Health and Public Services
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SCIENCE
Embark on a life-saving journey with our Associate Degree in Emergency Medical Science
Essential Functions and Technical Standards Requirements
Purpose Statement:
The following standards reflect reasonable expectations of a student in the Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) for the care of emergency medical conditions. In adopting these
standards, the EMS Program is mindful of the patient’s right to safe and quality health
care by students. The EMS student must be able to apply the knowledge and skills necessary
to function in a broad variety of clinical situations while providing the spectrum
of emergency medical services. These standards do reflect what may be required for
employment of the graduate. To verify the students’ ability to perform these essential
functions, students may be required to demonstrate the technical standards below.
Meeting these technical standards does not guarantee employment in this field upon
graduation. Ability to meet the program’s technical standards does not guarantee a
student’s eligibility for any licensure, certification exam, or successful completion
of the program..
Technical Standards |
Definition of Standards |
Examples |
| Critical Thinking Skills | Sufficient critical thinking abilities for clinical judgment such that the individual can make independent judgments in the absence of other medical team members and/or medical control; and determine methods and treatments to use when caring for patients with varying illnesses or injuries. | Assess scene safety in uncontrolled environments; assess patient’s medical history and condition; determine and prioritize the severity of the illness/injury; determine correct treatment modalities, including exceptions to approved modalities; |
| Problem-Solving Skills | Ability to make correct tentative diagnosis and assessment conclusions that allow selection and pursuit of accepted treatment protocols and integrations of multiple protocols and modalities in single and multiple patient situations. | Formulate correct decisions; integrate correct treatment protocol(s); devise an accepted
plan to provide patient care in typical/atypical cases; utilize standard accepted equipment for safe patient care and movement. |
| Interpersonal Skills | Sufficient ability to interact with individuals, families, groups, public safety personnel and other health care providers from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.ersonal Skills | Establish and maintain supportive relationships with patients, family members, bystanders, public safety, media, political officials, and other health care providers under stressful and non-stressful situations. |
| Communication Skills | Sufficient ability to interact effectively with others in English using verbal, written and reading form. Communication via face-to-face interaction and/or standard radio and telephone links are an integral requirement. | Ask questions of current and past medical history of the patient or bystanders; receive and interpret information from patient(s) or bystanders regarding history, complaints, and response to treatments; ability to request and clarify orders from health care personnel (ex: physician);provide accurate and legible written reports of patient(s) in timely fashion to appropriate individuals (ex: law enforcement): ability to read and understand written orders, advance directives, DNR’s, the MOST form, instructions, protocols, prescriptions, and other pertinent patient information or data. |
| Coping Skills | The ability to deal effectively with stress produced by work and interaction situations. | Deals with emotional situations that affect EMS personnel; emotional situations that affect patients, their families, their friends, their coworker, bystanders, public, public safety personnel, other health care workers; recognize personal limitations and request assistance as appropriate. |
| Physical Skills | Sufficient physical abilities to lift, balance and carry patients in excess of 125lbs. Motor coordination is necessary over uneven terrain, stairs or hazardous terrain. | Enter/exit ambulance without assistance; perform physical activities involved with EMS delivery for up to 24 hours continuous hours without a break; negotiate hazardous scenes in all environmental extremes including but not limited to light/dark, heat/cold, wet/dry/frozen scenes; wear appropriate personal protective devices (PPDs) without assistance (ex: gloves, masks, etc.); drive large vehicles, under extreme environmental conditions. |
| Motor Skills | Ability to perform gross and fine motor skills required in the normal duties of EMS as stated in North Carolina Medical Board Approved Medications for Credentialed EMS Personnel and Approved Skills for Credentialed EMS Personnel, such as CPR, childbirth, extrication, airway management, intravenous and IO lines, equipment relocation, and patient handling. | Perform physical tasks requiring prolonged physical exertion (ex: walking for long periods of time while carrying equipment i.e. medical bag, monitor, etc. up to 50 lbs or more, and/or patients, vehicle extrication, extrication of a victim from the confines of a structure); tasks requiring walking, crawling, stooping, bending, kneeling, or working prone or supine. |
| Hearing Skills | Sufficient auditory (hearing) ability to assess and monitor patient’s health needs, to determine personal danger at emergency scenes, hear requests for aid, and hear verbal orders and instructions from members of the medical care team and for driving an emergency vehicle. | Effectively use devices for the measurement of vital signs, breath sounds, heart tones, recognize and respond to voices under protective apparatus, signals during rescue operation, equipment or emergency alarms, dangers/warnings associated with hazardous scenes; communication via standard radio and telephone links and preceptors’ instructions and directions. |
| Visual Skills | Sufficient visual ability for assessment, observation, and implementation of patient care, for determination of scene hazards that potentially affect the well-being of self, patient, coworkers, and for driving an emergency vehicle. | Observe and identify patient signs, including but not limiting to paleness (white), cyanosis (blue), erythema (redness), jaundice (yellow) ecchymosis (bruising), swelling, burns, blisters, deformity, hemorrhage, fluid and blood loss, papillary response, reflexes, hives and pitting edema; identify normal/abnormal patterns or movement; assess the environment for hazards. |
| Tactile (Touch) Skills | Sufficient ability to assess physical health and perform activities requiring dexterity combined with tactile ability. | Palpate a pulse and detect changes or abnormalities of surface, texture, skin temperature, body segment contour, muscle tone and/or joint movement. |
| Olfactory (Smell) Skills | The student must have olfactory senses sufficient for maintaining environmental, patient, and personal/coworker safety. | Determine smells contributory to patient assessment such as fruity odors, alcohol
smell, and acetone; determine smells contributory to self-preservation and safety of patients and coworkers including but not limited to smoke, burning materials, gasoline and noxious fumes. |
Alamance Community College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities. Students who require accessibility services or reasonable accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and provide current diagnostic documentation to the Accessibility Services Office located in the Main Building, Room 233. All information is confidential. Please contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator for more information at 336-506-4130 or email at accessibilityservices@alamancecc.edu and notify your course instructor of your special needs, as appropriate. Students should initiate this process as soon as possible (prior to the start of classes and/or field experience).
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Emergency Medical Services Program Estimated Costs and Fees |
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Student Activity Fee |
$35.00 |
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Curriculum Instructional Technology Fee |
$27.00 |
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College Access, Parking & Security (CAPS) Fee |
$18.00 |
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Student Accident Insurance |
$1.00 |
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Books |
$450.00 |
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Uniform, Platinum Planner, EMS Testing, Background check, drug screen |
$490.00 |
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Lab Fees |
$162.00 |
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Malpractice Insurance |
$80.00 |
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*Does not include cost of tuition. Tuition will vary from semester to semester depending on the number of credit hours taken. |
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Have you applied for Financial aid? Please visit Financial Aid for instructions |
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Apply Now
for the Fall 2024 Paramedic Cohort
Complete the Fall 2024 ACC Health Sciences Selective Admissions Application.Questions? Contact Us.
Maia Johnson
EMS Department Head
mmjohnson826@alamancecc.edu
336-290-0516
accemsdept@alamancecc.edu
Why Wait?YOU BELONG HERE |
