NOLS WEMT COURSE TERMS AND
QUESTIONS: PRELIMINARY READINGS (CH
1,5,6) WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS!!
*CH1
Define "designated agent". Answer - an EMT or other person authorized by a
Medical Director to give medications and provide emergency care
Where does the transfer of authorization to a designated agent come from?
Answer - it is an extension of the Medical Director's license to practice
medicine
Define "evidence-based". Answer - description of medial techniques or
practices that are supported by scientific evidence of their safety and efficiency,
rather than by supposition and tradition
Define "medical direction". Answer - oversight of the patient-care aspects of
an EMS system by the Medical Director
Define "Medical Director". Answer - a physician who assumes ultimate
responsibility for the patient-care aspects of the EMS system
Define "911 system". Answer - a system for telephone access to report
emergencies.
Who can a 911 dispatcher alert in the event of an emergency? Answer - EMS,
fire or police departments as needed
,What does "enhanced 911" have the additional capability of doing? Answer -
automatically identifying the caller's phone number and location
Define "off-line medical direction". Answer - standing orders issued by the
Medical Director that allow EMTs to give certain medications or perform
certain procedures without speaking to the Medical Director or another
physician
Define "patient outcomes". Answer - the long-term survival of patients
Define "protocols". Answer - lists of steps, such as assessments and
interventions, to be taken in different situations.
Who gets to develop the "protocols"? Answer - the Medical Director of an EMS
system
Define "quality improvement". Answer - a process of continuous self-review
with the purpose of identifying and correcting aspects of the system that
require improvement
Define "standing orders". Answer - a policy or protocol issued by a Medical
Director that authorizes EMT's and others to perform particular skills in certain
situations
What are the 5 primary components of the Emergency Medical Services
system? Answer - 1. 911 & emergency medical dispatchers
2. Emergency Medical Responders
3. EMTs (all levels) & ambulances
4. emergency department
,5. other hospital units
What are some of the special designations that hospitals may have? Answer -
trauma centers, burn centers, pediatric care centers, poison control centers,
cardiac centers, and stroke centers
What are the 4 national levels of EMS training and certification? Answer - 1.
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)
2. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
3. Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)
4. Paramedic
What are the 8 roles and responsibilities of the EMT? Answer - 1. Safety of the
crew, patient, and bystanders
2. patient assessment
3. patient care
4. lifting and moving
5. transport
6. transfer of care
7. patient advocacy
8. promotion of public health and safety
What are the 4 desirable personal and physical attributes of the EMT? Answer
- 1. being in good health, able to lift and carry up to 125 pounds
2. having good eyesight and hearing
3. being able to clearly communicate in written and oral forms
4. being pleasant/sincere/cooperative/resourceful/a self-starter/emotionally
stable/able to lead/neat and clean
, What is the difference between on-line and off-line medical direction? Answer
- on-line: the on-duty physician gives orders directly to the EMT by telephone
or radio
of-line: the EMT carries out written standing orders from the Medical Director
*CH2
Define "compound" (in terms of language). Give an example of one. Answer - a
word formed from two or more whole words (EX: smallpox)
Define "root" (in terms of language). Give an example of one. Answer -
foundation of a word that is not a word that can stand on its own (EX: therm,
meaning "heat")
Define "combining form" (in terms of language). Give an example of one.
Answer - a word root with an added vowel that can be joined with other words,
roots, or suffixes to form a new word (EX: thermo)
Define "prefix" (in terms of language). Answer - word part added to the
beginning of a root or word to modify or qualify its meaning
Define "suffix" (in terms of language). Answer - word part added to the end of
a root or word to complete its meaning
Are abbreviations and acronyms always safe to use in the EMS system? Answer
- no, they can cause communication errors; try not to abbreviate stuff
Who should you not use complex medical terminology with? Answer - patients
and families
QUESTIONS: PRELIMINARY READINGS (CH
1,5,6) WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS!!
*CH1
Define "designated agent". Answer - an EMT or other person authorized by a
Medical Director to give medications and provide emergency care
Where does the transfer of authorization to a designated agent come from?
Answer - it is an extension of the Medical Director's license to practice
medicine
Define "evidence-based". Answer - description of medial techniques or
practices that are supported by scientific evidence of their safety and efficiency,
rather than by supposition and tradition
Define "medical direction". Answer - oversight of the patient-care aspects of
an EMS system by the Medical Director
Define "Medical Director". Answer - a physician who assumes ultimate
responsibility for the patient-care aspects of the EMS system
Define "911 system". Answer - a system for telephone access to report
emergencies.
Who can a 911 dispatcher alert in the event of an emergency? Answer - EMS,
fire or police departments as needed
,What does "enhanced 911" have the additional capability of doing? Answer -
automatically identifying the caller's phone number and location
Define "off-line medical direction". Answer - standing orders issued by the
Medical Director that allow EMTs to give certain medications or perform
certain procedures without speaking to the Medical Director or another
physician
Define "patient outcomes". Answer - the long-term survival of patients
Define "protocols". Answer - lists of steps, such as assessments and
interventions, to be taken in different situations.
Who gets to develop the "protocols"? Answer - the Medical Director of an EMS
system
Define "quality improvement". Answer - a process of continuous self-review
with the purpose of identifying and correcting aspects of the system that
require improvement
Define "standing orders". Answer - a policy or protocol issued by a Medical
Director that authorizes EMT's and others to perform particular skills in certain
situations
What are the 5 primary components of the Emergency Medical Services
system? Answer - 1. 911 & emergency medical dispatchers
2. Emergency Medical Responders
3. EMTs (all levels) & ambulances
4. emergency department
,5. other hospital units
What are some of the special designations that hospitals may have? Answer -
trauma centers, burn centers, pediatric care centers, poison control centers,
cardiac centers, and stroke centers
What are the 4 national levels of EMS training and certification? Answer - 1.
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)
2. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
3. Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)
4. Paramedic
What are the 8 roles and responsibilities of the EMT? Answer - 1. Safety of the
crew, patient, and bystanders
2. patient assessment
3. patient care
4. lifting and moving
5. transport
6. transfer of care
7. patient advocacy
8. promotion of public health and safety
What are the 4 desirable personal and physical attributes of the EMT? Answer
- 1. being in good health, able to lift and carry up to 125 pounds
2. having good eyesight and hearing
3. being able to clearly communicate in written and oral forms
4. being pleasant/sincere/cooperative/resourceful/a self-starter/emotionally
stable/able to lead/neat and clean
, What is the difference between on-line and off-line medical direction? Answer
- on-line: the on-duty physician gives orders directly to the EMT by telephone
or radio
of-line: the EMT carries out written standing orders from the Medical Director
*CH2
Define "compound" (in terms of language). Give an example of one. Answer - a
word formed from two or more whole words (EX: smallpox)
Define "root" (in terms of language). Give an example of one. Answer -
foundation of a word that is not a word that can stand on its own (EX: therm,
meaning "heat")
Define "combining form" (in terms of language). Give an example of one.
Answer - a word root with an added vowel that can be joined with other words,
roots, or suffixes to form a new word (EX: thermo)
Define "prefix" (in terms of language). Answer - word part added to the
beginning of a root or word to modify or qualify its meaning
Define "suffix" (in terms of language). Answer - word part added to the end of
a root or word to complete its meaning
Are abbreviations and acronyms always safe to use in the EMS system? Answer
- no, they can cause communication errors; try not to abbreviate stuff
Who should you not use complex medical terminology with? Answer - patients
and families
