sequence again starting with EMT 2010.

Testing and Examinations

Quizzes, assignments, and examinations may be given in accordance with the course syllabus or may be unannounced. The student is responsible for making arrangements with the instructor for make-up testing and assignments. All make-up testing must be completed within two weeks of return to the class.

Assignments

All assignments must be submitted by the start of class on the date due in order to receive full credit for them. No credit or partial credit will be given at the discretion of the instructor for late assignments. If extenuating circumstances make assignment completion impossible, it is the responsibility of the student to make an appointment with the instructor and all make up assignments must be submitted within two weeks of the due date or return to class.

Attendance and Punctuality

Students are expected to attend all classes and any clinicals which have been arranged. Calling off, arriving late, or leaving early are considered unfavorable actions by the instructors, the class participants, and the clinical facilities and are not permissible except in extreme circumstances. Students should report all classroom absences to the course instructor. When the student has plenty of notice, arrangements to cancel clinical internships should be done through the EMS/Fire Coordinator as soon as possible so that other students may take advantage of the clinical time open. In emergency situations when advanced notice of an absence is impossible, the student should report the absence to the clinical facility and the EMS/Fire Coordinator as soon as possible, preferably before the scheduled time. Please notify the coordinator via voice message, email, or in person immediately. Repeated call offs, failure to attend, or failure to notify both the clinical facility and coordinator may result in disciplinary action and the loss of privileges at the clinical site.

Classroom absences exceeding more than 10% of any given course can result in automatic failure of the course or of the program. Excused students are responsible for making up all course content with a Belmont College EMS program instructor and making arrangements for make-up time with the course instructors and EMS/Fire Coordinator. Students who miss more than three consecutive days of the program through illness or medical leave of absence must contact the EMS/Fire Director. Eligibility for returning will require a physician’s signed statement. Absences in excess of three days will be made up at the discretion of the Program Director.

Clinical and Field Internships

Students are rotated through a variety of medical, surgical, emergency, and field services during the program as outlined by their respective curriculum. Students will work with the facility coordinator and clinical preceptors to complete the requirements for their program. Paramedic students will schedule approximately 14-16 hours per week in the clinical setting which does not include classroom time.

Clinical internships are part of the class and are required for successful completion of the course. Students will not receive a grade for the course or be eligible for testing or certification until the clinical requirements are complete. Hospital rotations, field internships, and skills documentation must be completed before the end of the student’s respective program. Failure to complete clinical/field internships within this timeframe will result in failure of the course. In extreme circumstances the student may seek an extension for clinical/field internship completion. The extension must be in writing and approved by the EMS/Fire Coordinator.

All clinical internships must be arranged by the EMS/Fire Coordinator through Belmont College. Once the student has arranged clinical time with the director, the clinical internship will be added to the Master Clinical Schedule. Clinical documentation that is not on the Master Clinical Schedule when turned in will not count towards the student’s time or skill requirements and may result in disciplinary action.

Dress Code – Clinical Attire

Every EMT, advanced EMT, and paramedic student is expected to present with a clean, well groomed, and neat appearance during all clinical and field internships. As a representative of the EMS profession and of Belmont College the student is required to wear a professional uniform and is responsible for the upkeep, maintenance, and laundering of that uniform. Problems with grooming, appearance, equipment, and uniform may result in loss of clinical privileges at the clinical site and could result in the student being sent home. The full uniform is to be worn to all sites. In some circumstances the student may be required to change at the facility according to the policies and procedures of that facility.

Field Internship Uniform:

Belmont College or plain navy/dark blue polo shirt
Belmont College EMS/Fire T-shirt in navy
Navy or dark blue pants
Clean dark socks
Clean, black boots or shoes
Belmont College ID

The student may bring full protective firefighting turnout gear to be worn during vehicle accident rescue operations or as directed by the field internship preceptor. The student is not to participate in fire fighting activities.

Hospital Clinical Uniform:

Plain black or gray scrub tops and bottoms
Plain scrub jackets are permissible
Clean socks
Clean shoes
Belmont College ID
Some additional dress codes may apply at certain locations

Fire department/EMS Service uniforms, t-shirts, and hats are not permitted to be worn during clinicals. Should additional, special clinical opportunities arise casual or other clinical uniforms may be worn with authorization from the EMS/Fire Coordinator. Dress code and other information will be provided at the time.

Identification:

The student will be issued an EMS program photo college ID that is to be worn at all clinical sites. Arrangements will be made during class for issuing the IDs. IDs will be replaced at the student’s expense. Some facilities require that the student obtain a facility specific ID.

