Will You and Your Dept. Use the New EMT-Intermediate Skills

[Ohiovolffemtp]

Ohio's Division of EMS recently approved the new EMT-Intermediate corriculum which permits EMT-I's to give many of the same drugs that paramedics can. The final rules and training corriculum to implement this change should be available early next year.

I'm trying to get a feel for how many departments are going to use the new EMT-I skills. Also, are you planning to update your current EMT-I's, train EMT-Basics to the new EMT-I level, or will some of your medics drop back to this level.

I'm especially interested, because the school I teach for is considering offering the EMT-Intermediate transition course (southwest Ohio).

Thanks much,
Paul

[Weruj1]

so far I have only heard rumors nd since we only have 1 remaining EMT -I on our department I am not sure untill I talk more with our medical director ........:)

[daysleeper47]

Can you post just what exactly the new changes will be? I am an EMT-B and was going to go to EMT-I sometime after the new year...

[MetalMedic]

The current trend in Wayne County seems to be either hold EMT-B or EMT-P certification with very few EMT-I certified personnel in this area. Personally, I have no desire to go beyond EMT-B, and I didn't care a whole lot for having to take the "Bridge" course when they began to require EMT-Bs in the county to administer selected drugs and perform intubation on certain patients. Had I wanted to push drugs and stick things down patients throats... I would have become a paramedic.

To answer your question, in my opinion, I do not see our EMS director pushing for this program. I would think they would prefer to have more paramedics instead.

[pfd3501]

At least in our rural/vollie area, we are getting more and more interest in the EMT-I