Paramedic (PMED) Courses
PMED 105 Prehospital Pharmacology
- Units:1
- Hours:18 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:MATH 32 or 42 with a grade of "C" or better AND Eligible for ENGRD 310 or ENGRD 312 AND ENGWR 300; OR ESLW 340.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides basic instruction in prehospital pharmacology and calculating medication dosages.
PMED 106 Emergency Medical Technician Pre-hospital Practices and Internship
- Units:6.5
- Hours:36 hours LEC; 243 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:Current California State Emergency Medical Technician certification.
- Corequisite:NURSE 320 or PMED 105
- Enrollment Limitation:A background check, drug screening, proof of current immunizations and malpractice insurance are required. Current California State Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certification and Professional BLS CPR certification from the American Heart Association. Only AHA BLS CPR certification will be accepted.
- Advisory:AH 311, BIOL 102, ENGRD 116, and MATH 32
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides expanded education in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) related topics, including assisting with Advanced Life Support (ALS) procedures as well as patient assessment and management training through patient simulation, clinical observation, and field experience. It can also serve as partial preparation for application to the American River College Paramedic Program.
PMED 108 Emergency Medical Response
- Units:3
- Hours:45 hours LEC; 27 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is an introduction to the principles and practices of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS). It provides the knowledge and skills needed to integrate the care provided through the EMS system. A certificate of completion is available upon successful completion of this course.
PMED 110 Introduction to Advanced Prehospital Care
- Units:12
- Hours:144 hours LEC; 216 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:BIOL 102 and PMED 105 with grades of "C" or better
- Enrollment Limitation:Acceptance into the Paramedic Program
- Advisory:AH 311, HCD 114, MATH 32, and MATH 42; Eligible for ENGRD 310 or ENGRD 312 AND ENGWR 300; OR ESLW 340.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course covers the didactic material and the related skills necessary to establish a foundation for subsequent prehospital patient assessment and management. Topics include preparatory, human body and human systems, pharmacology, patient assessment, airway management, trauma management, and respiratory and cardiac emergencies.
PMED 114 Preparatory
- Units:11
- Hours:168 hours LEC; 108 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:EMT 110 and 111 with grades of "C" or better
- Enrollment Limitation:Acceptance into the Paramedic Program
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course covers didactic materials and related skills considered foundational to the practice of paramedicine. The course topics include: Emergency Medical System (EMS), the safety/well-being of the paramedic, medical legal/ethical, anatomical and physiology, pathophysiology of all human systems, medical terminology, oral communications, and life span development. Topics include principles of public health and epidemiology including public health emergencies, health promotion and illness and injury prevention. This course also integrates knowledge of pharmacology to formulate a treatment plan intended to mitigate emergencies and improve the overall health of the patient.
PMED 115 Clinical Behavior, Patient Assessment, and Airway Management
- Units:5
- Hours:80 hours LEC; 30 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:PMED 114 with a grade of "C" or better
- Enrollment Limitation:Acceptance into the Paramedic Program
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course covers the didactic material and the related skills necessary to establish a foundation for subsequent prehospital clinical judgment, patient assessment and management. It also focuses on airway management, respiration and ventilation. Primary and secondary assessments, therapeutic communication, cultural humility, professionalism, decision making, and team dynamics will be covered.
PMED 120 Clinical Internship
- Units:7
- Hours:54 hours LEC; 216 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:PMED 110 with a grade of "B" or better.
- Enrollment Limitation:Current Emergency Medical Technician certification. Current student enrolled in the Paramedic program.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides an opportunity to apply the cognitive knowledge and psychomotor skills gained in PMED 110 to patient care in a hospital or other approved clinical setting. This course provides for increasing assessment techniques and advanced prehospital skills. Field trips may be required. A portion of this course may be offered in a TBA component of 216 hours which may include direct patient care in a clinical setting.
PMED 121 Prehospital Medicine and Clinical Internship
- Units:12.5
- Hours:175 hours LEC; 168 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:PMED 115 with a grade of "C" or better
- Enrollment Limitation:Acceptance into the Paramedic Program
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course integrates assessment findings with principles of epidemiology and pathophysiology to formulate a clinical impression and implement a treatment/disposition plan for a patient with a medical complaint. The course also includes a clinical internship with regional hospital partners.