Equipment:

Stethoscope
Watch with seconds monitored
Pen(s) with black and red inks (No documentation in other colors of ink)
Trauma shears or bandage scissors (optional)

General Appearance:

Fingernails should be of reasonable length, well-manicured, and clean.
Colored nail polish is not permitted.
Hair should be neat and off the collar while in clinicals.
Long hair must be tied up and no loose or dangling hair is permitted.
Extreme haircuts, styles, and dyes are not permitted.
Facial hair should be neat and well groomed.
No ball caps or head gear are to be worn.
Only authorized jewelry is permitted.
A plain wedding band may be worn while in uniform.
No other rings are permitted.
Neck chains are permissible if not visible.
No earrings, brow rings, nose piercings, or other piercings are permitted to be visible. Jewelry can harbor bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Smoking is permitted only in designated areas and at designated times as outlined by the clinical site.
Chewing gum is not permitted while in the clinical setting.
Perfumes or colognes are not permitted to be worn during clinicals as they may agitate the conditions, particularly respiratory conditions, of the patients.

Withdrawal

Students wishing to withdraw from the program or the College must officially withdraw following the policies outlined in the college catalog.

Insurance

Student’s health problems are their own financial responsibility. All students are advised to carry hospitalization insurance while attending college. Students not covered by hospitalization are required to carry student accident insurance to cover any injuries that they might sustain while in the classroom, lab, clinical, or field internship/practicum settings.

Liability coverage is provided for the student during the classroom, laboratory, clinical, and field internship rotations. This coverage is in effect only during authorized activities associated with the program. For this reason, it is extremely important that the student be on record as scheduled for clinical, field, classroom, and laboratory activities.

Emergency Care

Student medical or emergency care in case of illness or accidents incurred while on duty in the clinical area is provided in conformity with the standard health care service extended to hospital personnel as defined in hospital personnel policies. Illnesses or accidents incurred while on duty will be reported at once to the clinical instructor. Students must be seen by a physician of their choice. Before students return to the clinical area, they must have written authorization from a physician. The affiliating hospitals receive compensation for the aforesaid care through individual hospital insurance plans carried by individual students.

Disciplinary Action

Students in the program are expected to always be professional and ethical during their participation. Any violation of College policy, ethical standards, or professionalism may subject the student to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the program.

These offenses include but are not limited to:

Code of Conduct violations
Academic dishonesty
Inappropriate behavior
Theft or other criminal activity
Betrayal of patient confidentiality
Failure to obey clinical preceptors

All violations will be documented in the student’s permanent record. Students accused of such activity are entitled to appeal any accusation according to the College Grievance Procedure outlined in the Course Catalog and Student Handbook.

Requirements for Certificate of Completion of Paramedic Program

Current valid Ohio Basic EMT or Advanced EMT certification maintained
BLS Healthcare Provider Card current
ACLS Course completion
PALS Course completion
ITLS Course completion
PEDS ITLS Course completion
ICS/NIMS Course certificates
All credentials on file in the program/student records.
All clinical and field internship hours and skills completed, documented, and submitted before taking the written and practical certification examinations
Successful completion of all coursework, as required by College standards
Successful completion of lab portfolios.
Comprehensive program final with a score at or above the cut score.

Students must successfully complete each course in the paramedic program sequence in a single cycle. Unsuccessful students are required to resubmit entrance requirements and begin the sequence again starting with EMT 2010.

Graduation Requirements

The student is responsible for completing all program requirements. A Form 73 (Intent to Graduate) must be completed one semester prior to the semester in which the student expects to graduate. Requirements must be approved by a director, dean, and the VP of Academic Affairs. Graduation requirements include successful completion of all required courses in general education with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, and students must have a letter grade of “C” or better in all paramedic courses.

Please see EMS program details and the EMS student handbook for additional information and course specific requirements.

Advanced Placement for Health Care Professionals

Currently Licensed/Certified Health Care Professionals may be eligible to apply prior learning and work experience. Advanced placement is considered on a case-by-case basis, and potential students must demonstrate competency in all areas of the curriculum regardless of past experience. See the “Credit for Experience” and “Credit Transfer” sections of the College catalog for additional information on developing the portfolio. All other entrance and exit requirements apply. Candidates should:

Apply to the paramedic program. All state and college prerequisites apply
Send college and military transcripts for evaluation
Develop a portfolio that supplies appropriate documentation of past experiences including:
- Copies of state licenses/certifications
- Resume
- Job description
- Documentation of how work experience has met the learning objectives outlined in the course syllabus (6-month minimum work experience is required. Letter from supervisor on company letterhead listing job duties that were performed and supervisor’s signature)
- Military documents/Veteran Verification of Training
- Include seminar, certificates, and other relevant training documentation
- Include examples of work, e.g., computer programs written, business documents prepared
- Other applicable documentation of experience and training
Schedule a meeting with the Program Coordinator to review the portfolio and determine which areas of the curriculum the candidate meets the requirements for competency testing
Take the written exam(s) for which the candidate has demonstrated sufficient experience
Take the practical exam(s) for which the candidate has demonstrated sufficient experience
Schedule the required and remaining classroom, laboratory, and clinical courses in the program