class bulletin board(The following information was adopted October 15, 1998 and provided to students taking the National Registry Practical Exam after the fall semester 1998. It was revised Nov. 1 2000. It may, or may not be the same for future exams.)
Successful completion of the National Registry EMT-Basic practical examination will allow you to proceed with the process leading to certification by the National Registry.
EMT-Basic testing consists of an Assessment Station (Medical or Trauma) and a Skills station.
The patient assessment in the trauma and medical stations will be "hands-on" evaluation, i.e. you will be required to inspect, palpate, ausculate, etc. All treatment shall be verbal. For example, you must tell the examiner that you have applied a particular type of splint or have administered oxygen and the rate of delivery.
Assume you have a fully equipped ambulance with any equipment you should require. You may verbalize the duties that you would assign to your partner and any equipment you would use. It will not be necessary for you to cut or tear any garments.
Trauma Station
The objectives of this station include:
The examiner will be looking for performance and specific treatment, so you must be specific as to what you find or what treatment you are rendering. You must perform all activities in the same order that you would perform them on an actual patient in this situation. The station will require you to think out loud as you assess your patient.
Your examiner will provide all information you cannot obtain directly, but only after it has been specifically assessed or requested. You will have 15 minutes to assess and initiate patient care.
Medical Station
The objectives of this station include:
The examiner will be looking for performance and specific treatment, so you must be specific as to what you find or what treatment you are rendering. You must perform all activities in the same order that you would perform them on an actual patient in this situation. This situation will require you to think out loud as you assess your patient.
The examiner will provide you all information you cannot obtain directly, but only after it has been specifically assessed or requested. You will have 15 minutes to assess and initiate patient care.
Skills
You will be given certain objectives to complete in this station. These may include any of the following:
A helper will assist you in this station. Communicate with this person just as you would your partner on an actual call. Tell them what you expect them to do. You will need to take the lead role in all procedures.
You may assume you have two First Responders to provide assistance. They can assume control of a device only after it has been applied. Remember to verbalize any information regarding diagnostic signs (pulse, sensation, and movement, etc.) to the examiner.
If you are unfamiliar with any of the equipment, please notify the examiner. Please feel free to ask any questions of the examiner before your begin. You will have 15 minutes to complete the objectives.
The skill station examiners utilized are trained as examiners and evaluated to assure that they adhere to the standards established by the National Registry of EMT's in accordance with the National Standard Training Curricula.
No student should be evaluated by anyone who might be biased, either favorably or unfavorably, due to previous contact.
You will be directed to the test stations by the staff through a process of hall-passes to the various test stations. You must wait outside the testing area until the station is open and you are called. You are not permitted to take any books, pamphlets, brochures or other study material into the station. You are encouraged to not bring any study material into the test site. You are not permitted to make any copies or recordings of any station. The skill examiner will ask your name. Please assist with spelling your name.
Please read the specific instructions for each test station so that you will be aware of the specific requirements for each station including the particular time limits. When you reach the time limit the skill station examiner will stop scoring any further actions. When you complete the station, you may be asked to remove equipment from the patient before leaving the skill station.
You will be given time at the beginning of the skill station to survey and select the equipment necessary for the appropriate management of the patient. Do not feel obligated to use all of the equipment.
You may utilize blank paper for your reference during the stations. Please leave any notes with the examiner when you are finished with the station.
Each skill station examiner will be observing and documenting your performance. Do not let the documentation practices of the examiner influence your performance in the station. There is no correlation between the volume of documentation and the quality of your performance. You are encourad\ged to explain the things you are doing during your performance in the station.
You are not permitted to discuss any specific details of any station with each other at any time. Please be courteous to the candidates who are testing by keeping all excess noise to a minimum. Be prompt in reporting to each station so that we may complete this examination within a reasonable time period. Upon completion of any test station, please immediately report back to the waiting area for your next assignment.
Each student will be allowed three opportunities to pass each test station prior to the student needing to complete retraining.
The results of your practical examination will be reported to your training entity by 5 p.m. of the first working day following the examination. Students who pass the examination will have their National Registry application signed and returned to the training entity.
The skill station examiner will not inform you of pass/fail. Please do not ask them for an indication of your status.
The results of the practical examination will be reported as pass/fail. Neither you nor the training entity will receive a detailed critique of your performance. The practical examination is a formal verification process and ws not designed to assist with learning. The purpose of this examination is to verify achievement of the minimal DOT competencies after the educational component has been completed. Identifying errors would be contrary to the principle of this type of examination, and could result in the candidate "learning" the examination while still not being competent in the necessary skill.
If you feel you have a complaint concerning the practical examination, a formal complaint procedure does exist. You must initiate any complaint with the examination coordinator on the day of the test. Complaints will not be valid after the day of the test, and will not be accepted if they are issued after you learn of your results or leave this site.
You may file a complaint for only two reasons:
1. You feel you have been discriminated against. Any situation in that can be documented in wshich you feel an unfair evaluation of your ailities occurred may be considered discriminatory.
2. There was an equipment problem or malfunction in your station.
If you feel either of these two things occurred, you must contact the examination coordinator immediately to initiate the complaint process. You must submit the complaint in writing. The complaint will be reviewed by a complaint committee consisting of the examination coordinator, the site QI coordinator and a skill station examiner.
The skill station examiner does not know or play a role in the extablishment of pass/fail criteria, but is merely an observer of your actions in the skill station. This is an examination experience.
Points to remember:
