Paramedic – Credit Certificate

Program Handbook

Overview

The Paramedic Certificate program prepares students to work as part of the healthcare team to provide care to emergency patients in an out-of-hospital setting. The program includes didactic, laboratory, clinical, and field practicum components designed to prepare students for entry into professional practice as Paramedics and for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam.

Accreditation

The Paramedic Certificate program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). The program is also accredited by Ohio Department of Public Safety, Emergency Medical Services.

Philosophy

Course goals and objectives are based on the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Service Professions (CoAEMSP) and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) standards and guidelines, as well as the National Standard Curriculum. The goal is to prepare competent practitioners who can function in a rapidly changing healthcare environment as well as pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam.

Program Goal

To prepare competent, entry-level Paramedics in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains with or without exit points at the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and/or Emergency Medical Technician, and/or Emergency Medical Responder levels.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the Paramedic certificate program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate problem-solving and critical thinking skills in a pre-hospital environment.
2. Demonstrate clinical competence in performing pre-hospital assessment in a professional manner of the ill or injured victim.
3. Use effective communication skills.
4. Successfully complete the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) examination.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general college admission criteria, the following requirements must also be met:

1. Applicants must submit proof of a current and valid Emergency Medical Technician certificate from the State of Ohio.
2. Applicants must complete CED ES01, Anatomy and Physiology for Prehospital Providers, or its equivalent, with a grade of “C” or better, or have a passing grade from a similar learning experience that meets the requirements from OAC 4765-17-04 and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), with Program Lead approval.

Progression

Once enrolled in the program students are required to:

1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0.
2. Maintain a “C” grade, or higher, in all courses of the Paramedic Program.

Any grade lower than a “C” is considered a failure. Students who fail or withdraw from a Paramedic program course may repeat the course only one time. However, if students fail two Paramedic program courses, the Program Lead reserves the right to dismiss the students from the Paramedic program.

Requirements for Clinicals

Criminal background checks, drug screens, health records, and titers/immunizations are required prior to the start of the clinical program. Program requirements and instructions are maintained on the College website at https://mercycollege.edu/background. The Policy can be found at https://mercycollege.edu/about/compliance-consumer-information.