Emergency Medical Services

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School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety

CONTACT INFORMATION

Program information is available from the Ask CNM Contact Center at (505) 224-3000 or go to cnm.edu.

Program Description

The EMS program offers courses for students interested in a career in prehospital emergency medical services. Entry-level students must complete the certificate of achievement in EMT-Basic in order to gain EMS licensure in the state of New Mexico. Certificates of Achievement in EMS First Responder, EMT-Basic, and EMT-Intermediate help improve employment opportunities in the prehospital and emergency hospital setting.

The First Responder course is designed for students not wishing to pursue advanced training in EMS. This course is typically taken by students acting as “first responders” in an industrial or volunteer setting. This is not a pre-requisite to the paramedic program. This course is NOT a pre- or corequisite for any other level of EMS training at CNM.

The EMT-Basic courses are entry-level courses for pursuing a career in EMS. This is a pre-requisite to the EMT-Intermediate and the paramedic programs.

The EMT-Intermediate courses offer additional skills and training for EMS personnel. These courses may be taken by students wishing to gain additional medical skills, but not wishing to pursue a paramedic license. These courses may also provide additional training prior to entrance into the paramedic program. These courses are recommended for students with field experience as an EMT. This is a recommended pre-requisite to the paramedic program.

Students who complete the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic are eligible to take the national licensure exam. EMT-Paramedics provide the highest level of care in the prehospital setting and are currently in high demand.

EMTs and paramedics should be emotionally stable, have good dexterity, agility, and physical coordination, and be able to lift and carry heavy loads. They are required to do considerable kneeling, bending, and heavy lifting. They also need good eyesight (corrective lenses may be used) with accurate color vision. These workers risk noise-induced hearing loss from sirens, back injuries from lifting patients, and may be exposed to communicable diseases.
 

Special Requirements

Courses which include patient care experience (out-of-hospital or in-hospital) require the purchase of clinical uniform, patient care equipment (stethoscope, penlight, shears, etc.), drug screening, and a criminal background check. Students with a positive drug screening or felony record may not be allowed to participate in a patient care setting. Students also must show proof of current immunizations prior to working with patients in a clinical setting. Proof of personal health care insurance is required for clinical courses. Please see the EMS Program web page for more information.

GRADE ONLY COURSES: due to the requirement of live invasive skills and/or patient contact in the prehospital and hospital environment, all EMS lab, clinical, and internship courses must be taken for grade only. Audit status is not permitted in EMS lab, clinical, or internship courses.

DEPARTMENT APPROVAL COURSES: some EMS courses require department approval.

EMS 1490 : This course has a limited capacity of clinical slots and therefore criterion have been established for acceptance into this course. Please see the EMS Program web page for more information.

EMS 1413  and EMS 1493 : The EMT-Intermediate program is in high demand and therefore criterion have been established for early acceptance into first term EMT-Intermediate courses. Please see the EMS Program web page for more information.

PARAMEDIC PROGRAM APPLICATION PROCESS: Several paramedic-level EMS courses are open enrollment; however, the paramedic program cohort (terms 1 and 2) is designated as a Limited Entry Program at CNM. Students who wish to enter the Paramedic program will need to apply and be accepted before they can start the program. Students who will apply in fall 2011 should refer to the EMS Program website for information about the application process and admission criteria.

Students who wish to apply in summer 2012 or later should refer to the Office of Limited Entry Programs for information about application requirements, selection criteria, and deadlines, which will be different from those used in 2011.

It is recommended that students selected to the paramedic program cohort work no more than 20 hours per week due to the rigorous nature of class work, lab work, clinical shifts, and internship associated with terms 1 and 2.

External fees may apply.
 

Career and Educational Opportunities

Emergency medical services personnel are employed with fire departments, ambulance services, aeromedical services (flight medicine), or work as part of the health care team in the emergency department of hospitals.

Completion of the Associate’s Degree in Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic allows transition into bachelor’s level EMS programs to include the University of New Mexico and Eastern New Mexico University – Roswell.
 

Exit competencies (see Program Exit Competencies  ) for this program of study are available at cnm.edu/exitcomp.

For the graduation policy refer to the Moving On  section, cnm.edu or the Students tab in my CNM.

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