Stay Ahead of Recertification with Vector’s Top 10 EMS Continuing Education Courses

Vector Solutions, organizationally accredited by CAPCE, offers a comprehensive EMS course catalog packed with over 250 hours of accredited online EMS continuing education. Delivered through a training management system built for public safety, Vector LMS enables agencies to empower EMS providers with 24/7 access to essential training. Check out our top 10 EMS continuing education courses from our catalog that we recommend incorporating into your agency’s EMS training plans this year.

1. 1. HIPAA Awareness (1 hour)

      The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1996 and aims to protect patients' health information from being improperly used or disclosed. This course reviews the federal HIPAA regulations and discusses the duties and responsibilities that are required of EMS personnel and agencies. It also explains the various rights that HIPAA provides to patients and the safeguards that are required when dealing with patient health information. By complying with HIPAA, EMS providers will protect patients' confidentiality and ensure that any use or disclosure of their information protects your providers and your organization from legal liability.

   2. Infectious Disease Control (1 hour)

      To prevent infection, EMS providers need to minimize their exposure by following Standard Precautions and using Personal Protective Equipment to create a barrier of protection. These and other protection strategies are outlined in the Occupational Health & Safety Administration’s Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (BPS). This course provides an overview of the risks and realities of infectious disease exposure incidents in the prehospital environment. It also reviews the requirements for complying with the BPS and provides practical information on various diseases and protection strategies for EMS providers.

   3. Bleeding and Shock Basic (1 hour)

      Disruption of our blood supply, no matter the means or mechanism, is a threat to life. Time is critical when responding to patients suffering from blood loss or shock. From simple nosebleeds to deep cuts to major arteries to hard-to-detect internal bleeding, every scenario personnel may encounter that involves blood loss will be different. Each of the many steps that must be taken to pinpoint where the bleeding is coming from, control blood loss, and treat a patient is crucial. There are many different forms of shock. Everything from serious allergic reactions to infections can leave a patient in shock. Some types of shock can occur within minutes. If not treated quickly and properly, shock can be deadly. This course highlights the signs and symptoms of all forms of external and internal bleeding, shock, along with how to properly respond and treat your patient in any such scenario.

   4. Airway Management Basic (1 hour)

      Every patient must have a patent airway to survive. When the airway is obstructed, the EMT must clear it as soon as possible using the methods described in this lesson. The only exceptions to this would be situations where it is unsafe or the airway problem is such that it cannot be treated in the field and the patient must be transported immediately to a hospital.

   5. Cardiac Emergencies Basic (1 hour)

      More than 600,000 patients die each year from cardiovascular diseases. Half of these deaths occur before the patient reaches the hospital. Many times, collapse and sudden death is the first sign of cardiac disease. Research has shown that rapid defibrillation is the major determinant of survival in cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation. This course highlights the signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest and the steps to take to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) properly. Not all chest pain, however, will result in cardiac arrest. As such, this course also reviews the signs and symptoms of cardiac compromise and the emergency medical care of patients experiencing chest pain, including the administration of nitroglycerin.

   6. Assessing the Patient with Major Trauma (2 hours)

      Proper assessment of a patient with a major traumatic injury is crucial. Not only does this assessment determine the extent of the patient's injuries, but it also aids in determining patient care priorities. EMS providers face unique challenges when assessing a patient with a major trauma injury because not only do they have to determine any immediate life threatening injuries, but they also have to consider any threats that may leave the patient with any long-term disabilities. This course discusses assessment techniques for making the initial impression of patients as well as assessment elements specific to certain types of trauma injuries.

   7. Patient Lifting, Moving, and Transporting (1 hour)

      In today’s environment, responding to emergency calls and providing high-quality patient care has become increasingly more demanding and strenuous on EMS personnel than ever before. As a result of this systemic pressure for improved patient care, the EMS and healthcare industries are facing a rising need for continuous training on patient lifting, moving, and transportation. While many EMS responders are cross-trained as an EMT and firefighter, this specific course on patient lifting and transportation applies to these workers only when they are functioning as an EMS responder.

   8. Slips, Trips, and Falls Prevention (1 hour)

      Slips, trips, and falls can happen in any workplace. But the consequences of emergency response personnel falling on the job can be much greater than those in the rest of the workforce. Slips, trips, and falls include any injuries that cause lost work time. Slips, trips, and falls may result in anything from trivial injuries to catastrophic injuries. In this course, personnel will learn about common causes, hazards, and injuries, as well as safety techniques and prevention practices for EMTs and firefighters. After successfully completing this course, you will be able to: Define slips, trips, and falls, discuss common causes, hazards, and injuries, and describe safety techniques and prevention practices.

   9. Back Injury Prevention (1 hour)

      The back is the most injury-prone part of the body. Back problems can result in pain, lost work time, inconvenience, and possible disability. Back injury incidents rank near the top of all occupational work injuries and head the list of injuries to EMS personnel. In large part, all back injuries are preventable. This course reviews data surrounding back injuries, how they happen, where they occur, and why they happen. Moreover, it reviews exercises, lifestyle modifications, posture, lifting, reaching, pulling, pushing, and ergonomic considerations.

   10. Hazard Communication (1 hour)

       Exposure to hazardous chemicals can present numerous dangers to workers. More than 30 million workers are exposed to one or more chemical hazards across various industrial sectors. Hundreds of new hazardous chemicals are being introduced annually, in addition to the approximately 389,000 chemical substances tracked by the Chemical Abstract Services database (2019). Knowing that chemical products may cause harm, the risk is increasing every year. OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard is designed to ensure that the information about these dangers is shared with those who need to know. This course covers OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard with an emphasis on what it is and how to comply. It also provides guidelines to help prevent chemical hazard incidents and the adverse health effects that may result.

To further simplify recertification for providers at any EMS level, Vector LMS for EMS comes pre-loaded with an EMS training tracker specifically designed to meet compliance and recertification requirements. With at-a-glance progress trackers, automated alerts, and flexible reporting, both providers and supervisors can rest assured that nothing falls through the cracks on the way to recertification.