Legislative Update

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official publication of the national association of ems educators
Spring 2008
2007 – 2008
Board of Directors
Angel Burba, MS, NREMT-P, NCEE
President
Spring 2008
Volume 13, Issue 6
Chris Nollette, Ed.D., NREMT-P, LP
President-Elect
Robert Waddell, BS, BA, EMT-P
Secretary/Treasurer
In this Issue
Joseph Grafft, MS, NREMT
Immediate Past President
President’s Perspective.............................................................................1
Denise Wilfong, MHS, NREMT-P
Brenda Beasley, RN, BS, EMT-P
Will Chapleau, EMT-P, RN
Annmary Thomas, MEd, NREMT-P
Scott Bourn, PhD (C), MSN, RN,
NREMT-P
Donna Tidwell, BS, RN, EMT-P
Chris LeBaudour, MsEd, EMT
Terry Devito, Ed.D, RN, EMT-P, M.Ed
Glenn Luedtke, NREMT-P
The Stickiness Factor............................................................................... 3
Legislative Update................................................................................... 5
Live Life. Give Life. .................................................................................. 6
NAEMSE Announces New Membership Benefit ................................... 7
Communiqué #10 ..................................................................................... 8
NAEMSE Member NEWS ......................................................................... 10
Domain3 .................................................................................................. 13
The Family Rights and Privacy Act: 7 Myths — and the Truth ....... 21
Leadership – A Series........................................................................... 26
National Office Staff
Corporate Partner Corner................................................................... 30
Joann Freel, BS, CMP
Executive Director
Stephen Perdziola, BS
Business Manager
Laura Krawchyk, BA
Project Coordinator/Instructor
Course/Education Standards
NAEMSE Corporate Partners
Platinum Partners
Silver Partners
To inspire excellence in EMS education
and lifelong learning.
American Heart Association
Dey, L.P.
Educational Resources, Inc.
EMS Magazine
JEMS Communications
Laerdal Medical Corporation
Masimo Corporation
Med-Media, Inc.
Mosby/Elsevier
Physio-Control
www.naemse.org
Gold Partners
American Medical Identifications
Ferno
FISDAP
Gaumard Scientific Company
Globe Manufacturing Company
GymFlesh Corporation
Jones & Bartlett Publishers
McGraw-Hill Higher Education
NASCO
National College of Technical
Instruction
Philips Medical Systems
Simulaids, Inc.
ZOLL Medical Corporation
T.J. Betz, BA
Communications Administrator
Larissa Kocelko, BA
Administrative Assistant
NAEMSE Mission
American Safety & Health Institute
& Medic First-Aid International
Delmar Learning
Pepid, LLC
Platinum Educational Group, LLC
World Point, Inc.
President’s Perspective
Last Call!
BY ANGEL BURBA, MS, NREMT-P, NCEE, HOWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, COLUMBIA, MO
Have you even been frustrated when
you learned that something big
happened and you did not get a
chance to weigh in on the decision or
participate in the process?
There have been a few times in my life
when this has happened. I will always
regret walking out on the initial
meeting in Baltimore when the
NAEMSE was started. It wasn’t that I
didn’t like the idea, I LOVED the idea,
but I had no money in my pocket to
drop into the cardboard box as it came
around the room. I was a college
student trying to make ends meet with
a dwindling GI bill and little income.
I attended the meeting in the first place
because one of my professors at
UMBC told me he had heard about
this and he personally invited me to
accompany him because he knew
I loved teaching. He told me he had
a feeling this was going to be a big
moment for our profession, and he was
right! A couple years ago in San Antonio
when we proudly bestowed our Charter
Member pins to the membership I
looked wistfully at each one and sighed
as I handed them out. I knew that even
if I acquired one, I would never have the
right to wear it. Now as I see that white
beauty with her taunting “Charter
Member” chevron nestled on her
underbelly proudly displayed on
someone’s breast I am reminded of
a simple choice I made that I will
forever regret.
I recall another time that relates to the
late Jim Page, I recall seeing him walking
around at a couple of conferences and
kick myself as I remember stopping short
of walking up and talking with him.
After doing this a couple times I resolved
that I would not do that again and that
the next time I saw him I was going to
talk with him. I thought fate provided
that opportunity when Jim was going to
give our keynote address at Symposia. I
was equally excited to learn he had also
made time to come speak with the
NAEMSE Board of Directors during
their annual board meeting right beforehand. I was so sorry when he died the
day before he was supposed to meet with
us and thought about another opportunity that was lost. I contrast that with the
time that I boldly walked up to one of
our educator icons after a presentation at
my state conference to talk with him
about career opportunities in EMS
education and to seek his advice.
I remain forever grateful to Scott Bourne
for taking those 30 minutes out of his
day to encourage me. Now that I too
have had opportunities to make big
presentations I know how gracious that
was for him and I appreciate it even
more. It can be exhausting emotionally
and physically to do one of these
presentations and sometimes all you
want to do afterward is find a corner and
rest. Over the years I have expressed my
gratitude to him on a couple of occasions
and we both shared a laugh when he
admitted that he had no recollection of
the discussion. I actually never expected
him to remember the exchange as it was
life altering for me — not him, but
I wanted him to know how much it
impacted my willingness to take risks.
Educator Update 1
President’s Perspective
I share some of my life story to try and
convince you of the importance of a final
opportunity for you. We are in the final
round of review and comment for the
Education Standards. Deb Cason and her
team have worked faithfully to ensure the
project is completed by the fall deadline.
This is your final opportunity to give
input and for your voice to be heard.
Not a lot of issues remain contentious at
this point, but there are some things that
will never reach consensus, such as the
number of hours that it should take for
a training program for a specific level.
Rest assured, whether you asked for 100
hours for EMT or 300 hours, your
opinions were noted and your voice was
2 Educator Update
heard. In fact, your message may have
been what was needed to nudge the hours
one way or the other. If you have not
weighed in please do so now. The
opportunity is slipping away.
Of course, there will be future revisions
to the education standards and a time
will come again when you may have the
opportunity to participate. If you were
not part of the writing team in this go
around, maybe you will step forward the
next time we ask for volunteers to help.
Maybe you will even consider raising
your hand when somebody encourages
you to take the risk of running for a
position on the board or asks you to chair
a committee. Or maybe, if you are like
me, you will throw your hat into the
ring even if nobody asked you to, just
because you have a dream. But a golden
opportunity awaits you now. Don’t look
back with regret in September wishing
you had contributed to the process.
Take care of yourself and we will talk
again. Angel can be reached at
[email protected].
The Stickiness Factor
The
Stickiness
Factor
BY HEATHER DAVIS, MS, NREMT-P
UCLA CENTER FOR PREHOSPITAL CARE
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA
W
hat makes the material
stick with students? It’s the
fundamental question we as
educators are constantly striving to
answer. In his book, The Tipping Point,
Malcolm Gladwell describes the concept
of “stickiness” as it relates to learning and
creating behavior change. In this article,
we’ll explore how his research and observations apply to EMS education and how
you can make your
message stick!
Gladwell describes the need for every
message, whether an advertising jingle, a
political slogan, or a sociological theory,
to have a glue that makes the message
stick. Since people (read: students) are
bombarded with a cacophony of background noise, there must be something
about our messages in class that makes
the information
or ideas stick in
our memory. Just
covering the information does not mean
students will remember
it. In fact, you can be
assured that by you lecturing the
information, they will NOT remember
it. Lecturing is the least effective way
to communicate information. Lecturing
is unidirectional; it’s passive; it lacks
interaction, interpretation or feeling most
times. Often, we see students forget up
to 75% of the material that was covered
in class just two days after the lecture!
That means that most of the material
you covered in class tonight will never
benefit a single patient. What a huge,
sad waste of time!
The example Gladwell uses in his book
is that of Sesame Street. In 1969 when
producers of Sesame Street were piloting
their show to preschool children in
Philadelphia, the results were disastrous.
They had followed the advice of child
psychologists who said the show should
not confuse fantasy with reality.
Therefore, the muppets never appeared
in the same scene as the human actors.
Unfortunately, when the muppets went
off the screen, the children did not pay
attention or interact with the TV, which
meant they weren’t learning anything.
The producers saw their attention rise
again when the muppets came back on
the screen. The muppets were the glue!
Sesame Street was saved because the
producers respectively told the
psychologist to bug off! They were
going to mix muppets and humans
and the kids loved it and learned! Isn’t
that the goal?
The first step to preparing a sticky
message is for you, the teacher, to read
the book. No, not the instructor manual.
The textbook. The one you assigned the
students to read. In fact, your mantra
in class should be that “Reading is not
recommended. It is required!” Reinforce
Educator Update 3
The Stickiness Factor
this concept by creating writing
assignments that come from the text, and
including questions directly from the assigned reading on quizzes and exams.