PMED 125 Introduction to Paramedicine
- Units:5.5
- Hours:45 hours LEC; 162 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:BIOL 102, PMED 105, and PMED 106 with grades of "C" or better
- Enrollment Limitation:Acceptance into the paramedic program. Successful completion a background, drug screen, and health physical exam as well as provide proof of current American Heart Association BLS Provider CPR certification and immunizations prior to enrollment into the course. Students must maintain current EMT licensure at all times throughout the course.
- Advisory:AH 311, ENGRD 116, HCD 114, and MATH 32
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course covers the didactic and psychomotor material necessary to establish a foundation for subsequent paramedic prehospital patient assessment and management. Topics include preparatory, human body and human systems, pharmacology, patient assessment, and airway management.
PMED 126 Paramedic Practices I
- Units:7
- Hours:54 hours LEC; 216 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:PMED 125 with a grade of "C" or better
- Enrollment Limitation:Acceptance into the paramedic program.
Current EMT licensure must be maintained at all times throughout the course.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course covers the didactic and psychomotor material necessary to establish a foundation for emergency care for patients suffering from respiratory, cardiac, shock, and traumatic emergencies.
PMED 127 Paramedic Practices II
- Units:7
- Hours:54 hours LEC; 216 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:PMED 126 with a grade of "C" or better
- Enrollment Limitation:Acceptance into the paramedic program. Current EMT licensure must be maintained at all times throughout the course.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course covers the didactic and psychomotor material necessary to establish a foundation for emergency care for patients suffering from medical, obstetric, pediatric and neonatal emergencies.
PMED 130 Prehospital Field Internship
- Units:14
- Hours:54 hours LEC; 600 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:PMED 120 with a grade of "B" or better.
- Enrollment Limitation:Current EMT certification. Current student enrolled in the Paramedic program.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides paramedic students with hands-on prehospital experiences and is the final course in the series preparing for a California paramedic license. Under the direct supervision and evaluation of a licensed paramedic or a mobile intensive care nurse, interns complete a prehospital field experience.
PMED 131 Trauma, Shock, EMS Operations, and Field Internship
- Units:17.5
- Hours:114 hours LEC; 603 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:PMED 121 with a grade of "C" or better
- Enrollment Limitation:Acceptance into the Paramedic Program
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course integrates assessment findings with principles of epidemiology and pathophysiology to formulate a field impression and implement a treatment/disposition plan for a patient with a traumatic complaint. The course also provides awareness of EMS operational practices, and includes a field internship with regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) partners.
PMED 140 Pediatric Advanced Life Support Certification
- Units:0.5
- Hours:6 hours LEC; 12 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Current Provider C Basic Cardiac Life Support card or county-approved equivalent certificate. Current licensure as a paramedic, nurse, physician, or allied health professional, or current enrollment in the last semester of an allied health program.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides education modules specific to pediatric emergencies for health care professionals. Certification in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is granted to students who successfully complete the course.
PMED 142 Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification
- Units:0.5
- Hours:6 hours LEC; 12 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Current Provider C Basic Cardiac Life Support Card, equivalent licensure as a paramedic, nurse, physician, or allied health professional, or current enrollment in an allied health program.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides education modules specific to adult cardiac emergencies for health care professionals. Certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) is granted to students who successfully complete the course.
PMED 146 Prehospital Trauma Life Support
- Units:0.5
- Hours:5.5 hours LEC; 10.5 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Current licensure as an emergency medical technician (EMT), paramedic, nurse, physician, or allied health professional, or current enrollment in the last semester of an allied health program.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course is designed to improve the quality of trauma care and decrease mortality by stressing the treatment of the multisystem trauma patient. It utilizes the internationally recognized National Association of EMTs (NAEMT) Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) curriculum. PHTLS is appropriate for EMTs, paramedics, nurses, physician assistants, physicians, and other prehospital providers.
PMED 160 Introductory Wilderness Medicine
- Units:2
- Hours:27 hours LEC; 27 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides the didactic material and related skills necessary to establish a foundation of medical care in the wilderness setting. Topics include anatomy and physiology, care of traumatic injuries, patient assessment, environmental injuries, medical emergencies, common simple wilderness medical problems, basic wilderness survival for the initial responder, improvised bleeding control in the field setting, and selecting and caring for wilderness medical equipment and supplies. This course emphasizes improvised care options and long-term care in field settings.
