2019 EMT Refresher Instructor Manual

On Testing During EMT Refresher

Students in EMT refresher frequently have expectations that they simply need to attend refresher to renew their EMT cards. While students who fail refresher are rare, some competency must be demonstrated by students to complete the program. This at times can more complicated than in the EMT Initial program as students are already certified by OEMS and failure to pass refresher does not preclude them from practicing as an EMT (until perhaps they expire and cannot renew). Some EMTs also think very highly of their skills set – particularly those with lots of EMS experience or those who work in high-volume urban areas. They may come in with a negative attitude about training and their need to demonstrate skills. Practical stations should be repeated until the instructor feels it has been performed competently. Where an EMT performs poorly or refuses to participate, the instructor should politely inform him or her that completing the program requires that they be signed off on all the skills of the program and that until the skill is performed to satisfaction they will not be signed off. Written examinations were designed to be difficult. Instructors should expect students to fail at the first attempt at the pretest. This reinforces the notion that EMTs don’t know everything – even if they are experienced or work in high-volume environments. It also serves to demonstrate to EMTs in the course that they learned something when they complete the post-test successfully. Proceed with the lecture and eventually the skills components. You should see students identify correct answers as they progress through the course. Do not blatantly give them answers or drop hints that answers are on specific slides, but you can remind them to look for answers in the course and that they need at least a 70% to get credit for the class. This should convince them that this is not a course where their simple presence in the room will get them credit. At the end, give them the post-test (it is not the same exam). They should not be doing a group exam at that point. If they previously discussed questions during lunch or a skills session that is fine, but they should not be cooperating on the exam at the end. Administer the pre-test when the class starts. Grade the pretest and make sure the student has both his exam sheet and the question booklet for the rest of the day.

Have them turn in exams and grade them. Students scoring less than 70% should be held for remediation while the others are dismissed.