Students quickly figure out that they
must do the reading.
Once you have your students reading,
you now are free from lecturing all of that
material. What? Don’t cover it in class?
Don’t you dare! Time is too valuable.
Instead, spend your class time engaging
students in activities that will glue this
information into memory where it can
be recalled for later use during patient
care. Take the language of medicine for
example. You could spend four hours
lecturing on prefixes, suffixes and Latin
root words. However, they’ll never remember any of those words. It’d be like
your first day in Mexico or Italy trying to
figure out where the bathroom is when
you can’t understand a word of what’s
being said. Instead, think about how engaged students would be in a game of
Pictionary. Assign the students a word or
list of words. Have them use a medical
dictionary to look up the meaning of the
word. Now, instead of just writing it
down, have the students prepare to draw
the meaning of their words, like the game
Pictionary. The physical act of looking up
the word in a medical dictionary begins
to make glue. It is a kinesthetic activity,
teaches them how to be independent to
find answers, and shows them the value
of a resource library. Next, determining a
definition at a level enabling them to
draw it shows at least application of the
information, if not synthesis; both of
which are higher order cognitive
processes than recall alone.
Plus, drawing pictures, guessing and
working in teams is fun for students!
And fun, or emotion, is another important element of the stickiness factor.
4 Educator Update
Since emotions are contagious, good feelings spread in a classroom when students
are having fun. Emotions can provoke
memories, and remembering information
is precisely the goal. Do you remember
the first medical mistake you made?
EMOTIONS PROVOKE MEMORIES,
SO CREATING POSITIVE OR
COMPELLING EMOTIONS
IN CLASS HELP STUDENTS
REMEMBER AND APPLY
THE INFORMATION
I sure do. Turns out, that lidocaine does
eliminate all ventricular activity and is,
indeed, contraindicated in complete heart
blocks. How do I know? I had a patient
in complete heart block whose cardiac
ischemia was causing runs of ventricular
tachycardia. Given my lack of wisdom as
a new paramedic, I focused on the runs
of v-tach, and gave lidocaine. Well, the
lidocaine sure worked! When it left her
with only p-waves, I could clearly see
the complete heart block which
was the underlying rhythm. My
heart sunk into my stomach, not
only for thinking I had killed her,
but also for thinking about the
behind-chewing I would later be
getting from my medical director!
Emotions provoke memories, so
creating positive or compelling
emotions in class help students
remember and apply the information.
Popular media can help you create
glue by providing memorable context for information. For example,
when teaching students about
diphenhydramine, they may
forget whether we use it before
or after epinephrine in an allergic
reaction, and may forget the side effects
since often times learning pharmacology
can be a boring, rote memorization
activity. Give it context by showing a
short clip from the movie “Hitch” where
comedian Will Smith has an allergic
reaction to shellfish and drinks from
the Benedryl bottle like it’s a juice box.
His disfigurement from the swelling is
comical, as is his sleepy, loopy behavior
after administration of the Benedryl.
By making the students laugh, and
creating both a visual and emotional
connection to the material, you can bet
they will not forget the indications or
side effects of that drug!
There are a thousand more ways to make
glue in your classroom and get the most
memory bang for your buck! For more
information about the stickiness factor in
EMS education, contact Heather Davis
at [email protected] or plan to
attend sessions at Symposium 2008 in
St. Louis. See you there!
Legislative Update
Legislative Update
BY JASON ZIGMONT, NREMT-P
NAEMSE AEMS BOARD REPRESENTATIVE
In February, President Bush released
his FY 2009 Budget which proposed
significant cuts in first responder grant
programs within the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS). The FY 2009
President’s Budget proposes $750
million in cuts from the FY 2008 level
for Basic State Formula Grants eliminates
the Metropolitan Medical Response
System and deeply cuts the Firefighter
Assistance Grants.
A new report was issued in February
2008 (backdated February 2007) by
DHS assessing the amount of money that
EMS providers are eligible for, including
the State Homeland Security Grant
Programs, the Fire Grant and the Urban
Area Security Initiative (UASI) programs.
The report, like previous reports issued
by the Department, confirmed that EMS
continues to receive only four percent of
first responder grant funding that EMS is
eligible for at DHS.
The President’s Budget also proposed to
eliminate the Traumatic Brain Injury
Program, the Emergency Medical for
Children Services Program and the Preventive Health and Health Services Block
Grant within the Department of Health
and Human Services. Another program
that does not receive any funding in the
President’s Budget is the Trauma Systems
Planning and Development Act that was
just reauthorized in 2007. The program
provides grants to states to help develop
their trauma response plans.
The House and Senate Budget and
Appropriations Committees are now
holding hearings on the budget proposals
and will continue to do so through
April. Advocates members and member
organizations have been meeting with
their Congressional delegation members
in support of funding for programs that
are priorities for them.
Advocates priorities for calendar year
2008 and fiscal year 2009 include:
• Funding for the National Emergency
Medical Services Information
System at NHTSA (NEMSIS)
• Increased first responder funding at
the Department of Homeland
Security for EMS providers
• Support and passage of H.R. 3822,
legislation that would include
among individuals eligible for
public safety officers' death benefits
nongovernmental employees and
volunteers of a fire department,
ground or air ambulance service,
or first responder or rescue squad
that is licensed or recognized by a
state or local government who
perform official duties serving the
public in fire suppression, rescue,
or emergency medical and
ambulance services. The measure
has not yet been introduced in the
Senate but Advocates members and
member organizations are shoring
up Senate sponsors of the
legislation.
On March 11, the House Energy &
Commerce Subcommittee on Health
approved H.R. 2464, the Wakefield Act,
and a bill to reauthorize the Emergency
Medical Services for Children (EMSC)
program. This vote is a critical first step
toward enactment of the bill. H.R. 2464
now moves on to consideration by the
full committee, hopefully in April, and
thence to an expedited vote on the
House floor.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor
and Pensions Committee passed Stroke
Treatment and Ongoing Prevention
(STOP Stroke) Act (S. 999) approved by
the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions on March 13. This
vital legislation will help ensure that
stroke is more widely recognized by the
public and treated more effectively by
health care providers. The legislation will
help raise public awareness about stroke
provide critical resources to implement
stroke care systems that improve the
prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation
of stroke; establish a clearinghouse to
collect data and share best practices; and
offer medical professional development
programs in new stroke therapies.
The bill will move to the full Senate
for further consideration.
On March 27th, Advocates for EMS held
its first EMS Policy Summit, a featured
session at the EMS Today Conference in
Baltimore. The purpose of the session is
to get everyday EMS providers to interact
with representatives from various federal
agencies that are involved with EMS issues. The keynote speaker was Dr. Jeff
Educator Update 5
Legislative Update
Runge, Assistant Secretary and Chief
Medical Officer at the Department of
Homeland Security’s Office of Health
Affairs. Following a session on the
importance of advocacy, a roundtable
discussion featuring federal partners was
held then to discuss how the policies
and regulations at the federal level affect
the everyday street provider. Those
participating in the event included
Dr. Rick Hunt, Director, Division of
Injury Response National Center for
Injury Prevention and Control, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention,
Capt. Dan Kavanaugh, MSW, LCSW-C,
Senior Program Manager, MCHB
Emergency Medical Services for Children
Program, Health Resources and Services
Administration, Dr. David Marcozzi,
Director, Emergency Care Coordination
Center, Office of Preparedness and
Emergency Operations, Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and
Response, Dr. Jon Krohmer, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Office
of Health Affairs, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, John Brasko,
EMS/Safety and Health Training
Specialist, U.S. Fire Administration and
Drew Dawson, Director, Office of EMS,
National Highway and Transportation
Safety Administration.
Suggestions were provided by the
audience on how those at the federal level
could communicate in a more effective
manner with EMS providers. The event
was a huge success. A great deal of
information and ideas were exchanged
between our federal partners and those
who attended the session. Advocates
looks forward to hosting the 2nd annual
EMS Policy Summit next year!
The Senate is currently putting together
a small Medicare package that will
contain a physician fee schedule fix and
extend a few smaller payments extensions
or reforms that are due to be eliminated
or cut. A package will need to be
completed by the end of June or a cut
in physician reimbursement rates go
into effect.
Finally, the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) has
officially launched www.ems.gov. Check
out their website and get the latest
information on what is happening at the
federal level with EMS issues, the Federal
Interagency Committee on EMS, EMS
education issues, workforce issues,
among other items.
Live Life. Give Life.
The decision to become an organ donor is a deeply personal one
but consider this: despite continuing advances in medicine and
technology, the demand for organs is vastly greater than the
number of organ donors.
The other is to register as on organ donor. It is very easy to
become a designated donor. Just visit www.organdonor.gov.
In less than two minutes, you can register as a designated donor
and ultimately save lives!