PMED 161 Advanced Wilderness Medicine
- Units:2
- Hours:27 hours LEC; 27 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:PMED 160
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides the didactic material and related skills necessary to establish an advanced level of medical care in the wilderness setting. Topics include anatomy and physiology, improvised airway control, principles of musculoskeletal care, synthesis of wilderness medicine and urban care, and common simple wilderness medical problems. Additionally, basic wilderness survival for the wilderness responder, and selecting and caring for wilderness medical equipment and supplies are covered. This course emphasizes improvised care options and long-term care in remote field settings.
PMED 165 EMS Search and Technical Rescue
- Units:2
- Hours:27 hours LEC; 27 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides a foundation in several technical rescue disciplines. Practical applications of water rescue, low angle and high angle rescue, and urban search and rescue are covered. Additionally, basic survival skills in rescue environments for the Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P), and selecting and caring for rescue equipment and supplies are covered. This course emphasizes scenario-based learning in safely assessing, managing, and pre-planning for the technical rescue environment.
PMED 295 Independent Studies in Paramedic
- Units:1 - 3
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
Course description:
PMED 295 is an opportunity for the student to extend classroom experience in this subject area, while working independently of a formal classroom situation. PMED 295 is an extension of work offered in a specific class in the college catalog. To be eligible for PMED 295, students must have completed the basic regular catalog course at American River College. They must also discuss the study project with a professor in this subject area and secure prior approval. Only one independent study for each catalog course will be allowed.
PMED 298 Work Experience in Paramedic
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Hours:27 - 216 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Students must be in a paid or unpaid internship, volunteer position, or job related to the paramedic field with a cooperating site supervisor. Students are advised to consult with the Paramedic faculty to review specific certificate and degree work experience requirements.
- Advisory:Eligible for ENGWR 300 or ESLW 340.
- General Education:AA/AS Area III(b)
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides students with opportunities to develop marketable skills in preparation for employment or advancement within the paramedic field. It is designed for students interested in work experience and/or internships in associate degree level or certificate occupational programs. Course content includes understanding the application of education to the workforce, completion of Title 5 required forms which document the student's progress and hours spent at an approved work site, and developing workplace skills and competencies.
During the semester, the student is required to complete 27 hours of related work experience for 0.5 unit. An additional 27 hours of related work experience is required for each additional 0.5 units. All students are required to attend the first course meeting, a mid-semester meeting, and a final meeting. Additionally, students who have not already successfully completed a Work Experience course will be required to attend weekly orientations while returning participants may meet individually with the instructor as needed. Students may take up to 16 units total across all Work Experience course offerings. This course may be taken up to four times when there are new or expanded learning objectives. Only one Work Experience course may be taken per semester.
PMED 299 Experimental Offering in Paramedic
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is the experimental courses description.
PMED 1000 Emergency Medical Technician: Refresher
- Units:1.5
- Hours:20 hours LEC; 21 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Current or recent certification as an Emergency Medical Technician.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides continuing education and skills verification modules for current Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) certified at the Basic Life Support (BLS) level. It satisfies most of the refresher requirements of local, state, and national Emergency Medical Services (EMS) certifying organizations. EMS-related topics include airway management and ventilation, cardiac care and resuscitation, patient assessment, injury management, legal and ethical issues, vital signs monitoring, and assisting with medication administration. This course does not provide preparation for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) entry or recertification exam. Completion of this course provides currently certified EMTs, wanting to recertify with the NREMT, with the 24 hours of required course content as well as the verification of required skills competency.
PMED 1006 Post Licensure/Certification Out-of-Hospital Skills: Medical
- Units:0.5
- Hours:6 hours LEC; 9 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Current certification as an EMT-Basic (1) or licensure as an Paramedic
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course provides education modules related to medical emergencies for prehospital health care professionals. Each module will specifically address issues related to prehospital emergencies and local treatment protocol. This course provides continuing education credit necessary for maintenance of EMT-Basic certification or a Paramedic license. Pass/No Pass only.