Fire District hosts training session for regional EMTs
Nearly 100 Emergency Medical Services educators attended a three-day training session co-hosted by the National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE ) and the Orland Fire Protection District last week.
The attendees represented healthcare educators from a wide range of medical fields including firefighters, nurses, doctors, EMTs and paramedics. They were taught the latest science relative to teaching and learning in EMT.
Orland Fire Lieutenant Mark Duke said that by hosting the class, NAEMSE waived the tuition fee for Orland Fire District personnel, which helped to save district taxpayers the cost of this continuing education.
“We are hosting the classes here to learn the latest teaching styles and techniques for our paramedics,” Duke said.
Attendees also came from 50 communities in Illinois, including Aledo, Beecher, Berkeley, Bolingbrook, Brookfield, Canton, Carthage, Chatham, Chattanooga, Chicago, Crestwood, Darien, Des Plaines, Elgin, Frankfort, Genoa, Gurnee, Hometown, Hopkinsville, Jacksonville, Joliet, Kankakee, Manito, Marengo, Markham, Mchenry, Melrose Park, Metropolis, Morton, Mt. Prospect, Northlake, Oak Lawn, Palos Park, Princeville, Rapids City, Rockford, Schiller Park, Seaton, Springfield, Steger, Towanda, Wauconda, Waukegan, Waverly, and Westchester.
"The attendees teach at all levels of ems, including first responder, emt-b and paramedic entry level courses plus continuing education," Duke said.
Duke said the training session is required for those that want ems lead instructor certification in Illinois and it also helps to satisfy requirements for paramedic program educators who are seeking accreditation by the committee on accreditation of EMS programs (COAEMSP).
The instruction was provided by a team of professional emergency medical trainers included: Dr. Chris Nollette, past president of NAEMSE and Program director at Moreno Valley College in Southern California; Linda Abrahamson, also a past president of NAEMSE and Paramedic Program Director for Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn; and Connie Mattera, member of the board of directors of NAEMSE, EMS administrative director for the northwest community EMS system in Arlington Heights And chair of the IDPH EMS Education Committee. They were ably assisted by Laurie Davin, Education Coordinator for NAEMSE, that has its corporate offices in Pittsburgh.
Members of the 2013 NAEMSE Class
Members of the 2013 NAEMSE Class
Nollette said that the Association is the only organization internationally that provides this type of brain-based learning for EMS professionals.
“The courses are research based so it PRESENTS our educators WITH the latest EVIDENCE so they can be more effective in the classroom,” Nollette said. “This allows them to better train EMS professionals to be more competent in the FIELD.”
According to Dr. Nollette, “It is a very popular course, because it is engaging and very effective. We come in and work as a team and design the training to address the specific needs that might be unique to the students’ different regions.”
Abrahamson said most of the instructors are skilled EMS providers and teach from experience.
“We see EMS education as a profession, and this is one of the tools to help them perform more competently as instructors,” Abrahamson said. “We give them the training they need to inspire others to provide competent, safe and compassionate quality care.”
Mattera said that once they complete their original EMS education, EMTs and paramedics are required to have 120 hours of continuing education every four years. This course also helps to prepare those instructors whose job focus is CE.
Davin said that the mission statement of NAEMSE is to promote excellence in EMS Education and encourage lifelong learning in the international community “which makes a better skilled EMS professional.”
Among the topics addressed include characteristics of adult learners, lesson plans and the learning environment, writing goals and objectives in all three domains of learning; discipline, evaluation and remediation, values and ethics, legal aspects of EMS education, cultural awareness, teaching psychomotor skills, teaching thinking skills, and presentation strategies.
“We provide many different aspects that an educator needs to be successful in a fun and student centered way,” Mattera said.
Duke added, “As educators, there are different learning styles and not everyone learns the same way, so the unique approaches in this class are very popular.”
Nollette said that NAEMSE provides these classes all over the US and Canada based on local requests.
Mattera added that Illinois usually hosts three of the instructor Part 1 and one of the Instructor 2 classes each year distributed throughout the various regions of our state.
For more information on the courses or their availability in locations in an around Illinois, please contact www.naemse.org.
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