NREMT-PTE reality - NREMT Paramedic Trauma test Updated: 2023

A paramedic has a level of knowledge, skill, and treatment capabilities that are significantly beyond those of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and which can dramatically Improve a patient’s outcome at the hospital. In response to the need for these uniquely trained emergency medical care professionals, the University of New Haven developed its paramedicine program. This program will prepare you to become a new breed of first responder – one who holds dual certification as both a firefighter and as a paramedic.

Hands-on learning will be a major part of your education. You’ll ride along with ambulance services and take patients’ vitals. You’ll practice doing chest compressions and starting IV lines on high-fidelity mannequins. You’ll become part of teams who care for patients in whatever medical emergency unfolds. The goal of the paramedicine program is to make your education as real-world as it gets.

View Course Brochure

VRSim Unveils VRNA EMS, Immersive Training for Emergency Medical Professionals and First Responders

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VRSim, Inc., a leading innovator and provider of virtual reality training solutions, announced its latest product, VRNA EMS, at an Open House event on November 3rd. VRNA EMS uses VR technology to provide immersive training for Emergency Medical Professionals and First Responders. The Open House featured VRSim staff demonstrating VRNA EMS' ability to provide hands-on learning experiences focused on critical life-saving skills required in the field.

The Open House, held at VRSim headquarters in East Hartford, CT, attracted a diverse audience of industry professionals, government representatives, and local community members. Attendees experienced VRSim's renowned immersive training technology, including SimSpray, VRTEX, VRNA CNA, and the newly announced VRNA EMS.

With VRNA EMS, trainees engage in realistic scenarios, practice critical decision-making, and enhance their skills through hands-on activities in safe, controlled environments. The immersive tool covers testable skills that align with the National Registry and are required by state and national certifications.

"We need to train and field a new generation of EMS providers, and this is going to help us do that," said Ben Zura, VRSim's EMS consultant.

VRNA EMS' key features and benefits include:

• Realistic EMS Scenarios: Learning content uses a library of scenarios based on real-life situations ranging from trauma incidents to medical emergencies.
• Immersive Training: Trainees use physical actions to treat virtual patients, use equipment, and interact with environments as they practice.
• Performance Feedback: In-depth performance metrics help trainers assess and Improve trainee proficiency.
• Cost Efficient: VRNA is a cost-effective way for more students to access hands-on learning experiences at lower costs than traditional mannequins and materials.
• Accessibility: VRNA supplements lab and field training with easy-to-use, hands-on skills experiences that can be used in class, home, or practical lab settings.

"We are proud to introduce VRNA EMS, which has the potential to revolutionize the way emergency medical professionals and first responders receive training," said Matthew Wallace, CEO and President of VRSim. "All of our products underscore our commitment to creating career pathways and enhancing safety and preparedness in these critical jobs."

For more information about VRNA EMS, please visit https://vrna.net.

About VRSim:
VRSim is a leading provider of virtual reality (VR) training solutions for the skilled trades and allied health. Headquartered in East Hartford, CT, VRSim works to reimagine skills education through innovative training systems for welding, industrial coatings, construction, manufacturing, and allied health career fields. VRSim technology is used worldwide in high schools, vocational training institutions, and workforce development initiatives. VRSim values industry collaboration and partners with global leaders, including the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the National Truck Equipment Association, The Boeing Company, Caterpillar, and the U.S. Navy. For more information, please visit: https://vrsim.com.

VRSim Contacts:

Sales:
VRSim
860-893-0080
info@vrsim.net

Media:
Julie Parrett
VRSim
860-893-0080
julie.parrett@vrsim.net

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vrsim-hosts-successful-open-house-and-launches-cutting-edge-vrna-ems-training-product-301982125.html

SOURCE VRSim, Inc.

Ambulance shortages in Toronto have become a near-daily reality, the city's paramedic union said after issuing a 'Code Red' on Monday.

“It's only a matter of time before somebody [...] dies waiting on an ambulance,” Mike Merrimen, Chair at Toronto Civic Employees’ Union Local 416 paramedics’ unit, told CP24 on Tuesday afternoon.

A day earlier, the union had shared a post to social media, alerting the public to a lack of transport ambulances available in the city – a situation dubbed ‘Code Red.’

