Emergency Services - Radford University Carilion Campus

Program Director

John C. Cook, Ed.D., MBA, NRP, NCEE
Assistant Professor
540-985-8317 (office)
540-400-3536 (mobile)
jcook85@radford.edu

Mission

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services program is to prepare professionals to provide excellent patient care and to meet the challenges of the evolving field of emergency services.

The mission of the Paramedic education component of the Emergency Services Program is to prepare competent entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.

Goals/Outcomes

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services program will be able to

1. provide care to patients of all age groups and ethnicities,
2. advocate for patients, 
3. serve in a designated National Incident Management System (NIMS) command or staff position during incident operations,
4. communicate effectively on an interprofessional team and with peers,
5. analyze data and assess findings to formulate an appropriate plan of action,
6. mitigate the hazard level of an incident scene,
7. assess the need for and propose appropriate fire, injury, and/or illness prevention strategies,
8. evaluate emergency services related research,
9. exhibit caring, culturally competent behaviors in the delivery of services,
10. value life-long professional development,
11. participate in research processes in an emergency services organization

Accreditation

National Accreditation

The Emergency Services program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation for Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
131 Park Street
Clearwater, FL 33763
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org

Committee on Accreditation for Emergency Medical Services Professions
8301 Lakeview Parkway
Suite 111 - 312
Rowlett, TX 75099
Phone 214-703-8445
www.coaemsp.org

State Accreditation

The program is also accredited by the

Virginia Department of Health,
Office of Emergency Medical Services (VAOEMS)
1041 Technology Park Drive
Glen Allen, VA 23059-4500
Phone 804-888-9120

Background

The Bachelor of Science Degree in Emergency Services (BSES) prepares graduates for entry level practitioner and management positions in the field of emergency services. The Emergency Services profession has experienced dynamic changes since September 11, 2001. These changes have placed an increased emphasis on a well-educated and prepared workforce to meet the needs of both traditional and all-hazards responses. The program meets these challenges by providing a well-rounded core of general education courses and allows students to customize their plans of study to fit long-term career goals. Students enjoy a perfect blend of classroom, laboratory, clinical and field internship experiences in pursuit of their degree. The College offers three tracks to the BSES.

• The Firefighter / Paramedic Track prepares students for management and leadership positions in the fire and emergency medical services (EMS) professions. Graduates will be eligible to sit for the national paramedic credentialing exam and complete numerous fire certifications. This track is offered on-campus only.
• The Critical Care / Paramedic Track prepares students for management and leadership positions in critical care ground and air transport services as well as non-fire service based EMS agencies. Graduates will be eligible to sit for the national paramedic credentialing exam (NRP), Certified Flight Paramedic (FP-C), and the Certified Critical Care Paramedic (CCP-C). This track is offered on-campus only.
• The Degree Completion Track is designed for students that are already working in the field of emergency services and are looking to take their career to the next level.  Students looking to enter this track should already have some college experience and may receive institutional credit for already possessing a national paramedic credential (NRP).  This track is offered 100% online for those that qualify

Admissions Requirements

• University Admission Requirements  
• For on-campus tracks, Must have current Virginia EMT-Basic certification (reciprocity is available from other states) prior to the start of the second semester
• Must be 18 years of age or older prior to the start of the second semester
• Must have current Virginia FF I certification (reciprocity is available from other ProBoard states) prior to the start of the fourth semester.

Program Requirements

Paramedic Minimum Performance Standards

The emergency services provider must be a confident leader who can accept the challenge and high degree of responsibility entailed in the position.

Mental Demands

The paramedic must have excellent judgment and be able to prioritize decisions and act quickly in the best interest of the patient, must be self-disciplined, able to develop patient rapport, interview hostile patients while maintaining a safe distance. The paramedic must be able to function independently at an optimum level in a non-structured environment that is constantly changing.

Communication Demands

The paramedic must be able to recognize and utilize communication unique to diverse multicultural groups and ages within those groups.

Physical Demands

Aptitudes required for work of this nature are good physical stamina, endurance, and body condition that would not be adversely affected by frequently having to walk, stand, lift, carry, and balance at times, in excess of 125 pounds. Motor coordination is necessary because of uneven terrain; the patient’s, the paramedic’s, and other workers’ well-being must not be jeopardized.

Firefighter Minimum Performance Standards

Mental Demands

The firefighter must be able to think critically in a time-sensitive manner and solve complex problems during physical exertion in stressful, hazardous environments, including hot, dark, tightly enclosed spaces, that may be further aggravated by fatigue, flashing lights, sirens, and other distractions. They must also be able to function as an integral component of a team.

Physical Demands

Performing fire-fighting and rescue operations tasks requires extensive crawling, lifting and carrying heavy objects while wearing personal protective ensembles and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), including working in extremely hot or cold environments for prolonged time periods.  The firefighter is required to be able to tolerate increased respiratory workloads and may be exposed to toxic fumes, irritants, particulates, biological (infectious) and non-biological hazards, and/or heated gases despite appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The firefighter may be required to climb six or more flights of stairs while wearing PPE and carry 20 – 40 lbs. of equipment. The firefighter must be able to search, find and rescue/drag or carry victims ranging from newborns up to adults weighing over 200 lb. (90 kg) to safety despite hazardous conditions and low visibility, advance water-filled hose lines approximately 150 ft. while negotiating obstacles, climb ladders, operate safely from heights, walk and crawl along uneven surfaces. The firefighter may also be required to function for prolonged periods of time with high physical exertion, without warm-up, scheduled rest periods, meals, and access to medication or hydration.

Communication Demands

The firefighter must have the ability to communicate (give and comprehend verbal orders) under emergency operations, while wearing personal protective ensembles and/or SCBA, and under conditions of high background noise, poor visibility, and drenching from hose lines and/or fixed protection systems (sprinklers).

Program Associated Costs (Excluding Tuition, Housing)
Note: all costs are estimates and are subject to change.

Graduation Requirements

The following requirements are placed on students for either continued progression in the program or eligibility to sit for national certification examination.

• Final grade of “C” or better in all required Emergency Services courses.
• Final grade of “C” or better in courses required for the respective track in order to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic (NRP) certification examination:  BIOL 310 , BIOL 311 , and all English or Core courses.
• Score 80% or higher on the medication calculation test. The test is designed to measure basic math computation skills without assistance of a calculator.
• Successful completion of a summative written and practical examination to sit for the NRP certification examination.
• Successful completion of a summative oral examination with the Operational Medical Director to sit for the NRP examination.
• Successfully meet all required clinical and field hours and skills competencies to sit for the NRP certification examination.
• Successfully passing the NRP exam prior to beginning the senior year.

Academic Programs

Emergency Services, B.S. - Radford University Carilion Campus