Organ donation is all about LIFE. When you donate your
organs you give someone the most precious gift — a chance to
live. Transplants provide hope for over 98,000 people with
organ failure. Your commitment to organ and tissue donation
can save lives. One of the most important parts of deciding to
be a donor is telling your family. And that doesn’t mean talking
about death. It is talking about the opportunity to give another
person a second chance at life.
For more information and to get the facts about organ
donation, please visit www.core.org or call 1-800-DONORS-7.
6 Educator Update
NAEMSE Announces…
NAEMSE Announces New Member Benefit
CentreLearn to Provide Learning Management System Support
for NAEMSE Online Education Programs
National Association of EMS Educators Will Expand
Distributed Education Offerings Through
CentreLearn Platform
ABOUT NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EMS EDUCATORS
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and founded
in 1995 as a professional non-profit association, NAEMSE
with approximately 2,500 members offers educational
resources to EMS Educators. NAEMSE’s mission is to
inspire excellence in EMS education and lifelong learning.
For more, visit www.naemse.org or call 412-920-4775.
The National Association of Emergency Medical Service
Educators and CentreLearn Solutions, LLC, announced today
that they will work together to provide online continuing
education programs for NAEMSE members.
“NAEMSE has been a leader in promoting the use of
distributed education in the EMS industry, and we’re honored
to have the opportunity to serve as the association’s learning
management technology provider,” said James Eastham, Sc.D.,
CEO of CentreLearn.
ABOUT CENTRELEARN SOLUTIONS, LLC
Based in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, CentreLearn offers
full-service Internet training and distribution solutions
to emergency services organizations of all sizes.
Organizational clients have unlimited access to online
educational programs and the ability to customize
content production, as well as track user progress and
access one of the industry’s most powerful suites of
learning management tools. For more information, visit
www.centrelearn.com or call 877-435-9309.
“NAEMSE’s agreement with CentreLearn demonstrates our
belief in the power of the Internet as a learning and teaching
tool for EMS educators, students and field providers,” said
Angel Burba, President of NAEMSE.
“NAEMSE will provide all members with a free course as a
membership benefit,” Burba added. The course credit can also
be applied toward the cost of an annual subscription to
CentreLearn’s extensive library of CECBEMS-approved online
CE courses. Members will access the NAEMSE and CentreLearn online education programs directly from the NAEMSE
website, www.naemse.org. They will also be able to sign their
organizations up for group membership in the NAEMSE LMS,
and will have the additional option of setting up a private
CentreLearn LMS affiliated with NAEMSE for their
organizations, allowing access to NAEMSE educational
programs within their own LMS. For more information,
visit www.naemse.org or www.centrelearn.com.
Educator Update 7
Communiqué #10
National EMS Education Standards Communiqué #10
NATI ONAL EMS EDU CATIO N STANDARDS
IN S TRU CT O R G U ID E L IN E S
On behalf of the National Association of EMS Educators
(NAEMSE), the National EMS Education Standards Project
Team is pleased to present Draft 3.0 of the National EMS
Education Standards (the Standards) for your review and
comment. Although NAEMSE is leading this task, the
Standards will be a product of the national EMS community.
The third drafts of the Instructional Guidelines (IG) are not
ready to be released for comment. The IG will continue to be
revised based on draft 3.0 of the Education Standards and the
comments received on Draft 2.0 and will be released for
comments in the summer of 2008. The Project Team
developed Instructional Guidelines to aid instructors, EMS
education programs, and publishers.
The first draft (Draft 1.0) of the Standards served as a starting
point for dialogue with the national EMS community and
Draft 2.0 was based on the input received from the national
EMS community. Draft 3.0 is based on additional input from
the national EMS community as well as a National Stakeholders
Meeting held in February, 2008. During the Stakeholders
Meeting, consensus was reached on the necessary changes
for draft 3.0
Please review Draft 3.0 of the Standards and continue to share
your comments, suggestions, and observations with the project
team so we can further refine and improve the documents.
The final National EMS Education Standards will be most
successful when they reflect the broadest possible consensus
of the national EMS community.
Draft 3.0 of the Standards for all four levels of EMS
personnel – Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency
Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT (AEMT), and
Paramedic – are available to download and to provide your
comments at: www.nemses.org. All comments on Draft 3.0
of the Standards will be submitted to the Project Team and
considered for incorporation into the drafts. We will accept
comments on this draft through the end of May, 2008.
The final draft will be delivered to NHTSA in August or
September, 2008.
8 Educator Update
N E X T S TE P S
The Project Team will:
• Continue to revise and update the final drafts of the Standards
• Depend on your continued feedback to improve the Standards
and related IG
• Present final drafts of the Standards and related IG to
NHTSA in September 2008
Educator Update 9
NAEMSE Member NEWS
SPOT LIGHT ON
Kris Kaull
Full na me : Krisendath (Kris) Kaull, B.S., NREMT-P,
CCEMT-P
patient or family member of someone I have treated.
Many times I feel like the best care I give is holding a hand
or covering them up with a warm blanket.
Hom etown :Bozeman, Montana
O rga niza tion/ Work Pla ce : Just one? Isn't it mandatory
to meddle in a number of disciplines while working in
EMS? I am an online director for EMS initiatives with the
San Francisco-based Praetorian Group. I pick up part-time
paramedic shifts for our local ambulance service, and teach
for the Montana State University EMT-Basic program.
Job titl e: Online Director, EMS
Job s cop e: Fulltime. I lead Praetorian Group’s online
EMS initiatives, including EMS1 and its sub-sites ParamedicTV.com, Paramedic.com and EMSGrantsHelp.com.
I oversee all aspects of daily site operations, with an
additional focus on company-wide online growth initiatives
and internet collaborative functionality.
Ha rde st j ob as pe c t: Balancing the demanding and
dynamic changes of the Internet while focusing on the most
important aspect of 'why I do what I do' — supporting field
crews who provide great medicine.
Most rewardin g j ob: Each job is rewarding in its own
way; it’s hard to decide. However, I'd have to say that there
is nothing that compares to the appreciative look of a
10 Educator Update
R ea son you j oin ed NAEMSE : Networking. Power in
numbers. Education. A united voice. The list goes on.
I live in Montana with limited resources and local
connections. Reaching out to others, regardless of
geographic location, is critical.
Ac ti viti es : : Hangin' out with my rock star family
(Mitzi - my beautiful wife, Hannah – 6-year-old firecracker,
and Ethan – 5-year-old superhero), cold beer and BBQs
with friends, travel, golf, and outdoor activities.
Pe rsonal hobbi es : Skiing, climbing, technology, EMS
(Rural ALS), firefighting (Fire Operations and Leadership
Training), cooking (Food, Beer, & Wine), public speaking.
W ho would pla y you in a movie : Patrick Dempsey
(Dr. McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy). Why? 'Cause he
makes my wife's heart skip a beat and I can use all the help
I can get!
O ne thin g you r fr id ge is never without:
The typical...but my wife works at our local brewing
company in their quaint tasting room, so the fridge always
has the latest microbrew.
NAEMSE Member NEWS
NAEMSE Membership News
Congratulations to Terry DeVito, Ed.D, RN, EMT-P, M.ED, NAEMSE
Board of Director on the successful completion of her Ed.D! Terry
received her doctorate from the University of Hartford, West Hartford,
CT. The title of her research: A study of the Teaching Strategies of
Paramedic Educators as They Relate to Models of Adult Education.
Terry is the current Chair, of the Division of Health Careers Coordinator,
Paramedic Program, Capital Community College, Hartford, CT.
2008 NAEMSE Heroes Award—
Sponsored by Delmar Cengage
NOMIN ATIONS N OW BEING ACCEPTED
Special thanks to NAEMSE Corporate Partner Delmar
Cengage, who has generously donated the funds again
to make this award possible. The purpose of the award
is to recognize those unsung men and women who
serve our profession each and every day with a
commitment to excellence and reflect the very best
characteristics of our profession in and out of the
classroom. Nominations may be made by any member
in the EMS profession except for those members
serving on the NAEMSE Heroes Committee.
Nominees must have taught for a minimum of 7 years
and be in good standing with all state, national and
international regulatory bodies within the EMS
profession. For more information please visit
www.naemse.org.
Educator Update 11
EXCEPTIONAL LEARNING
FOR EM S E DU CAT OR S
THE NAEMSE INSTRUCTOR COURSE
Modules developed from the DOT/NHTSA
2002 National Guidelines
Provides a basic introduction of educational concepts
Provides tools and resources for the EMS Instructor
An interactive course that encourages professional growth
P ROGRAM INFORMATION,
COURSE UPDAT ES,
AND REGIST RATION
www.naemse.org
(412) 920-4775
official publication of the national association of ems educators
Spring 2008
providing a voice for EMS Educators
In this Issue
Basecamp for Project
Management ..............................14
Blogs.............................................15
Podcasting .................................. 16
Virtual Office Hours................... 17
Wikis and their use
in Instruction............................... 18
Blackboard................................. 19
A special thank you to the Distributive
Learning Committee for such
informative articles in this issue.
