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Toledo Campus: Paramedic Certificate

Paramedic

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Gain in-demand certifications to advance your career as a first-responder

Paramedics provide more extensive pre-hospital care than do EMT-Basics. Paramedics administer medications orally and intravenously, interpret electrocardiograms (EKGs), perform endotracheal intubations, and use monitors and other complex equipment. Emergency medical care is required 24 hours a day, so paramedics often must work odd hours and be on call for long periods of time. Emergency medical personnel employed with private ambulance services work an average of 45 to 50 hours per week; with hospitals they work 45 to 60 hours a week; and those with fire departments average about 50 hours per week.

All fifty states require EMTs and paramedics to be certified. In most states, certificate renewal is required every two to three years, and EMTs and paramedics must take refresher training courses or complete continuing education requirements. Many states restrict certification based on an individual’s criminal history.

In 2010, the Ohio State Board of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) adopted the national accreditation of the state’s paramedic training programs, requiring all Paramedic programs must be affiliated with an institution of higher education by 2013. Although the State of Ohio has been granted an extension on this requirement through 2017, Mercy College believes the timely development of an accredited program will benefit both students and the community, providing those with EMT certification in the State of Ohio the opportunity to gain national certification and be able to practice anywhere in the United States.

The Mercy College of Ohio paramedic certificate program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Program content has been developed using curriculum and material defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration EMT-Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic National Standard Curriculum and CoAEMSP under the auspices of CAAHEP. The program received accreditation from the State of Ohio Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Medical Services, as of June 2011 (OH-22).

Program Overview

The Paramedic Certificate program seeks to prepare students to work as part of the healthcare team to provide care to emergency patients in an out-of-hospital setting. The program will include didactic, laboratory, clinical and field practicum components specifically designed to prepare students for entry into professional practice as Paramedics, and it also prepares them to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam.

The Paramedic certificate program is 32.5 credit hours and is three semesters in length. The Paramedic Certificate program courses begin in the spring semester (January).

If you are an employee of Life Flight, please complete the Life Flight Employee Verification Form (must be accessed on a Mercy Health network).

Program Handbook

Overview

The Paramedic Certificate program prepares students to work as part of the healthcare team to provide care to emergency patients in an out-of-hospital setting. The program includes didactic, laboratory, clinical and field practicum components designed to prepare students for entry into professional practice as Paramedics and for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam.

Accreditation

The Paramedic Certificate program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). The program is also accredited by Ohio Department of Public Safety, Emergency Medical Services.

Philosophy

Course goals and objectives are based on the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Service Professions (CoAEMSP) and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) standards and guidelines, as well as the National Standard Curriculum. The goal is to prepare competent practitioners who can function in a rapidly changing healthcare environment as well as pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam.

Program Goal

To prepare competent entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and/or Emergency Medical Technician, and/or Emergency Medical Responder levels.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the Paramedic certificate program will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate problem-solving and critical thinking skills in a pre-hospital environment.
  2. Demonstrate clinical competence in performing pre-hospital assessment in a professional manner of the ill or injured victim.
  3. Use effective communication skills.
  4. Successfully complete the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) examination.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general college admission criteria, the following requirements must also be met:

  1. Applicants must submit proof of a current and valid Emergency Medical Technician certificate from the State of Ohio.
  2. Applicants must complete CED ES01, Anatomy and Physiology for Prehospital Providers, or its equivalent, with a grade of “C” or better, or have a passing grade from a similar learning experience that meets the requirements from OAC 4765-17-04 and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), with Program Lead approval.

Progression

Once enrolled in the program students are required to:

  1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0
  2. Maintain a “C” grade or higher, in all courses of the Paramedic Program.

Any grade lower than a “C” is considered a failure. Students who fail or withdraw from a Paramedic program course may repeat the course only one time. However, if students fail two Paramedic program courses, the Program Lead reserves the right to dismiss the students from the Paramedic program.

Requirements for Clinicals

Criminal background checks, drug screens, health records, and titers/immunizations are required prior to the start of the clinical program. Program requirements and instructions are maintained on the College website at https://mercycollege.edu/background. The Policy can be found at https://mercycollege.edu/about/compliance-consumer-information.

To complete the Paramedic Certificate students must fulfill all of the following:

Required Program Courses

Complete All of the Following Courses:

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
EMS 113 Pre-Hospital Clinical Practicum I 2
EMS 114 Paramedic I 11
EMS 121 Pre-Hospital Clinical Practicum II 2
EMS 123 Paramedic II 11
EMS 132 Pre-Hospital Capstone Field Practicum 2
EMS 137 Paramedic III 5
Printable Version

Semester I

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
EMS 113 Pre-Hospital Clinical Practicum I 2
EMS 114 Paramedic I 11

Semester II

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
EMS 121 Pre-Hospital Clinical Practicum II 2
EMS 123 Paramedic II 11

Semester III

Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
EMS 132 Pre-Hospital Capstone Field Practicum 2
EMS 137 Paramedic III 5

Sample program of study for Paramedic Certificate.

Curriculum effective Fall 2021. For students enrolled prior to Fall 2021, please reference the Mercy College catalog.

  1. Demonstrate problem-solving and critical thinking skills in a pre-hospital environment.
  2. Demonstrate clinical competence in performing pre-hospital assessment in a professional manner of the ill or injured victim.
  3. Use effective communication skills.
  4. Successfully complete the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) examination.

Program Outcomes

  • Document .pdfParamedic Program Outcomes Data


    Program outcomes data for the Paramedic Certificate progrm

    Download

Career Outlook

Employment Growth

Career opportunities in the field of Emergency Medical Services continue to expand as the field is shifting away from volunteer services toward paid professionals and the population grows and becomes more urbanized. Job growth through 2020 is projected to be much faster than average [Bureau of Labor Statistics].

As the baby boomer generation ages, they will require more medical services, spurring more demand for paramedics. Additional job openings will come as current paramedics leave the field because of modest pay, limited advancement opportunities, and stressful conditions. Private ambulance services will provide the biggest number of jobs; competition is keen for the higher-paying jobs found in local fire departments. EMT-Paramedics have the best opportunities as people demand better and better care.

Salary Range

The estimated salary for a paramedic in 2018 was $34,320. Although, wages may vary from state to state and based on the type of emergency medical service by which one is employed.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general college admission criteria, the following requirements must also be met for program consideration:

  • An applicant must possess a current and valid Emergency Medical Technician certificate in the State of Ohio and submit proof of such.
  • An applicant must complete EMS 103, Anatomy and Physiology for Prehospital Providers, or its equivalent, with a grade of “C” or better.