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EMT Foundations

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EMT Foundations

This course is part of Become an EMT Specialization

Instructors: Angela Wright, MD

62,601 already enrolled

Included with

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5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,147 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,147 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

7 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Become an EMT Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 5 modules in this course

In this course, you will get a thorough introduction to the emergency medical services system, and learn the foundation components to how it works as a whole. You will also learn the nuts and bolts of becoming a healthcare provider, and gain some basic knowledge about the human body. By the end of the course, you will be able to 1) understand the history and components of the EMS system, 2) speak the language of medicine with basic medical terminology, as well as have an understanding of basic human anatomy, 3) understand the different types of communications and how they are specific to EMS, 4) take vital signs and master the normal from the abnormal, and 5) master personal and scene safety, and begin the process of patient assessment.

Module details

In this module, you will learn about the nuts and bolts of the emergency medical services system. We will cover some brief history of EMS, as well as breakdown the different components of the system. There will be discussion about some of the medical and legal issues that are persistent in the practice of prehospital medicine. We will also address workplace safety and provider wellness, because you cannot take care of other people unless you are learning to take care of yourself!

What's included

8 videos8 readings2 assignments

8 videosTotal 57 minutes

Become an EMT6 minutes
EMT Foundation3 minutes
History and Regulatory Bodies8 minutes
What Does It Mean To Be An EMT?10 minutes
This Can Be A Hard Job Emotionally9 minutes
Medical and Legal Issues - Part 15 minutes
Medical and Legal Issues - Part 210 minutes
HIPAA/EMTALA and Job Errors6 minutes

8 readingsTotal 130 minutes

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Current “Become an EMT” Specialization No Longer NREMT Eligible10 minutes
About Us: Become an EMT Specialization Team at Denver Health Paramedics5 minutes
Course Information10 minutes
Get help and meet other learners. Join your Community!5 minutes
History of EMS20 minutes
What Does It Mean To Be An EMT?40 minutes
This Can Be A Hard Job Emotionally20 minutes
Medical and Legal Issues20 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Course Disclaimer30 minutes
Introduction to EMT Assessment30 minutes

In this module, we will learn a new language. This module will cover basic medical terminology and some tips and tricks for “talking the talk.” This is also where we will cover the basics of anatomy of the human body! We will teach you the basics of human anatomy of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, abdominal, neurologic and endocrine system.

What's included

11 videos2 readings1 assignment

11 videosTotal 59 minutes

Medical Conversations3 minutes
Medical Terminology - Part 17 minutes
Medical Terminology - Part 26 minutes
Head and Torso6 minutes
Extremities6 minutes
Muscular Systems6 minutes
Nervous and Endocrine Systems7 minutes
Respiratory Systems5 minutes
Cardiovascular Systems6 minutes
Gastrointestinal and Renal Systems6 minutes
Reproductive Systems and Skin1 minute

2 readingsTotal 90 minutes

Reproductive Systems and Skin60 minutes
Anatomy Terms30 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Basic Human Anatomy Assessment30 minutes

Essential to emergency medical services is communication. This module will discuss the various parts of the job that require communication and the different strategies to employ clear and concise communication. You will learn about the SBAR method of hand off reports, learn how to successfully communicate with patients, and we will cover some pearls and pitfalls to communicating within the EMS system.

What's included

10 videos3 readings1 assignment

10 videosTotal 35 minutes

EMT Communication1 minute
EMS System2 minutes
Guidelines for Communication3 minutes
Communicating With Other Health Care Professionals5 minutes
Communicating With Your Patient5 minutes
Pearls and Pitfalls of Communication3 minutes
Biophone Call - Part 14 minutes
Biophone Call - Part 24 minutes
Biophone Call - Part 32 minutes
Patient Handoff Report6 minutes

3 readingsTotal 70 minutes

Pearls and Pitfalls of Communication20 minutes
Biophone Call40 minutes
Patient Hand off Report10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Communication With A Healthcare Provider Assessment30 minutes

Here we will cover vital signs, and learn about why they are vital! We will be teaching you how to take a blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse, and assess a patient’s skin. We will also learn about taking a history during a patient encounter, and learn some standard approaches to this including the OPQRST and AMPLE templates of history taking.

What's included

10 videos5 readings1 assignment

10 videosTotal 52 minutes

Introduction to Vital Signs and History Taking1 minute
Vital Signs5 minutes
Blood Pressure6 minutes
Pulse5 minutes
Respiratory Rate7 minutes
Skin and Pupils5 minutes
History Taking - Part 15 minutes
History Taking - Part 27 minutes
Pulse3 minutes
Blood Pressure7 minutes

5 readingsTotal 55 minutes

Adult Normal Vital Signs10 minutes
Vital Signs15 minutes
Respiratory Rate15 minutes
Skin and Pupils5 minutes
History Taking10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Vital Signs and History Taking Assessment30 minutes

In this last module, we will be discussing some bread and butter components of EMS. The first is scene safety and assessment of a scene. Then we will cover the complete assessment of a medical patient, and a trauma patient, using the national registry as our guideline. By the end of this, you will know how to communicate with patients and how to perform a thorough assessment of any patient you may encounter.

What's included

14 videos3 readings2 assignments

14 videosTotal 49 minutes

Your First Encounter With a Patient1 minute
Scene Size Up or Safety6 minutes
Body Substance Isolation4 minutes
Scene Assessment5 minutes
Patient Assessment - Part 17 minutes
Patient Assessment - Part 25 minutes
Secondary Assessment and Reassessment5 minutes
Lifting and Moving Patients5 minutes
Head Tilt - Chin Lift - Jaw Thrust2 minutes
Stretcher Operation3 minutes
Load and Unload Stretcher From The Ambulance2 minutes
Long Spine Board and Scoop Stretcher2 minutes
Lifting and Moving Stair Chair - Part 11 minute
Lifting and Moving Stair Chair - Part 21 minute

3 readingsTotal 55 minutes

Scene Size Up or Safety10 minutes
Patient Assessment30 minutes
Secondary Assessment and Reassessment15 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Patient Assessment Practice Quiz30 minutes
Immediately Upon Arrival To The Scene Assessment30 minutes

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Instructors

Instructor ratings

(387 ratings)

Angela Wright, MD

University of Colorado System

9 Courses129,215 learners

Whitney Barrett, MD

University of Colorado System

6 Courses122,922 learners

Offered by

University of Colorado System

Learner reviews

5 stars
84.39%
4 stars
11.59%
3 stars
2.78%
2 stars
0.52%
1 star
0.69%

Showing 3 of 1147

Reviewed on Dec 27, 2019

Very thorough debrief of basic skills needed before indulging into the course further. While also providing the necessary tools and vocabulary to help the learner become successful.

Reviewed on Dec 7, 2022

Great course! Could be challenging to new EMTs, but the content is excellent. The Bootcamp portion with Denver Health was top notch! Highly recomend!

Reviewed on Jun 27, 2020

A very thorough course, going through the fundamentals of being an EMT. It helped me to learn new skills and refresh on my old ones. Definitely recommend for anyone to do.

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