“[An] ambulance for an unconscious elderly person was over 28 minutes away and Peel Paramedic Services had to be called in to help,” the union wrote in the post, shared to X.'

The union also issued a 'Code Red' in early October, claiming the service requested aid from neighbouring municipalities.

READ MORE: Toronto paramedic union issues 'code red' after it says no ambulances available in the city

When reached for comment, the City of Toronto, overseeing Toronto Paramedic Services, told CTV News it was aware of the union’s posts.

“Toronto Paramedic Services does not track data classified as ‘Code Red,’” spokesperson Dineen Robinson said in a written statement.

Typically, the city said Tuesday, the current 911 wait time sits at an average of 30 seconds. Robinson said there are, however, periods of time when ambulance availability is low in Toronto.

“During these busier periods, paramedics are diverted from lower priority calls to respond to higher priority calls,” she said, adding that calls deemed of higher priority “will always be responded to first.”

Merrimen, on the other hand, said a lack of available transport ambulances is becoming a near-daily reality in the city.

“I'm getting from my members that this is probably happening close to daily,” he said.

For the most part, the chair said the union aims to avoid alerting the public to ‘Code Reds’ on a daily basis, despite that being the current reality.

“For the most part, we don't want to send out a ‘Code Red’ [publicly] every day – we don't want the public, politicians, or anybody else to become immune to it,” Merrimen said, adding that the union uses the term “sparingly.”

In an interview with CP24 earlier in October, the union said that in 2021, the most recent year with available data, the service faced ‘Code Red’ situations 1,139 times.

When speaking to reporters Tuesday, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow pointed to offload delays at hospital emergency departments across the region as one cause of the lack of ambulances.

“The emergency rooms don’t have room, [...] as a result, ambulance folks cannot offload and they are just sitting there waiting,” Chow said.

The problem isn’t something the city can solve alone, the mayor said, pointing to a lack of municipal control over hospitals.

A spokesperson for the minister of health said in a written statement that the province has invested an additional $51 million over three years in the Dedicated Offload Nursing Program, including nearly $9 million to Toronto Paramedic Services through this year's budget.

"Should any paramedic service want to increase their budget, the province will be there to match that request," the statement reads.

While Merriman acknowledged hospital delays as a problem facing Toronto medics, the union attributes the problem to “a major staffing issue” within the service.

“I've been a medic for almost 33 years now and we've always had [...] offload delays,” Merrimen said.

The difference now is, after “decades of not hiring to meet the demand,” as put by the union chair, the unit doesn’t have the staffing levels needed to field daily calls. Ultimately, the service needs more people, he said.

“This blame game of continually blaming the hospital as the hospitals [...] is not servicing the citizens of Toronto,” Merrimen said. “Nobody wins with the blame game.” 

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — An emergency medical worker shortage is forcing people who need lifesaving help to wait longer than anyone would like.

Michigan is short 1,000 emergency personnel workers split between EMT's and paramedics, according to the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services.

The industry has been playing catch up ever since the COVID-19 pandemic when agencies were unable to educate more people, according to Angela Madden, the Executive Director of Michigan Association of Ambulance Services.

Riding in an ambulance is not where anyone envisions spending their day, but it's the care in between the hospital that makes someone vulnerable feel safe, according to Madden.

“To know you have that coverage when you are at your worst that you have a medical professional who is going to arrive and perform life saving treatment, it is exceptionally important that we keep those people in the system," Madden said.

Now it's even more vital to keep EMT's as there has been a steady 10% drop for about a decade, according to Madden, who said a 30% drop was recorded during COVID.

“People were overworked. They were scared," Madden said.

Now agencies are struggling to attract employees.

“Work life balance, pay, just the shear magnitude of the job alone are all things and then the pandemic are all things that have led us to where we are today," Madden said.

“That can be a vicious cycle with people worked aggressively and there is never a slow day," Life EMS President Mark Meijer said. "So we have worked to address that."

A $30 million grant from the state covers tuition costs for EMT's and paramedic students.

The state's funding has bolstered recruiting efforts, Meijer said.

“We are still at a tight limit from a deployment perspective but we are very hopeful," Meijer said.

In October, legislation was referred to state house committees to allow 17-year-olds to receive their medical first responder or EMT license.

Madden and Meijer both agree, this legislation would help fill positions sooner.