• Certificate in Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic
• Skill Sets in Emergency Medical Technician – Basic, Emergency Medical Technician – Intermediate and Emergency Department Technician
Description
The EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician-Basic) course is the introductory course in Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The basic course is designed to train emergency personnel to respond to life threatening injuries or illnesses. The EMT-I (Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate) builds upon the basic course and expands treatment and assessment skills. The Emergency Department Technician course trains students to work in large emergency departments. The learning environment consists of classroom (theory) and practical (lab) sessions.
The licensing agencies are the Injury Prevention and EMS Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services or The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. There is constant demand for EMT basic and intermediate technicians and emergency department technicians. However, the job market is very competitive. Typical job opportunities are: fire fighter, ambulance attendant, ER technician and combat medic. Places of employment include: fire departments, ambulance services, military medical units and emergency departments.
Special Requirements
Students must have a current professional-level BLS CPR card for the EMT-I and Emergency Department Technician courses. Intermediate students must have successfully completed EMS 160L prior to starting the intermediate course. Students interested in certain Health, Wellness & Public Safety Division programs must be in good physical and psychological health. Some programs require documentation of a recent health screening from a licensed healthcare provider confirming the ability to safely perform program specific activities and lift a minimum of 50 pounds. Reasonable accommodations are made for those students with disabilities. However, some disabilities may prohibit students from completing program specific competencies or gaining employment. Students with a disability that may interfere with completing program competencies, which may include providing safe patient care, are advised to contact the HWPS Division Office at (505) 224-4111 for more information. A recent physical exam and current immunizations (including MMR, DTP, PPD and varicella) are required for the EMT intermediate courses.
Students with a criminal background may have limited employment opportunities in healthcare and public service. Those who have a felony conviction should refer to the relevant New Mexico legislation (NMSA, Section 29-17-5 for healthcare employees available at http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/05%20Regular/final/HB0627.pdf). Students should also contact appropriate credentialing or licensing agencies and local or regional industry for hiring and employment practices. Contact the HWPS Division Office at (505) 224-4111 for more information. Students may be required to undergo routine drug screening and a criminal background check prior to beginning their clinical experience. Students are required to provide documentation from a licensed healthcare provider that they can safely lift a minimum of 50 lbs. prior to beginning their clinical experience. A high school diploma or equivalent is required for EMT licensing. Students enrolled in EMS 260 T/L and 270C pay a $11 program fee.
All Health, Wellness & Public Safety Division career and technical courses required for graduation must be taken for a traditional grade of A, B or C or as otherwise indicated by program. For Health, Wellness & Public Safety career and technical courses offered only for credit/no credit, a grade of credit (CR) must be earned.
Graduation Policy
Health, Wellness & Public Safety Division students must graduate under the current catalog
Pre- and corequisites are listed in course descriptions and are subject to change with each new catalog. It is the student’s responsibility to meet the pre- and/or corequisites in effect for the term in which a course is taken, regardless of the catalog under which the student entered or will graduate. Students may be stopped from enrolling or may be disenrolled if pre- or corequisites are not met.
Students who have successfully completed courses that no longer exist from previous catalogs will be accommodated. Contact the division at (505) 224-4111 for more information.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Contact the HWPS Division at (505) 224-4111, or Academic Advisement and Career Development at (505) 224-4321.
• Certificate in Paramedic
Program Description
The paramedic program is a certificate program that offers the student training in the emergency medical field. The EMS program begins with the EMT-Basic course and allows the successful student to progress to the EMT-Paramedic level. The program is based on the National Department of Transportation curriculum. The paramedic student must complete all core courses along with the associated clinicals within two years after successful completion of the EMS Pharmacology (EMS 162) prerequisite. Upon successful completion of the core program courses, the paramedic student will take the competency finals course. This course assists the student to incorporate all the previous studies and be eligible to take the National Registry Paramedic test.
Career and Advancement Opportunities
Emergency medical personnel are employed with ambulance services, both private and public, provide medical care with fire departments or work as part of the health care team in the emergency department in hospitals. The nature of the work requires that the person be able to work nights, weekends and holidays. It also requires the provider to be in good physical condition as the job requires frequent climbing, lifting and other physical exertion.
Special Requirements
Before entering the program, students must have a high school diploma or equivalent, be at least 18 years old and have been admitted to CNM. The student must have had Reading 100 or an Accuplacer reading score of 80 and Math 100A or an Accuplacer Elementary Algebra score of 72. Students are required to maintain their license as an EMT–Basic and maintain their Professional CPR certification during the Paramedic program.
Students interested in certain Health, Wellness & Public Safety Division programs must be in good physical and psychological health.
The student admitted to the paramedic core courses must have a recent physical exam, current immunizations (tetanus, rubella, rubeola and hepatitis B) and a negative PPD prior to working with patients in a clinical setting. Students are required to provide documentation from a licensed healthcare provider that they can safely perform program specific objectives and lift a minimum of 50 lbs. prior to beginning their clinical experience.
Reasonable accommodations are made for those students with disabilities. However, some disabilities may prohibit students from completing program specific competencies or gaining employment. Students with a disability that may interfere with completing program competencies, which may include providing safe patient care, are advised to contact the HWPS Division Office at (505) 224-4111 for more information.
Students with a criminal background may have limited employment opportunities in healthcare and public service. Those who have a felony conviction should refer to the relevant New Mexico legislation (NMSA, Section 29-17-5 for healthcare employees available at http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/05%20Regular/final/HB0627.pdf). Students should also contact appropriate credentialing or licensing agencies and local or regional industry for hiring and employment practices. Contact the HWPS Division Office at (505) 224-4111 for more information.
Students pay a program fee of $45 in EMS 295L to take their certification exam. Students may be required to undergo routine drug screening and a criminal background check prior to beginning and throughout their clinical experience.
All Health, Wellness & Public Safety Division career and technical courses required for graduation must be taken for a traditional grade of A, B or C. For Health, Wellness & Public Safety career and technical courses offered only for credit/no credit, a grade of credit (CR) must be earned.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For more information, contact the HWPS Division (505) 224-4111, or Academic Advisement and Career Development at (505) 224-4321.
