I produce and design online education lessons for RapidCE.com. Since 2004 my team of physicians, nurses, paramedics, and I have produced more than 125 lessons in categories of medial emergencies, trauma, environmental emergencies, patient assessment, pediatrics, geriatrics, and workplace health and safety.
Many of you may need a few additional CE credits before March 31 or the end of your current certification schedule. I am often asked to recommend my favorite online CE lessons. As with anything, some courses were more enjoyable for me than others. This is my list of my 5 favorite CE lessons:
1. Assessment and treatment of patients with service animals. This lesson was co-written with an owner of a service dog that frequently teaches classroom sessions to fire and EMS agencies. Service animals are trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities. They are protected by ADA law and allowed in public places, including ambulances and emergency departments. Students learn about service animal functions, assessment, treatment, and transport principles for patients with service animals.
2. Animal bite assessment and treatment. One of my favorite all time student stories was from a student that was attacked by a rabid bobcat while camping along the Baja Mexico Peninsula. She and another adult were bit several times – in the upper and lower legs – before dispatching the bobcat with a kayak paddle. Animal bites are at high risk for infections. Learn causes, injury patterns, bit assessment, and treatment strategies.
3. Basic 12-Lead ECG Operation and Interpretation. This course, due to its elegant simplicity, is consistently one of the highest rated RapidCE lessons. The lesson reviews acute coronary syndrome causes, learn to acquire a 12 lead EKG, and understand basic interpretation techniques.
4. Musculoskeletal Injuries Part 1 and 2. Rarely does a musculoskeletal injury fit into the “see this do that” model for splinting many of us were taught in EMT school. Instead splints require a set of general principles and use of materials that make the most sense for the injury. This two-part lesson series covers anatomy, physiology and injury types as well as splinting and pain management techniques. The lesson is illustrated with high-resolution custom photography.
5. C-Spine Injuries in Athletics was prepared following the National Athletic Trainers Association consensus guidelines for assessment and management of spine injured athletes. The lesson author is a certified athletic trainer and paramedic who applies his real world experience in both disciplines to teach about the guidelines and the practical application to EMS professionals. This lesson is popular anytime of year, not just when the fall football season begins.
These 5 lessons and more than 125 additional CECBEMS approved lessons for ALS and BLS EMS professionals can be found at RapidCE.com. All lessons are narrated, multimedia Flash movies. For custom elearning content development email me greg dot friese at everydayemstips dot com.
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