From left, seated: Chelsea Sampson, Sarah Edwards, Jillian Nelson, Kaitlynn Schwenk, Amber Hardison, Crystal Scheyer and Jessica Ruiz; From left, standing: EMS coordinator Randy Owen, Denis Ramos, Larry Varner, Shawn Fields, Aubrey Farray, Jr., Ryan Speed, Cameron Newhouse and instructor Vivian Loyd. (VGCC Photo)
Vance-Granville Community College honored six men and seven women who completed the college’s eleven-month-long Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic program on Dec. 15.
Graduates included Crystal Scheyer, Denis Ramos and Larry Varner, all residents of Franklin County; Sarah Edwards, Jillian Nelson, Amber Hardison, Shawn Fields and Aubrey Farray, Jr., all of Granville County; Jessica Ruiz and Ryan Speed, both of Vance County; Chelsea Sampson and Kaitlynn Schwenk, both of Wake County; and Cameron Newhouse of Warren County.
Vivian Loyd, RN was the instructor for the group.
EMT-P instruction includes 696 hours of didactic (classroom) training and 500 hours of clinical education, or field internship. To be eligible to take the EMT-P course, students had to first complete a 188-hour EMT-Basic course and pass a state exam. An EMT-Paramedic has enhanced skills beyond the EMT-Basic level, including being able to administer additional interventions and medications. The EMT-P delivers the highest level of pre-hospital medical care in North Carolina.
In order to successfully complete the EMT-P course, students had to pass several different exams, including a “scope of practice” exam. This scenario-based evaluation tested the hands-on and critical thinking skills of students, as they delivered the appropriate treatment to multiple trauma patients and dealt with pediatric, environmental, and mental-illness situations. Each student also had to complete an 80-hour Anatomy and Physiology course. Now that students have completed the EMT-P course, they must take the 100-question North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services credentialing exam to become state-certified.
VGCC offers Emergency Medical Services training from the basic to the Paramedic level, in addition to continuing education. EMT-Paramedic and other courses are scheduled upon request and are often taught at the requesting agency’s facility. For more information on enrolling in these courses, call EMS coordinator Randy Owen at (252) 738-3448.