NAEMSE Mission
To inspire excellence in EMS education
and lifelong learning.
www.naemse.org
13
Greg Friese, MS, NREMT-P,
WEMT, is President of
Emergency Preparedness Systems
LLC. EPS helps clients create,
design, distribute, and facilitate
rapid e-learning for emergency
responders. Greg is also a
paramedic, Wilderness Medical
Associates lead instructor,
conference speaker and EMS
author. Contact him at
[email protected].
Basecamp: An Internet Based Project
Management Tool Suitable
For E-learning Production
BY GREG FRIESE, MS, NREMT-P, WEMT
PRESIDENT, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS SYSTEMS, PLOVER, WI
I graduated from college before the group work wave crashed through higher education.
Yet, group work is an inescapable reality of business and education. Designing and producing rapid e-learning programs for emergency responders often requires extensive group
work to shepherd a lesson from concept to learning management system deployment.
We use Basecamp (www.basecamphq.com), an elegant web based project management
tool, from 37signals.com for our rapid e-learning projects. Team members can access our
Basecamp site from any computer that has an internet connection. After logging team
members use the “dashboard” to see updates on current projects, upcoming milestones,
and recent project activity.
Our e-learning production team is geographically distributed across North America.
One lesson might involve a technical writer in Colorado, an editor and EMS reviewer in
Wisconsin, a graphic designer in New York, a voice talent in Nova Scotia, and a flash
conversion producer in Pennsylvania. Each member is assigned a specific set of tasks to
be achieved by milestone dates that are set when lesson production begins. Managing
assignment and completion of tasks, transfer of electronic files, messaging between team
members, and achieving milestone dates has become a major responsibility for the
project manager.
Basecamp features include a to-do tab, milestone tab, message tab, files tab, and
writeboard tab. Our team uses the files tab to transfer PowerPoint files, reference
documents, and images for the lesson. Files can be marked as private and thus restricted
to specific team members. We find it especially useful to be able to upload multiple files
at once. Each lesson is assigned a to-do list using a reproducible template. As tasks are
completed team members check off the task. The project manager can then review when
tasks were completed and by whom.
Visit www.basecamphq.com for a flash video tour of Basecamp features or to sign-up your
organization for a free account. If you e-learning program requires multiple projects, there
is a reasonable monthly fee that is based on the number of projects and available file
uploading space.
Other EMS education uses for Basecamp might include:
• A paramedic class project
• Accomplishment of clinical skills
• Co-presenters preparing a conference presentation
14
Blogs and Their Use in Education
BY MICHAEL J. FRITH, MS, EMT-P
TEAL INSTITUTE, CONCORD, CA
Blogs and blogging have become a part of everyday life. You can find them all over the
Internet. Most news and sport sites use them to provide commentary on a particular
topic. They give an individual the ability to express themselves online while allowing
others to respond back with this interaction generally being viewed by others. BBS
(Bulletin Board Services) and New groups are considered the predecessors to the blog.
Most blogs today are a combination of text, images and links. According to
Wikipedia, blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 112 million blogs
as of December 2007.
They have several uses by teachers. One of the earliest applications is its use as an online
journal. Students write an entry that highlights their activities and/or their thoughts
about a particular topic. Educators could use blogs as a class web space where announcements are posted, links to various content related resources on the Internet, and to
organize class discussions that take place online. They can also be set-up as private
personal spaces, reserved for students’ thoughts and teacher guidance.
Blogs are available in several different ways. Some course management systems, such as
Moodle, have them integrated into the software. There are blog hosting services, such as
Blooger and LiveJournal, which are set-up for immediate use and range in cost starting
from free. Another option, if you have the right web hosting plan, is you can install one
of several blogging programs. Examples of these are bEvolution and WordPress.
Blogs are popular, in both the educational community and the Internet at large, because
of their ease of use. Mireille Guay, an instructor at St-Joseph in Quebec, provides an
excellent summary of the use of blogs: "The conversation possible on the weblog is also
an amazing tool to develop our community of learners. The students get to know each
other better by visiting and reading blogs from other students. They discover, in
a non-threatening way, their similarities and differences. The student who usually talks
very loud in the classroom and the student who is very timid have the same writing
space to voice their opinion. It puts students in a situation of equity." (p. 18, Downes)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Blog: From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. Retrieved on
April 20, 2008, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog.
Downes, Stephen (2004).
Educational Blogging [Electronic
version], EDUCAUSE Review,
vol. 39, no. 5 (September/
October 2004): 14 – 26.
Pembina Trails School Division,
Winnipeg, Canada (n.d.).
Uses of Blogs in Education.
Retrieved on April 20, 2008 from
http://www.pembinatrails.ca/
program/technology/uses_of_
blogs_in_education.htm.
15
If you would like more
information on audio
Podcasting, please contact me
at [email protected]
Podcasting
BY ROB THERIAULT
GEORGIAN COLLEGE, ONTARIO, CANADA
When I first told my colleagues I was thinking of doing audio recordings of my classes,
or Podcasts, the skeptics countered with the argument that my students would stop
coming to class because they could just listen to the recordings. Or worse, they would
sell my intellectual property online! I must confess that I wondered if my classes were
sufficiently engaging to keep the seats filled with eager learners despite the easy alternative
of downloading the podcasts and plugging me into the latest MP3 player. As it turns out,
the concerns of my colleagues and my own skepticism was unfounded.
When I started audio podcasting two years ago, not only did class attendance remain
static, but my hopes that students would benefit from re-learning came to fruition.
Students came to class armed with answers and had formulated some brilliant critical
thinking questions, the likes of which I didn’t hear often before I started Podcasting.
I remember one student in particular who was quiet and sat at the back of the class.
Mid way through the semester we had a reading week and when he returned he began
participating in class like never before and his answers were textbook perfect. When
I asked him if he had spent a lot of time during the week studying, his response was
“no, not exactly”. It turns out that he worked at a factory for the week to earn a little
extra money and while working he listened to the podcasts every day. This is when
I knew I was onto something good.
Some educators refer to Podcasting as “mobile learning” or m-learning. Students can
download podcasts (audio or video) onto any digital media player and can listen and/or
watch it whenever, wherever and as often as they wish. Pedagogically, students achieve
mastery of knowledge and arguably comprehension through repetition. Podcasting
facilitates the repetitive learning process. This is a necessary step before they can move
to higher levels of thinking.
There are numerous ways to create audio podcasts. Currently I am using a wireless
earpiece & microphone and recording software that I downloaded for free from the
Internet which allows me to edit the podcasts.
16
Virtual Office Hours
BY ROB THERIAULT
GEORGIAN COLLEGE, ONTARIO, CANADA
Call me a scrooge with my time, but I like to set fixed office hours to meet with my
students. Otherwise I find they drop in to see me for some of the most trivial issues
and then stay to chat for much longer than it took to answer their question. Don’t get
me wrong, I care very deeply about my students and their education, but they will
innocently, or not-so-innocently monopolize your time and leave you far behind
on your other work – the work you need to do to help them learn.
If you would like more
information on virtual office
hours, please contact me.
[email protected]
I tell my students up front what days of the week and times of the day I will be available
and that they will need to book an appointment to see me. If they decide to drop in
spontaneously during my office hours I am equally happy to help them, but they know
up front that I might be busy with someone else. If they drop by any other time they are
out of luck. That’s the rule and even the millennium students appreciate and respect
the boundaries.
Notwithstanding the rules, I also appreciate that students get stuck trying to untangle a
concept or need clarity on one thing before they can move on to the next. This calls for
a more immediate response and although they know that they have to do the research
themselves, they might still need help in the moment.
This is where the concept of virtual office hours came to me. I asked around my college
to see if anyone else was doing it and was met with “are you crazy?” Not easily deterred
when I’m inspired, I did some more searching and learned that professors in other
colleges were using virtual office hours with varying degrees of success and/or failure.
Since I try to view failure as an obstacle rather than an impediment, I was determined
to see if I could make this work.
To my surprise and delight, holding office hours live online has put me in contact with
more students then I had previously seen in my office, and paradoxically, reduced my
overall office hours. I still maintain office hours, but now instead of coming into my
office with a one minute question and staying for a twenty minute conversation, students
text message me using a free online text message system, they get their answer and then
disappear. Sometimes a student will be sitting in the library with five or six other
classmates and will send off a question to settle a debate. The students love it!
