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Hagerstown Community College / HCC

Academic Catalog

2019-2020 Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Paramedic Emergency Services, Certificate, EMT-I to EMT-P Bridge


This program is suspended and not enrolling new students as of June 15, 2020. 

The Paramedic Emergency Services Bridge program is designated as a Health Manpower Shortage Program; therefore, some residents of Maryland enrolled in this program of study on the first day of the term may be eligible for in-county tuition rates for courses required for program completion. 

Purpose: This program, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and approved by Committee on Accreditation of EMS Professions (CoAEMSP) and The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS), prepares students to sit for the National Registry Examinations and state licensure as Emergency Medical Technician - Paramedic. There is a fee for the national exams.

View the Paramedic Emergency Services, Certificate, EMT-I to EMT-P Bridge Fee Sheet. 

Curriculum: The curriculum is divided into several areas of study and consists of lecture, laboratory, clinical experience, and field experience. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge and skills of the paramedic to meet the needs of individuals in times of an emergency. Courses in general education provide the student with the scientific and social background to function as an effective person, citizen, and healthcare provider.

Program Outcomes: Graduates of the Certificate in Paramedic Emergency Services Bridge will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of human anatomy and physiology, and the underlying pathophysiology of various medical and traumatic conditions.
  2. Provide appropriate patient care with respect for diverse cultures, values, and beliefs.
  3. Integrate comprehensive knowledge or pre-hospital pharmacology to formulate a treatment plan intended to mitigate emergencies and improve the overall health of the patient.
  4. Integrate scene and patient assessment findings with knowledge of epidemiology and pathophysiology to form a field impression.
  5. Integrate assessment findings with principles of epidemiology and pathophysiology to formulate a field impression and implement a comprehensive treatment/disposition plan for a patient with a medical complaint.
  6. Given a variety of scenarios, conduct assessments and use critical thinking to manage scenes, determine proper patient care, and evaluate changing conditions.
  7. Apply local, state, and federal law and protocols to prehospital practice.
  8. Competently perform all paramedic skills.
  9. Demonstrate consistent positive behavioral characteristics (Affective Domain).
  10. Demonstrate collaborative skills, including communication, documentation, and teamwork in the field of paramedicine.
  11. Demonstrate effective use of equipment and resources.
  12. Integrate comprehensive knowledge of the EMS systems, the safety and well-being of the paramedic, and medical-legal and ethical issues, which is intended to improve the health of the EMS personnel, patients, and the community.
  13. Integrate assessment findings with the principles of epidemiology and pathophysiology to formulate a field impression to implement a comprehensive treatment/disposition plan for an acutely injured patient.
  14. Sit for the NREMT-P Examinations.

Admission Requirements: 

  • Current Emergency Medical Technician - Intermediate Certification
  • Students must be capable of performing the technical standards of the program

Program Requirements: Students practice selected procedures on each other in the college EMS laboratory. All paramedic students must receive:

  1. A minimum grade of 70% in each paramedic course.
  2. A minimum of 70% on the final exam for each course.
  3. A mark of P (passing) for both the laboratory skills and clinical experiences. Students who receive a final mark of F (failing) in the laboratory or clinical experiences, despite a passing theory grade, will not be permitted to progress in the paramedic program and will receive a final grade of “F” for the course.
  4. An Overall Competent Evaluation in all criteria areas of the Affective Domain Evaluation.
  5. A minimum of 70% on an Exit Exam at the end of the program.

An orientation session will be held prior to the beginning of the first semester of the I to P program. Attendance is mandatory.

Prior to the start of the first practicum course, students must provide appropriate health examination record(s) and all required tests and immunizations, along with a urine drug screen and criminal background checks; a current American Heart Association BLS Provider CPR certification is also required.

Students who do not meet program, course, health, or affective domain standards (see the paramedic handbook and the Web site), that results in termination from the paramedic program by the College are not eligible for readmission. This guideline includes students who cannot meet safety standards and students who violate the college’s Honor Code and Standards of Conduct, the paramedic program’s Standards of Conduct, and the criminal code described by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Fact Sheet

Certificate Requirement (25 Credits)


Additional Program Requirements


Selection Criteria


Students will be admitted to the paramedic bridge program each summer based upon availability.

Readmission to the Paramedic Bridge Program


Students who withdraw from, or fail courses in the paramedic bridge program sequence and desire readmission to the paramedic bridge program, must submit a request in writing to the Coordinator, Emergency Medical Services by October 1, for spring and summer readmission, and by March 1, for fall readmission.

Readmission to the paramedic bridge program must take place within one year of leaving the program. Readmission cannot be assured and is based on progression criteria for each course, highest grade-point average, and the availability of seats. The curriculum under which a student seeks readmission may be different from the one under which the student left. Students who are accepted for readmission must complete the program requirements in place at the time of readmission. Students who fail or withdraw from a paramedic course after readmission are not eligible to be readmitted a second time.

Criminal Background Checks


All paramedic students who are offered admission to the paramedic bridge program will be required to submit to a complete criminal background check. A separate criminal background check may also be required by a clinical site prior to beginning a clinical experience. Criminal background check results are disclosed to clinical facilities as required. If a student is denied access to a clinical site because of the background check, and as a result, cannot meet program requirements, the student will be recommended for dismissal from the paramedic program.

Individuals applying to take the National Registry Paramedic exam may be required to submit to an additional criminal background check depending upon the state in which the individual seeks licensure. Reference to various state requirements are the responsibility of the student. National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians provides an explanation of General Denial, Presumptive Denial, and Discretionary Denial, which can be obtained from the Coordinator, Emergency Medical Services, or by consulting the National Registry Web site at www.nremt.org.

Drug Screen


All paramedic students who are offered admission to the paramedic bridge program will be required to submit to a drug screen. Drug screen results are disclosed to clinical facilities as required. A random drug screen may also be requested at any time during the paramedic bridge program if a paramedic faculty member or a clinical facility representative has reasonable cause to suspect that a student is impaired and poses a safety concern to patients or others. If a student is denied access by a clinical site because of drug screen results, and as such, cannot meet program requirements, the student will recommended for dismissal from the paramedic bridge program.

Technical Standards


There are technical standards and skill requirements which students are expected to possess and demonstrate in order to be successful in this program. More information on these standards can be found on the Web page for this program.

Please see the Paramedic Emergency Services Degree Admission and Program Requirements