National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT)

National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians’ (NAEMT) educational programs emphasize critical thinking skills to obtain the best outcomes for patients.  NAEMT education programs are developed by collaborative teams of clinicians, EMS educators and medical directors based on review of current publications relevant to course content.  NAEMT courses incorporate the latest research, newest techniques and innovative teaching approaches to provide our students with the best possible learning experience.

NAEMT education courses are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for PreHospital Continuing Education (CAPCE). They also are recognized for recertification requirements by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)

Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) 

Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) is the gold standard of education for emergency medical assessment and treatment. Endorsed by the National Association of EMS Physicians, AMLS emphasizes the use of the AMLS Assessment Pathway, a systematic tool for assessing and managing common medical conditions with urgent accuracy.

Students learn to recognize and manage common medical crises through realistic case-based scenarios that challenge students to apply their knowledge to highly critical patients.  The course emphasizes the use of scene size-up, history, interactive group discussion on potential treatment strategies, and physical exam to systematically rule out and consider possibilities and probabilities in treating patients’ medical crises.

Topics include:

  • Respiratory disorders
  • Cardiovascular disorders
  • Shock
  • Altered mental status
  • Neurological disorders
  • Endocrine/Metabolic disorders
  • Environmental emergencies
  • Infectious disease
  • Abdominal disorders
  • Toxicological emergencies
  • Exposure to hazardous materials

AMLS is appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists and physicians. AMLS is accredited by CAPCE and recognized by NREMT.

All Hazards Disaster Response (AHDR) 

The All Hazards Disaster Response (AHDR) course teaches students how to respond to the many types of disaster scenarios they may encounter, including natural disasters and infrastructure failings, fires and radiological events, pandemics, active shooter incidents, and other mass casualty events. AHDR educates participants on how to analyze potential threats in their area, assess available resources, and create a response plan that will save lives.

Features of a medical response plan covered in the course include:

  • Communicating effectively during disasters.
  • Mutual aid and interoperability.
  • Managing resources such as supplies, medications and equipment.
  • Triage and transportation strategies and challenges.
  • Patient tracking and evacuation.

At the start of the course, participants conduct a “hazards vulnerability analysis” to assess features of their environment, both natural and man-made, that pose risk along with assessing the needs of vulnerable populations, such as assisted-living residents or hospital patients that need special consideration during such an event.

Content is presented in the context of realistic scenarios, culminating with a large-scale mass casualty activity.

AHDR is appropriate for all levels of EMS practitioners. This course is offered in the classroom and provides 8 hours of CAPCE credit and NREMT recognition.

Emergency Pediatric Care (EPC)

The Emergency Pediatric Care (EPC) course focuses on critical pediatric physiology, illnesses, injuries and interventions to help EMS practitioners provide the best treatment for sick and injured children in the field.  The course stresses critical thinking skills to help practitioners make the best decisions for their young patients.
Topics covered include:

  • The pathophysiology of the most common critical pediatric emergency issues, and critical thinking skills to help practitioners make the best decisions for their patients.
  • Application of the Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT), a tool to help EMS practitioners rapidly and accurately assess pediatric patients.
  • The importance of family-centered care.
  • Understanding and communicating with children.
  • Airway management, breathing and oxygenation.
  • Cardiac emergencies.
  • Recognizing child abuse and neglect.
  • Hypoperfusion and shock.
  • Newborn resuscitation.

EPC is appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, emergency medical responders, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians. EPC is accredited by CAPCE and recognized by NREMT.

Geriatric EMS (GEMS)

GEMS provides EMS practitioners at all levels with the skills and knowledge to address the unique medical, social, environmental and communications challenges of older adults. Developed by NAEMT, in partnership with the American Geriatrics Society, GEMS empowers EMS practitioners to help improve medical outcomes and quality of life for geriatric patients.

GEMS features case-based lectures, live action video, hands-on skill stations, simulation and small group scenarios to fully engage students in the learning experience.

GEMS covers the following topics:

  • Changes with age
  • Assessment of older adults
  • Pharmacology and medication toxicity
  • Psycho-social emergencies
  • Elder abuse
  • End-of-life care issues
  • Cardiovascular and respiratory emergencies
  • Trauma
  • Neurological emergencies and altered mental status
  • Mobile integrated healthcare
  • Special considerations for older adults in disaster response
  • Skin and wound care
  • Medical devices frequently used by older adults

Two GEMS courses are offered – a core and advanced course.  They may be offered separately or sequentially.  Both courses are appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, emergency medical responders, nurses, physician assistants and physicians. GEMS is accredited by CAPCE and recognized by NREMT.

Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS)

NAEMT’s Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) is recognized around the world as the leading continuing education program for prehospital emergency trauma care. The mission of PHTLS is to promote excellence in trauma patient management by all providers involved in the delivery of prehospital care.  PHTLS is developed by NAEMT in cooperation with the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma. The Committee provides the medical direction and content oversight for the PHTLS program.

PHTLS courses improve the quality of trauma care and decrease mortality. The program is based on a philosophy stressing the treatment of the multi-system trauma patient as a unique entity with specific needs. PHTLS promotes critical thinking as the foundation for providing quality care. It is based on the belief that, given a good fund of knowledge and key principles, EMS practitioners are capable of making reasoned decisions regarding patient care.

The course utilizes the internationally recognized PHTLS textbook and covers the following topics:

  • Physiology of life and death
  • Scene assessment
  • Patient assessment
  • Airway
  • Breathing, ventilation and oxygenation
  • Circulation, hemorrhage and shock
  • Patients with disabilities
  • Patient simulations

PHTLS is the global gold standard in prehospital trauma education and is taught in 64 countries. PHTLS is appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, nurses, physician assistants, physicians, and other prehospital providers. PHTLS is accredited by CAPCE and recognized by NREMT.

Principles of Ethics and Personal Leadership (PEPL)

Principles of Ethics and Personal Leadership (PEPL) is a 16-hour course that provides EMS and Mobile Healthcare (MHC) practitioners at all levels with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively interact with patients and their families, other medical personnel, co-workers, supervisors and community residents at large.

The course covers topics and skills in the following areas: 

  • Personal and professional values and beliefs
  • Understanding the concept of “service beyond self
  • Personal responsibility for ethical decision making
  • Strategies for conflict resolution
  • Serving as an ambassador for the profession, agency, and community

Through course presentation, dialogue, and learning activities, including written and video case studies, students will explore the importance of ethics and personal leadership, identify their leadership roles in civic life as individuals, family members, professionals, and members of the community, and practice the skills important to the exercise of personal, ethical leadership.

This course is appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, other mobile healthcare practitioners, and emergency responders. PEPL is accredited by CAPCE and recognized by NREMT. Upon successful completion of this course, students receive a certificate of completion, wallet card good for 4 years, and 16 hours of CAPCE credit.

Psychological Trauma in EMS Patients (PTEP)

NAEMT’s Psychological Trauma in EMS Patients (PTEP) course gives EMS practitioners the resources they need to help alleviate patients’ hidden wounds, intense fear, stress and pain during a medical emergency.

PTEP educates EMS practitioners about the biological underpinnings of psychological trauma, the short and long-term impact on the brain and body, and warning signs that a patient is experiencing extreme psychological distress. EMS practitioners are also taught strategies and techniques to alleviate patients’ distress and help patients cope with what they’re experiencing to ward off lingering effects.

The 8-hour classroom course features scenario-based interactive sessions and lectures.

Topics covered include:

  • The invisible wounds of psychological trauma
  • Reducing psychological traumatic stress
  • Understanding the physiological stress response
  • Applying the eSCAPe principle to patient care
  • Patient simulations
  • Recognizing psychological trauma within EMS

PTEP is designed for EMS practitioners and other prehospital providers. The course is accredited by CAPCE and recognized by NREMT.  Students who successfully complete the course receive a certificate of completion, a wallet card good for 4 years, and 8 hours of CAPCE credit.

Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC)

NAEMT’s  Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) teaches EMS practitioners and other prehospital providers how to respond to and care for patients in a civilian tactical environment. It is designed to decrease preventable deaths in a tactical situation.

The course presents the three phases of tactical care:

  • Direct Threat Care that is rendered while under attack or in adverse conditions.
  • Indirect Threat Care that is rendered while the threat has been suppressed, but may resurface at any point.
  • Evacuation Care that is rendered while the casualty is being evacuated from the incident site.

The 16-hour classroom course covers the following topics:

  • Hemorrhage control;
  • Surgical airway control and needle decompression;
  • Strategies for treating wounded responders in threatening environments;
  • Caring for pediatric patients; and
  • Techniques for dragging and carrying victims to safety.

NAEMT’s TECC course meets the guidelines established by the Committee on TECC and the updated National Tactical Emergency Medical Support Competency Domains. This course is accredited by CAPCE and recognized by NREMT.