To take virtual office hours a step further, I was able to find a free webcasting platform
that enabled me to bring up slides and images and have the students talk with me using
voice over IP (VOIP) and interact on a white board using text and drawing tools. It’s an
auditory, visual and experiential teaching tool that’s remarkably engaging. Now when a
student sends me a text message with a question that requires a more visual explanation,
I send them the URL to the webcasting platform where we can talk, text, draw or look
at visual teaching aids.
17
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wiki: from Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. Retrieved on
April 20, 2008, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Wiki.
Lamb, Brian (2004). Wide Open
Spaces: Wikis Ready or Not
[Electronic version],
EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 39,
no. 5 (September/October 2004):
36 – 48.
Mader, Stewart (2006, October
24). Ways to Use Wiki in
Education in S. Mader (Ed.),
Using Wiki in Education.
Retrieved on April 20, 2008 from
http://www.wikiineducation.com
/display/ikiw/Ways+to+use+wiki
+in+education.
Wikis and Their use in Instruction
BY MICHAEL J. FRITH, MS, EMT-P
TEAL INSTITUTE, CONCORD, CA
A wiki is a program that allows individuals to collaboratively create, edit, link, and
organize the content of a website. It is possible to edit/update the wiki quickly and easily.
Hence the name "Wiki" is derived from the Hawaiian term meaning "hurry” or “quick".
It has been suggested that "wiki" means, "What I Know Is." However, this is a
backronym. Wikipedia is one of the best known wikis. But Google docs are another
example. There are several uses for wikis in education.
Often groups collaborate on a document by "pushing" it out to each member – emailing
a file that each person edits on his or her computer, and some attempt is made to
coordinate the edits so everyone's work is equally represented. But what happens when
two people think of the same idea and include it in different ways in their respective
copies of the file, or when one group member misses an agreed upon time to finish their
changes and pass on the file to the next member? Who decides what to do? Using a wiki
"pulls" the group members together to build and edit the document on a wiki page,
which strengthens the community within the group, allows group members with
overlapping or similar ideas to see and collaboratively build on each other's work.
It also allows all group members immediate, equal access to the most recent version
of the document. These documents can be in the form of webpage, word processing
document, presentation, or spreadsheet.
Wikis are available in several different ways. Some course management systems, such as
Moodle, have them integrated into the software. There are wiki hosting services that are
set-up for immediate use and range in cost. Another option, if you have the right web
hosting plan, is you can install one of several wiki programs. Examples of these are
Phpwiki and TikiWiki.
In 1999, the World Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee in a talk at the 35th anniversary
celebration of the MIT Laboratory of Computer Science stated, “I wanted the Web to be
what I call an interactive space where everyone can edit.” (p.37, Lamb) Wikis fit that
vision. They are easy to use and promote collaboration in the education setting.
18
Blackboard
BY SANDRA K. EUSTICE, EMS IC, DEPARTMENT CHAIR
CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE, EAU CLAIRE, WI
When you hear the word “blackboard”, do you still think about white chalk and dusty
erasers? If so, read on to get a little different perspective!
In today’s academic world, the term Blackboard quite often refers to a learning
management system (LMS) that affords students the option to participate in flexible
learning opportunities while seated at home in front of their computers or while on the
road when traveling for their jobs. Learners can now be away from the typical campus
environment as they continue their education.
If you’re a bit intrigued about this
system and want to see more, take
the opportunity to view a sample
of Blackboard. You can access a
“test drive” by going to
http://www.cvtc.edu/pages/
393.asp. It’s time to throw away
that chalk!
There are numerous features in Blackboard. You’ll be able to place assignments within
the system and to have students complete these or quizzes and exams on-line. Grades are
posted for students in the “Gradebook” with the system continually calculating the course
average –a nice feature for the educator when midterm and final grades are due!
An early warning system can be utilized to add “rules” to notify your
students if criteria have not been met.
The “Discussion Board” provides the opportunity
for students to post a brief bio about themselves
at the beginning of the course (what a great way
to start developing a sense of community in your
classroom!) or to express their own thoughts
regarding a question the educator may have
posted for the class. Students are also able
and encouraged to respond to their
classmates’ opinions.
Learners can now be away from
the typical campus
environment as they continue
their education.
19
providing a voice for EMS Educators
Domain3 Submission Criteria
Domain3 is the official publication of the National Association of EMS
Educators. Domain3 publishes articles of interest to its membership persons involved in the training/education of EMTs, Paramedics,
Basic Life Support, and Emergency Care.
Unsolicited submissions are welcomed. Members of the NAEMSE
publications committee review manuscripts. Acceptance of the
manuscript for publication is contingent upon completion of the
editing process.
Manuscripts should be formatted as MS Word 97 documents and mailed
on IBM-formatted disk or submitted by email to [email protected].
Disks should be mailed to the NAEMSE Office: 681 Andersen Drive,
Foster Plaza 6, Pittsburgh, PA 15220. Direct telephone
inquires to (412) 920.4775 or fax inquiries to (412) 920.4780.
Please submit a cover letter with each manuscript with the following
information: author(s) name, credentials, title, and affiliation. A title
letter should also be sent with the manuscript disclosing any
commercial associations that could pose a potential conflict
of interest. Additionally, the following written statement, signed by
each author: "The undersigned author(s) assigns ownership of the
article entitled <Title of Manuscript> to the National Association of
Emergency Medical Services Educators (NAEMSE)."The manuscript will
become the property of NAEMSE and may not be published without
the written permission of an authorized representative of that
organization.
All inquiries about publication in Domain3 should be directed to the
Editor/Chair of the Publications Committee or to the Executive
Director/Assistant Editor. Publication of manuscripts will be at the
discretion of the publications committee and their
board representative.
If you have an idea brewing that you'd like to submit, please either call
or email us and we would be happy to discuss it with you; new
authors are always encouraged (and
very welcome).
— Publication Committee
The Family Rights…
The Family Rights and Privacy Act: 7 Myths — and the Truth
BY STEVEN J. MCDONALD, JD, RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN
An extraordinary amount of the national discussion since the
shootings at Virginia Tech a year ago has focused on the role
that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA,
the federal statute governing the privacy of student records,
played in that tragedy. What that discussion has revealed most
notably is that, although colleges have been subject to FERPA
for more than 30 years, and although few if any statutes have
such wide-reaching, everyday application on our campuses,
most of us still don't know much about it. In a way, FERPA is
the Rodney Dangerfield of statutes: While there is a great deal
to it, it just doesn't get much respect.
In an effort to bring about greater clarity, the Family Policy
Compliance Office, the office within the Education
Department that oversees and enforces FERPA, recently
proposed the first major amendments to the regulations since
2000. For the most part, those amendments would simply
codify and reinforce existing guidance. In a few circumstances,
they would actually expand our already considerable discretion
to disclose student records and information. But even those
amendments will do no good unless we begin to pay attention
to FERPA and dispel a number of all-too-common myths about
it that continue to get in the way of our doing the right thing
for our students. Those myths include:
1 . F ER PA ap pl ie s to all i nfo rma ti on ab out our studen ts.
In fact, FERPA governs the disclosure only of "records" and
information from "records," not information generally. Personal
knowledge is not subject to FERPA, and its disclosure is
therefore not prohibited by FERPA — even if it also happens
to be recorded.
Thus, for example, a professor who observes a student behaving
oddly in a classroom, a resident assistant who notices a
disturbing change in a student's temperament, or an adviser
who sees a student become increasingly withdrawn and
uncommunicative is free, as far as FERPA is concerned, to raise
the concern with others — and should do so. We do neither the
student nor ourselves a favor if we don't try to reach out and
deal with such situations when we still have the opportunity.
Ordinarily, if circumstances allow, it is preferable to raise such
concerns first with those trained to evaluate and deal with them,
such as campus mental-health professionals, campus police, or
appropriate student-affairs officials. When the situation appears
to be urgent, however, it is both appropriate and permissible to
disclose the concern as broadly as seems necessary.
2 . FER PA makes i t virtually imp ossi bl e to d isclo se
any thi ng to a nyon e. The statute does apply broadly to
almost all recorded student information in our possession, but,
even so, it still offers us considerable leeway.
First, it exempts entirely from its coverage several categories
of records, including, most significantly, "law-enforcement
records." Records that are created by a campus's law-enforcement unit — be it commissioned police or noncommissioned
security — at least in part for law-enforcement purposes and
that are maintained by that unit may, under FERPA, be freely
shared with anyone for any reason. It makes no difference
whether the creation of those records was also motivated by
internal disciplinary or other reasons or whether they are shared
with others on the campus for their own use. The copies of any
such records that are shared with other offices do become
subject to FERPA, but the originals in the law-enforcement
unit's possession remain entirely free of FERPA's restrictions.
In addition, FERPA offers no fewer than 15 exceptions to its
general prohibition on the disclosure of student records and the
information they contain (see list on following page), and a
16th exception has been proposed.
Finally, FERPA also allows us to disclose records that have been
thoroughly "anonymized," or scrubbed of personally identifiable information, and we are always free to disclose any student
record with the student's consent.
