Paramedic

Sufficient cognitive skills and critical thinking abilities such that the student can formulate and implement reasonable decisions based on available information in the absence of other personnel and/or supervisors; make fast and appropriate decisions in rapidly-evolving situations, particularly pertaining to creating and implementing a patient care plan in accord with established protocols.

Ability to calmly intervene in various tense, stressful, emergency situations; make correct initial decisions and draw reasonable conclusions that allow selection and pursuit of acceptable outcome options; synthesize information gathered from consecutive assessments.

Examples of General Skills

• Assess scene safety in uncontrolled environments.
• Assess the patient’s medical history and condition.
• Determine and prioritize the severity of the illness/injury.
• Determine correct treatment modalities, including exceptions to approved modalities.
• Determine limits of an acceptable span of control in ordinary/extraordinary circumstances (ex: hazardous scene).
• Formulate correct decisions.
• Integrate correct treatment protocol(s).
• Devise an accepted plan to provide patient care in typical/atypical cases.
• Utilize standard accepted equipment 

Sufficient ability to interact with individuals, families, groups, public safety personnel, and other medical professionals from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.

Examples of Interpersonal Skills

• Establish and maintain supportive relationships with patients, family members, bystanders, public safety, media, political officials, and other healthcare providers under stressful and non-stressful situations.

Sufficient ability to interact effectively with others via the English language using non-verbal, verbal, and written forms of communication. Communication occurs via face-to-face interaction, telephone, two-way radio, and computer-based written reports.

Examples of Communication Skills

• Ask questions to quickly obtain information related to emergency situations.
• Receive and interpret information from patients, bystanders, and other responders.
• Identify and communicate the need for additional resources.
• Request and clarify orders from supervisors.
• Provide accurate and legible handwritten or computer-entry written reports in a timely manner.
• Read and understand treatment protocols, policies, and standard operating procedures.
• Quickly communicate effectively with others in verbal and written forms.

Ability to deal effectively with stress produced by work and interaction situations.

Examples of Coping Skills

• Appropriately handle emotional situations that affect citizens, victims, families, friends, coworkers, bystanders, and other public safety personnel.
• Recognize personal limitations and request assistance as appropriate.

Sufficient physical abilities to drive and work in an ambulance; lift, and move immobile patients; engage in regular physical fitness training; prolonged standing, walking; jogging/running; jumping; climbing; crawling; pushing/pulling; negotiating stairs, hazardous and/or uneven terrain, all while carrying a patient in or on a carrying device.

Ability to perform gross and fine motor skills required in the performance of EMS duties as indicated in the state and national standard curriculum.

Examples of Mobility/Motor Skills

• Quickly enter/exit and drive an ambulance or other emergency vehicle without assistance.
• Perform physical EMS activities such as CPR, airway management, medication administration, and lifting and moving patients in a variety of body positions and environmental conditions.
• Recognize and negotiate hazards in all environmental extremes including but not limited to light/dark, heat/cold, wet/dry/frozen scenes.
• Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) without assistance (ex: gloves, masks, etc.).
• Perform rescue duties.
• Operate emergency vehicles under extreme environmental conditions.
• Perform physical tasks requiring prolonged physical exertion (ex: walking for long periods of time while carrying equipment and/or patients, vehicle extrication, extrication of a victim from the confines of a structure).
• Perform tasks requiring walking, crawling, stooping, bending, kneeling, or working prone or supine.

Sufficient auditory ability to quickly send and receive information, engage in urgent situations, discern personal danger at emergency scenes, hear requests for aid, hear verbal orders and instructions from other people in noisy environments; safely operate patrol vehicle under emergency conditions.

Examples of Auditory Skills

• Effectively use the sense of hearing to aid in assessing the scene and patients in duress.
• Recognize various signals from medical equipment or emergency alarms, and dangers/warnings associated with hazardous scenes.
• Communicate via two-way radio and telephone links.
• Receive and respond to instructors, team leaders, and others.

Sufficient visual acuity (corrected or not) for safe performance of EMS duties under normal and emergency conditions; observation and implementation of appropriate care for patients; assessment and determination of scene hazards potentially affecting the safety of self and others.

Examples of Visual Skills

• Recognize signs during patient assessment.
• Recognize hazards, and interpret indicators and measurements from medical monitoring and treatment equipment.
• Discern the settings and parameters of settings of medical equipment such as cardiac monitor/defibrillator, ventilator, syringes, size identifiers, and medical procedures such as starting an I.V., administering medication, and reading an EKG.
• Prepare and submit written reports.

A sufficient sense of touch and tactile acuity are necessary for the performance of EMS duties.

Examples of Tactile Skills

• Palpate a pulse and detect changes or abnormalities of surface, texture, skin temperature, body segment contour, muscle tone, and/or joint movement.

Olfactory senses are sufficient for maintaining environmental, personal, and coworker safety, and for detecting changes that may indicate a deterioration in the current environment or the presence of a hazardous situation.

Examples of Environmental Capabilities

• Detect and identify smells, visible signs, and audible signals related to EMS duties and contributory to self-preservation and safety of others, including but not limited to smoke, burning materials, gasoline, and noxious fumes.

Ability to demonstrate professional behaviors and a strong work ethic.

Examples of Emotional/Behavioral Capabilities

• Demonstrate flexibility, honesty, empathy, patience, and cooperative behaviors.
• Display high levels of personal responsibility, accountability, and development.
• Demonstrate respect for citizens, patients, witnesses, suspects, and other public safety professionals.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of federally protected healthcare information, present a professional appearance, and maintain personal hygiene.

Paramedic Technology is a Selective Admissions program.

Students must follow all Selective Admissions steps to be considered for the program. Applications will not be accepted if you are not a current BCTC student.

How to Apply to the Paramedic Program

Apply for Financial Aid

Get help with your college expenses by completing the online FAFSA by these priority deadlines:

• Fall - July 1
• Spring - December 1
• Summer - April 1

If you have any questions or need assistance, contact the Financial Aid Office.

Selective Admissions Program

1. Schedule a placement exam at BCTC (Platinum Testing $5.00)
2. Oral Interviews

MANDATORY APPLICATION PACKETS will be given out at the Pre-Admission Conference.

If you're interested in applying, you must attend a pre-admission conference. We'll cover your most pressing questions to make sure this is a good fit for you. 

Candidate's questions can be addressed at pre-admission conferences.

View available conference dates

For more information regarding Paramedic Technology Admissions, please refer to the BCTC Course Catalog.

Post-Acceptance

Once accepted into the Paramedic Program, you must provide proof of the following:

1. Satisfy all general College admission requirements.
2. Be at least 18 years of age or older upon the program start date.

Failure to provide a background check, drug test, EMT certification, CPR card, and immunizations by the first day of class will result in dismissal from the Paramedic Program. For further information, please contact the Paramedic Program Coordinator.

The Bluegrass Community and Tech College Paramedic program has been issued a Letter of Review by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

This letter is NOT a CAAHEP accreditation status, it is a status signifying that a program seeking initial accreditation has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the accreditation standards through the Letter of Review Self Study Report (LSSR) and other documentation. Letter of Review is recognized by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for eligibility to take the National Registry's Paramedic credentialing examination(s). However, it is NOT a guarantee of eventual accreditation.

Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Profession (CoAEMSP)

(214) 703-8445
www.coaemsp.org (new window)