Expanded Safety Course

NAEMT is offering a new safety course designed for EMS practioners. EMS Safety is the first national and most comprehensive education program that teaches techniques on how to best achieve safety on the job.

Ann Bellows, RN, NREMT-P, Ed D and NAEMT AMLS committee member, coordinated the course for southwest EMS workers through Elite Medical Transport in El Paso, Texas. "The course focus has been expanded beyond a typical safety course to include all aspects of safety," she says.

In addition to traditional topics that include patient/provider/bystander safety, the eight-hour EMS Safety course includes emergency vehicle safety, responsibilities in scene operations and personal health.

Specifically students will learn to:

• Identify key elements for safe vehicle operation
• Describe safe patient moving techniques
• Distinguish key factors of crew resource management
• Recognize and learn how to avoid/address situations where workers may be at risk of violence
• Appreciate the importance of good personal health
• Address safety elements in a variety of operational situations

"Including information about how to be safe in the ambulance has been a wonderful addition," Bellows continues. "We stress the importance of wearing seat belts, of identifying head strike areas and making sure providers and equipment are secured during transport."

Bellows also feels strongly about the addition of topics related to personal health. "It's about stress management, eating properly, being physically fit and getting enough sleep," she continues. "EMS workers need to be aware of how personal health -- such as how they eat, how their circadian rhythm affects their ability to operate a vehicle, etc. -- affects how they do their jobs. There are a lot of physical requirements associated with this job, and we need to encourage people to take the time to take care of themselves."

For more information, call NAEMT at 800-346-2368, e-mail info@naemt.org or visit www.naemt.org/education/EMSSafety.aspx.