At the same time, FERPA also never compels us to use any of
that leeway. Rather, it gives us discretion to do so under the
specified circumstances if we deem it appropriate — and
therefore requires us to make a decision, a situation that can
lead to paralysis. But if we choose not to disclose student
information when we would be permitted to do so, whether
for legitimate policy reasons or by default, we should not use
FERPA as an excuse and thereby perpetuate this unfortunate
and potentially harmful myth.
Educator Update 21
The Family Rights…
MYTH
3 . F ER PA prohi bi ts us fro m sharin g any stude nt
i nforma tio n wi th p are nt s unless st ud ent s spec i f i call y
con sen t. As useful as such a "rule" might be in this age of
the permitted disclosures except the one for "directory
information."
attack-helicopter parents, and while we are free to adopt it as a
policy matter if we so wish, we are not compelled to do so by
the statute. Primary control over a student's records does shift
from the parents to the student when the student enrolls in
college, even if the student is still a minor, but primary control
is not the same as total control. Institutions can disclose student
information to parents under any number of circumstances.
4 . We can 't rely on the "heal th o r safety emergen cy"
exce pti o n i f the re' s any uncerta in ty a t all abo ut
whet her we' re fac in g i mmin en t cat astro phe. The many
Among the circumstances:
• If either parent claims the student as a federal tax dependent,
the institution may, with confirmation of that status, disclose
any and all information it has about the student to both
parents, regardless of the student's age or whether there
is an emergency.
• If the student is under 21, the institution may inform the
student's parents of any violations of its alcohol or drug
policies, regardless of whether the student is a tax dependent
or whether there is an emergency.
• If the institution reasonably believes that there is a health or
safety emergency involving the student, the institution may
alert the student's parents and seek their assistance, regardless
of the student's age or whether the student is a tax dependent.
Moreover, we can make such disclosures even if the student has
asked us not to. FERPA doesn't give students a veto over any of
22 Educator Update
reviews and reports after Virginia Tech found the greatest
confusion about, and resulting fear of, the FERPA exception
for disclosures to "appropriate persons" in connection with an
"emergency" involving the "health or safety of the student or
other persons." Much of that confusion and fear, it seems, can
be traced to the regulation's statement that each of those terms
must be "strictly construed." Additional guidance, intended to
head off backlash against foreign students after September 11,
2001, indicates that the "danger" used to justify invocation of
the exception must be both "serious" and "imminent."
To be sure, FERPA is a privacy statute, and we certainly must
acknowledge our students' legitimate interest in maintaining
their privacy, but FERPA does not make that interest an
absolute, unassailable priority. Nor does FERPA require that the
situation at hand be a "red level" crisis, that only the intended
disclosure will avert it, and that we be absolutely sure of both
those conditions before proceeding.
Rather, FERPA recognizes that decisions about when emergency
disclosure is needed and what disclosure is appropriate must
often be made in the heat of the moment, before all of the facts
The Family Rights…
are, or could possibly be, known. In other guidance, the Family
Policy Compliance Office has expressly stated that it will not
fault good-faith decisions in that regard even if they turn out,
in hindsight, to have been wrong: "This office will not substitute its judgment for what constitutes a true threat or emergency unless the determination appears manifestly unreasonable
or irrational."
The reality, then, is that there is little to worry about when
relying on the health-or-safety-emergency exception. But to
make that point even clearer, the compliance office has just
proposed to amend the regulation by eliminating the "strictly
construed" provision and replacing it with a codification of its
previous guidance. Those changes, the compliance office states,
are intended to underscore that colleges have far "greater
flexibility and deference" than we may have realized to "bring
appropriate resources to bear on a circumstance that threatens
the health or safety of individuals." We should not hesitate
to take advantage of that flexibility and deference when it
reasonably appears to be in the best interest of our students
and institution that we do so.
5 . B ot h FER PA and HIPAA, the Healt h In suran ce
Po rt abil it y an d Accoun tabil it y Ac t , prohibit the
di sclo sure o f studen t medi cal reco rd s to anyo ne .
FERPA's handling of student medical records and its "Alphonse
and Gaston" interplay with HIPAA are, without question,
counter-intuitive and difficult to understand at first look.
To begin, HIPAA expressly excludes from the coverage of its
privacy provisions any records that are subject to FERPA.
FERPA in turn provides that "treatment records" — records
created by medical professionals in the course of treating a
student — are not subject to FERPA. Back to HIPAA, which
nevertheless excludes "treatment records" as well.
But there's a hitch: Such records are exempt from FERPA's
restrictions only as long as they are not shared with anyone
other than those involved in providing the treatment. To the
extent they are shared with anyone else, they are subject to the
same disclosure restrictions under FERPA as any other student
records. (Other medically related student records that do not
involve "treatment," such as disability-accommodation records
or immunization verifications, are always subject to FERPA and
its general restrictions, and not to HIPAA.)
The reason for that convoluted, backhanded definition is not
that Congress wanted student medical records to go wholly
unprotected, but, rather, that it didn't want them to be subject
to students' near-absolute right under FERPA to "inspect and
review" their own records. As long as such records remain in
this FERPA-HIPAA limbo, they are subject instead only to the
typically more-limited state rules concerning when patients may
access their own medical records.
The net result is that medically related student records —
whether "treatment" records or not — are never subject to
HIPAA's privacy provisions, are always (really) subject to
FERPA, and are, for all practical purposes, treated no differently
under FERPA than any other student records.
Campus medical professionals continue to be bound as well
by whatever limits are imposed upon them by applicable state
medical-confidentiality laws, but even those laws generally
allow consultation with other medical professionals involved
in treating the student, whether on or off the campus, and
appropriate disclosures when deemed necessary to avert a
serious threat to the health or safety of the student or others.
Moreover, others on the campus who may have access to
medically related student records generally are not subject to
such state laws. They remain free to disclose those records
to other college officials with a job-related need to know, in
response to a health or safety emergency, to parents of a
dependent student, in compliance with a subpoena, or in any of
the other ways that FERPA allows student records to be disclosed.
6 . T he conse que nces o f vi ol at in g FE R PA are
devastat in g, so t he safest co urse i s to di scl ose
nothin g. It is true that withholding student information is,
almost always, "safe," at least as far as FERPA is concerned.
At the college level, the only person who ever has a legally
enforceable right under FERPA to know what is in a student's
records is the student. All of the exceptions that permit broader
disclosure are entirely discretionary, so there is no legal
consequence under FERPA in choosing not to disclose.
Disclosing student-record information is, however, almost
equally safe as far as FERPA is concerned. In the 2002 case
Gonzaga University v. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court held that
there is no private right of action under FERPA. As a result, we
Educator Update 23
The Family Rights…
cannot be sued by aggrieved students or others even if we stray
over the line of permissible disclosure. Their only recourse is to
file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office.
Moreover, while the enforcement tools in that office's arsenal
are theoretically severe — potentially including the termination
of federal support — FERPA imposes no penalty whatever for
making a single, honest mistake. Rather, it reserves its consequences only for institutions that have a "policy or practice" of
violating its provisions. Even then sanctions may be imposed
"only if … compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means"
— in other words, only if an institution engages in repeated,
intentional violations. In the 34 years since FERPA's enactment,
the compliance office has reviewed hundreds of complaints, and
has found numerous violations, but has never once terminated
even a single penny of federal money.
Instead of trying to
“fix ” FERPA, we should give
it the respect it is due
by learning what it
actually provides
Nevertheless, FERPA's "nuclear option" is frequently cited to
limit or deny disclosure of student information, usually out of
unwarranted fear of liability — and occasionally in an effort to
cut off an opponent's policy argument in favor of disclosure.
Instead of fretting about that extraordinarily remote threat, we
should focus our discussions and decisions about disclosure on
what is best for our students, secure in the knowledge that
FERPA gives us considerable room to do so.
7 . F ER PA i s serio usl y b roken and ne eds to b e f ixed.
T ha t i s p erhaps t he bigg est my th o f all. There is no
question that FERPA can be frustrating and even paralyzing. Its
numerous provisions can be confusing, simply by virtue of their
sheer quantity. They occasionally seem to point to conflicting
conclusions. All too often they appear to be nothing more than
micromanaging.
24 Educator Update
And yet FERPA is actually quite flexible and forgiving. Only
rarely does it restrict us from communicating about our
students when we need to do so, and hardly ever does it compel
communication about our students. It gives us considerable
discretion to do what we, in our best judgment, think should
be done. The consequences FERPA imposes for good-faith
mistakes are, in reality, little more than a gentle admonishment
to learn from those mistakes and do better next time.
The real problem with FERPA is that its flexibility is not well or
widely understood. But if that is the problem, making FERPA
even more complex, by grafting ever-more-detailed exceptions
— and exceptions to exceptions — onto it, is unlikely to help.
While no doubt well intentioned, the many calls and proposals
for major substantive revisions to FERPA in the aftermath of
Virginia Tech would, if adopted, probably yield only more
confusion — and more paralysis — rather than clarity and
better decision making.
Instead of trying to "fix" FERPA, we should give it the respect it
is due by learning what it actually provides, rather than relying
on the myths we've heard about it. There is nothing to fear in
FERPA itself.
KEY EXCEPT IONS TO FER PA
• Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which
governs the disclosure of student records, colleges may
disclose any and all student records and information to
faculty and staff members, to lawyers, accountants, and
other outside contractors retained to provide services to the
institution or to perform functions on its behalf, and even to
other students who are acting on the institution's behalf —
such as student representatives on a disciplinary
committee — as long as they reasonably need access to
the records and information to do their jobs. To use that
exception, colleges must notify their students at least annually
of how broadly they intend to employ it.
• Colleges may disclose any and all such records and
information to officials at other colleges at which a student
seeks or intends to enroll or is simultaneously enrolled.
(Again, colleges must notify their students at least annually
of their practice of doing so.)
The Family Rights…
TRUTH
• Unless a student has affirmatively opted out, colleges may
disclose to anyone a fairly long list of "directory information,"
including name; physical and e-mail addresses; telephone
numbers; major; degrees, honors, and awards received;
participation in officially recognized activities and sports;
photographs; and more. They cannot, however, disclose such
information in a way that implicitly discloses nondirectory
information as well. For example, colleges cannot disclose a
list of "just names and addresses" in response to an inquiry
about students who achieved a specified grade-point average,
who took a particular course, or who were brought before
a disciplinary committee in a given year. Doing so would
reveal more about those students than "just" their names
and addresses.
• If a college determines through its disciplinary system that a
student committed certain serious offenses involving actual
or threatened violence, it may disclose to anyone the student's
name, the violation that occurred, and the sanction that
was imposed.
• Colleges may disclose any such records or information in
response to a subpoena from a court or agency having
jurisdiction over them, although they generally must notify
the student first.
• Colleges may disclose student records and information to
students' parents in certain circumstances.
• Colleges may disclose such records and information to
"appropriate parties" in connection with a "health or safety
emergency."
Reprinted with permission from Steven J. McDonald who is
general counsel at the Rhode Island School of Design
Email: [email protected]
Originally printed in The Chronicle of Higher Education
http://chronicle.com
Section: Commentary
Volume 54, Issue 32, Page A53
Educator Update 25
Leadership
Leadership - A Series
BY JOHN R. BROPHY
Ba ckgro un d an d I nt rod uc t io n
While rich in tradition, Emergency Medical Services in the
United States has evolved considerably over the past 30 years.
As a child, I grew up watching the television show Emergency
(1972) that depicted the struggles and eventual successes of the
early leaders of modern Emergency Medical Services. Their
vision, determination, and sacrifices established the foundation
upon which my contemporaries and I must now and in the
future continue to build, maintain, and renovate what is now
our profession. It is our task to bridge the gap from the past
and present to the future. Then, as we move into the twilights
of our careers, we can rest assured that the future of Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) in our country is in good hands and
that we have provided them with the insights and guidance
necessary to carry on and surpass our achievements.
W hat i s Le adership ?
Before we begin to discuss the specifics of leadership and how it
provides the resources to develop and nurture it in Emergency
Medical Services it is important that we look at and discuss
what leadership is. There are many definitions in texts and
dictionaries as well as common usage and understanding.
According to Yukl (2006) “The term connotes images of
powerful, dynamic individuals who command victorious
armies, direct corporate empires from atop gleaming
skyscrapers, or shape the course of nations.” There are in fact
perceptions of leaders and leadership and realities that are
sometimes in sync and sometimes not. There are sometimes
hidden and not so hidden agendas that both allow and
encourage people to put forth a different view of the leadership
that took place in the same event or was exhibited by the same
individual. The most common example that I can think of is in
our political system. One candidate and their supporters put
forth examples of their leadership as a positive while opponents
would have you believe just the opposite. I put forth this
26 Educator Update
example as a means of addressing the realization that while we
will endeavor to define leadership here, the fact is that a myriad
of circumstances will factor into what leadership is and how
individuals may be perceived as leaders.
The Random House College Dictionary puts forth a definition
of leadership as “the position or function of a leader.” (Costello,
1992) I find that definition to be vague and not very helpful.
The United States Navy, in its Petty Officer Indoctrination
Course Student Guide defines leadership as “the process of
influencing the activities of an individual or a group of
individuals in efforts toward goal achievement in a given
situation.” (Naval Leader Training Unit, 1999, p. 3 – 1)
For every source of a definition of leadership comes yet another
view and to me each of them is partially correct and none of
them are completely wrong. So, where does that leave us? The
fact is that “many groups of people – citizens, workers, students,
politicians and business executives – are troubled by a lack of
strong leadership.” (Wren 1995, p. 1) In my view, the
Emergency Medical Services industry, both career and volunteer
has a void in consistency and continuity with respect to
leadership development. In Emergency Medical Services there
is a national standard curriculum at the core of the clinical
practice of emergency care, but no such curriculum exists for
the development of EMS Leaders. “Leadership does not simply
happen. It can be taught, learned, developed.” (Giuliani, 2002)
With this in mind, let’s begin to explore leadership as it relates
to Emergency Medical Services.
Leade rshi p i n Eme rge ncy M edi cal Servi ces
Whether a career employee or volunteer in the EMS field, the
most likely path to an official leadership position begins as a
provider of emergency care. One develops their assessment and
patient care skills over time while also developing their own
confidence and the confidence of others in their abilities.
Leadership
As time goes on and trust and confidence build, opportunities
for advancement present themselves. Be it an appointed
promotion in career EMS or an elected promotion in volunteer
EMS, often times proven skills, trust and likability are the keys
to an individual’s advancement. Once in the new position of
greater responsibility and a whole new set of challenges, new
EMS leaders are often left to figure it out for themselves. EMS
leaders need to be provided with the education and insights to
help them make the transition into their new roles.
The first area that new leaders must understand is the concept
of responsibility and that in their new role they are now
answerable for not only their actions, but the actions of others.
“When you lead, everything you say and do is amplified in the
organization’s eyes.” (Alder & Fratus, 2007) As a leader, one
must realize that they are both responsible for and to their
subordinates. Leaders also have more responsibility for their
personal behavior. They must set the example, not simply
go with the flow.
A fellow EMS leader once said that if you hold a supervisory
or management position you are always in that role, even after
hours. While some may argue the legality of his position, the
perception is there and in someone’s eyes, for good or bad,
someone who holds an official leadership position will always be
seen as a “boss.” This concept of personal responsibility, both
on and off duty is an important part of leadership that is often
overlooked or downplayed, but one that, if handled properly,
can slowly build trust and credibility with superiors, peers, and
subordinates. In contrast, one lapse of judgment in this area
can cause significant damage among the same people and set a
leader back in their personal and professional growth.
A leader must understand that they also have responsibility to
the organization and must endeavor to uphold the values of the
organization, enforce its policies, and still maintain and develop
strong relationships with people who were once their peers, who
now they supervise and may be required to discipline. It is a
difficult task – a ‘tightrope walk’ – and, given the challenge of
the situation, no one will be perfect The key is developing the
skills to lead with ease and yet still have a safety net to catch you
and allow you to bounce back from a fall. Learning about
leadership concepts, skills and techniques will provide a
foundation for both the skills to walk the tight rope better and
provide a broad enough base of knowledge upon which once
can land safely, learn, grow as a person and a leader, and climb
back onto the rope.
In addition to the added personal and professional
responsibility of a leadership position there is the authority to
perform the functions of the job. Clearly, by virtue of the title
bestowed and the job description the “legal” authority to
perform tasks and make decisions exists. If only leadership were
that simple, but its not. While I am sure it is not unique to
EMS, I can clearly say that in EMS newly promoted individuals
will often be tested by their former peers. Are they still one of us
or have they “taken the pill” and become one of them? This is
the challenge a new EMS leader faces. They have earned the
promotion and have the “legal” authority, but must now earn
authority through their performance and consistency. Without
this earned authority, their new title and the legal authority that
goes with it will be diminished and their ability to lead may be
compromised or even completely ineffective. Additionally, there
is yet another piece to the authority puzzle. That third piece
centers on ethical and moral authority. Will the leader do
what is right even when no one is looking and will they step
in when they see a problem, even if it isn’t technically their
responsibility? Without this ethical and moral compass it
will be difficult for a leader to exercise their authority.
Yet another area that makes up the foundation of leadership in
EMS is accountability. Since the consequences of ones actions
or failure to act could be serious, if not life threatening in the
field of Emergency Medical Services, one must be accountable
for both their actions and their failure to act regardless of the
situation. As a provider, duty to act with respect to the care of
a patient is clearly defined, but as a leader the definition is more
grayscale due to the often broad discretion leaders are given
with respect to the handling of day-to-day situations outside
the patient care realm.
Accountability is also one of those things that in the field of
EMS also extend into ones life outside the job or volunteer
agency. For example, excessive points (violations/accidents)
on ones driver’s license may result in the agency’s insurance not
allowing you to drive their vehicles. In this example, it would
not only potentially impact your ability to perform day-to-day
functions, but it could also impact upon your authority as a
leader to provide guidance to a subordinate about their driving
or any other behavior that may affect their performance. In this
example, you have spent a large chunk of your earned authority
through a lack of personal responsibility and accountability.
Educator Update 27
Leadership
As you can see, leadership in general and in EMS in particular is
a challenge. Rising to that challenge will require the new EMS
leader to strive to become the best leader that they can, just as
most EMS leaders have worked hard to become the best
provider they can and open the door to a leadership position to
begin with.
Department of the Navy, Naval Leader Training Unit. (1999)
Petty Officer Indoctrination Course Student Guide. Norfolk, VA:
Naval Leader Training Unit.
The next article in the series will focus on Leadership
Communications and Interpersonal Skills. Look for it in the
next edition of Educator Update.
Wren, J. T. (1995) The Leader’s Companion. New York, NY:
The Free Press.
Guliani, R. W. & Kurson, K. (2002) Leadership. New York:
Miramax Books.
Yukl, G. (2006) Leadership in Organizations (6th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
R E F E R E N C ES
Alder, M. & Fratus, M. (2007). The Impact of Department
Culture on Fireground Safety. Fire Engineering, June, 83-91.
Cinader, R. A. (Producer). (1972, January 15) The Wedsworth
Townsend Act [Television series episode]. With Robert Fuller,
Julie London, Bobby Troup, Randolph Mantooth, & Kevin
Tighe in Emergency. California: Universal.
Costello, R. B. (1992) Random House Webster’s College
Dictionary. New York, NY: Random House.
L
John R. Brophy is an EMS Communications Supervisor, EMT
Instructor, and Fire Department Lieutenant, who also served 10
years as a US Navy Corpsman both at home and abroad.
John majored in Leadership at Bellevue University, where his
academic accomplishments were recognized on the Dean’s
Scholars List. His insights are a culmination of his over 25
years of experience in emergency services. He can be reached
at [email protected].
“The best example of leadership,
is leadership by example.”
28 Educator Update
J. McClain, Seattle, WA
What’s New in EMS
Mary Ann Talley EMS Educator of the Year Award
NAEMT sponsors annual awards to recognize outstanding
achievements and contributions in EMS. One of the awards,
the Mary Ann Talley EMS Educator of the Year Award
recognizes an educator who provides quality and relevant
education that supports and enhances the role of EMS
providers; and one who serves as a positive role model for
EMS providers.
care, and show our appreciation for the work that is
accomplished by EMS educators around the country.
Please visit the NAEMT awards page on our website at
http://www.naemt.org/awardsAndScholarships/
It is through this award that NAEMT seeks to demonstrate the
importance of EMS educators to the profession of prehospital
What’s New in EMS
PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH ISSUE OF ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Estimating the Probability of Passing the National Paramedic
Certification Examination Antonio R. Fernandez, BS,
NREMT-P, Jonathan R. Studnek, MS, NREMT-P, Gregg S.
Margolis, PhD, NREMT-P ACADEMIC EMERGENCY
MEDICINE 2008; 15:258–264 © 2008 by the Society for
Academic Emergency Medicine
Objectives: It is hypothesized that student and program characteristics will influence the probability of passing the national
paramedic certification exam. The objective of this study was to
utilize student and program characteristics to build a statistical
model to determine the probability of success on the cognitive
portion of the national paramedic certification exam.
Methods: The study population for this analysis consisted of
graduates attempting the National Registry of Emergency
Medical Technicians (NREMT) paramedic written examination
from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002. To be
included in this analysis, graduates must have been first-time
testers and have completed a survey attached to the exam.
Independent variables analyzed reflected program and student
characteristics derived from the survey questions and the
NREMT application. A multivariable logistic regression model
was fit to the outcome (pass/fail) of the examination.
Results: Complete demographic and survey data were available
for 5,208 (86.8%) individuals. The final multivariable logistic
regression model included nine independent variables. There
were two programmatic characteristics (national accreditation
and instructor qualification), six student characteristics (high
school class rank, years of education, required for employment,
age, race, and gender), and one graduate characteristic (elapsed
time since course completion) that had a significant effect on
the probability of passing the examination.
Conclusions: National program accreditation, lead instructor
qualifications, student educational background, and student
demographics are all significantly associated with the
probability of success on the national paramedic certification
examination. This model can be used by program directors,
paramedic program instructors, and prospective paramedic
students to maximize the probability of attaining national
paramedic certification.
Educator Update 29
Corporate Partner
Corporate Partner Corner
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AT TENT ION NAEMS E MEMBERS
Masimo, Inc. has made the following resources available for
NAEMSE members:
F I S DA P T E S TI N G
FISDAP would like to help prepare your students for
certification. With community support, we have developed
several secure, computer-based tests (CBT) for EMT-Basic and
Paramedic students. Our secure and comprehensive tests are
• Valid - All of our tests are subject to intensive review by a
panel of regionally diverse Subject Matter Experts (SME).
• Reliable - Each exam is pilot-tested and assessed using
Item Response Theory to ensure that is an effective
assessment tool.
• Predictive - More than 95% of the students that pass a
FISDAP exam also pass the National Registry Cognitive
Exam on their first attempts.
All exams can be scheduled and managed online. Instructors
can retrieve their students’ scores and Learning Prescriptions™
immediately after the students complete the exam. Each
Learning Prescription™ identifies objectives for further study
and cognitive skills (e.g. problem-solving abilities) that
require development.
Schools that participate in the development of FISDAP Tests
receive discounted or free testing!
And Now: FISDAP EMS Prep!
Students can take practice quizzes, listen to lectures, and view
skill demonstrations online, any time. Best of all, students with
FISDAP accounts can use FISDAP EMS Prep for FREE during
this trial period!
For more information on how FISDAP can help prepare
your students for certification, visit www.fisdap.net, email
[email protected], or call 651.690.9241.
30 Educator Update
Corporate Partner
Corporate Partner Corner
A PAR TNERS HI P I N ADVANCEMENT OF EMS EDUCAT ION
Partnering with supporters from industry, academia, government agencies, non-profit organizations and individuals, allows
NAEMSE to accomplish more than any one organization could do alone. Through our corporate partnerships our efforts
and results have been dramatically enriched. The stronger our partnerships become, the more progress is made in fulfillment
of our mission. Please join NAEMSE and its many corporate partners in supporting excellence in EMS education and
lifelong learning.
NAEMSE has three levels of corporate partnerships Platinum, Gold and Silver. Each partnership has benefits that provide
advertising and marketing to the NAEMSE members directly. To learn more about the NAEMSE corporate partner program
please contact the NAEMSE office at [email protected]
NAEMSE C ORP ORATE PA RTNER JONES & BART LET T P UBLISH ERS ANNO UNCE NEW WEBSI TES
Have developed a web site for APLS: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Resource, a continuing medical education program
developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Emergency Physicians. APLS is an exciting
curriculum designed to present the information physicians need to assess and care for critically ill and injured children during the
first few hours in the emergency department or office-based setting. For more information please visit www.aplsoline.com
This is the web site to accompany PEPP, or Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals. Developed by the American
Academy of Pediatrics, PEPP is an exciting curriculum designed specifically to teach prehospital professionals how to better
assess and manage ill or injured children. For more information please visit www.peppsite.com
S IMULAIDS C ORP ORATE PA RTNER OF NA EM SE
SMART STAT – your affordable choice for high fidelity patient simulation. Blue Tooth
wireless, tetherless, battery operated, and so many features you have to see it! Check these
out: Pocket PC operation, reactive pupils, tears, runny nose, foaming mouth, I/O
device insertion, C02 discharge, urinary catheterization, cyanosis or C0 coloring
in finger nails and lips, bilateral IV and B/P arms, and some other options to
talk about – all for under $20,000. See it at the ECCU, EMS Expo and
NAEMSE conferences.
Educator Update 31
“ Meet Me in St. Louis "
GATEWAY TO EDUCATION
2008
Symposium
SEPTEMBER 10 – 15, 2008
St. Louis Renaissance Hotel
3 Exhibit Hall Days
Visit
www.naemse.org for registration information.
NAEMSE
Foster Plaza 6
681 Andersen Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15220
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PITTSBURGH, PA
PERMIT N0. 5369