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Research Paper on the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians- The accrediting agency

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National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians

Introduction

In this paper, the accrediting agency that has been selected is the the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). The educational standards will be thought and evaluated using the six dimensions of Bloom’s taxonomy. The educational curriculum will be analyzed from the perspective of the hierarchical model with an objective of performing proper classification of the learning goals into the levels of specificity and complexity. According to Su & Osisek, (2011), the six cognitive dimensions of Bloom can be effectively utilized in order to encourage and establish higher order thinking process in the student’s or learner’s minds by means of starting development from the lower-level cognitive abilities (Heer, 2012). The main aim of the agency is to prepare students for examinations to become EMT or Emergency Medical Technicians. The US agency provides multiple levels of medical certifications, which include NRP (Nationally Registered Paramedic), Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Responder (NREMR), Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT), and Nationally Registered Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (NRAEMT). The primary objective of the curriculum provided by the agency is inclined towards improving the quality of emergency medical care. The basic courses typically start from the low-level basics of medicinal education with cognitive skill learning (Brewer & Brewer, 2010). The six dimensions of Bloom taxonomy will be used for critical analysis of the chosen agency.

Six Dimensions of Blooms or Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised)

The six dimensions of Bloom’s taxonomy will help us to evaluate the learning process of National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) with respect to their methods of assessments and educational evaluation. The goal of NREMT should be focused on encouraging higher order thoughts in the students. The traditional hierarchy of thinking process can applied in the course structure of NREMT for critical thinking research purpose (Phillips, Smith & Straus, 2013). The six individual dimensions are discussed below with respect to the selected accrediting agency the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

1. Remembering

The agency NREMT has sufficient methods involved in their curriculum so that the students are able to systematically retrieve and recall the previously learned topics and gained knowledge. Several technologies that they might be using include flash cards, book marking, reading, rote learning that is based upon repetition and so on. To be more precise, the different and relevant learning methods typically used by NREMT, which can be categorized as tools for aiding their students in remembering the previously gained knowledge are as follows: web information, memorization techniques, podcasts, reading, lectures, videos etc. the typical key phrases for the assessment mainly being used by the formative and summative assessments. In addition to that, the agency adequately focuses on the learning outcomes for each of the individual students. It essentially encompasses both behavioral as well as cognitive learning outcomes (Omar et al., 2012). Apart from that, the institution also carries out individually tailored test sessions in several different test centers. The agency considers remembering as one of the most important dimensions in the cognitive process of learning. With the help of multiple additional tools, techniques, methods and mechanisms, the agency provides all the support required for the students to enrich their long term memory with relevant, useful and meaningful information and knowledge that can potentially result in a successful professional career. 

2. Understanding

According to Cox, Imrie & Miller (2014), understanding can be referred to the ability of making one’s own individual meaning out of a specific topic, subject or educational materials. In the educational teaching environment, understanding is the most important cognitive skill that decides the future of the students on that particular area of study. However, in the context of the NREMT agency’s approach towards using methods for student’s understanding, it can be observed that the institution takes into consideration a number of methods to ensure that the medical students are well aware. The teachers are always careful about whether the students are able to grasp the concept associated with each of the topics that are taught to them in a proper, effective, and efficient manner. The agency takes sufficient measures to make sure that the medical students applying for certification courses from their agency uses analogy, takes adequate and appropriate notes, conducts useful and productive internet research and online studies, as well as actively participates in cooperative and group learning sessions. The teachers of this agency typically depends on these different types of techniques and principles so the respective students are able to comprehend the meaning easily, use and apply proper translation, interpretation as well as interpolation of the different problems and instructions within their educational curriculums. In addition to that, it is also important to check if the learners are able to state a specific problem in his or her own words. The various methods typically used by NREMT include graphic organizers, discussion, demonstrations, and readings and interpretations. 

3. Applying

The third dimension mentioned in Bloom’s taxonomy is the application of the learned information or knowledge. It can be considered as the third step or one of the most significant stages of cognitive learning process. In this context, Armstrong (2016) has said that the students opting for certifications from the NREMT agency essentially require having profound skills of applying the theoretical knowledge into practical world in order to solve complex real time medical problems. To be more precise, the students doing a course of NRP (National Registered Paramedic) certification need to be able to provide advanced life support as well as perform advanced electrical and invasive surgical interventions. According to Forehand (2010), the course curriculums for such certifications require the students to be able to perform pre-hospital care, as well as acute emergency stabilization actions. Therefore, their courses are modeled and structured in such a way, so that the students can cultivate a natural habit of understanding the knowledge, and then applying the knowledge in the correct manner to solve a practical medical problem. In order to prepare the students for the above mentioned activities, the agency plans their course programs by including tests, which require students to demonstrate their problem-solving skills using case studies, scenarios and text problems. In addition to that, the students need to demonstrate correct application of theories, laws, rules, methods, and procedures in multiple given set of contexts or cases.

4. Analyzing

In the cognitive learning process, analyzing means the ability to decompose the different aspects, parts and facts of a certain educational material, a subject or a topic, or even a piece of information, in order to examine and understand them individually and be able to gain a deeper and clearer insight. It is potentially effective in terms of learning how the individual components of a specific knowledge relate to each other in order to form the overall structure. The medical laboratory sessions provided in the emergency medical technicians certification courses typically involve various kinds of simulations (part task trainers, computer based simulations, role-plays, mannequins etc.) to help the students gain better insight into the processes used by the medical staffs (Zigmont, Kappus & Sudikoff, 2011). This level of intellectual behavior can be seen in special students who are closer to achieving the certifications from NREMT. The agency provides its students the facility of using laboratories, practical simulation tests, graphic organizers, discussions etc. in order to build their analyzing capability. The behavioral emergency modules taught in some of the course curriculums of NREMT typically emphasizes on the analysis of cardiovascular, respiratory, diabetes and emergencies related to altered mental status. The basic diagnosis and analysis process involves testing the students on allergies, drug overdose, or poisoning, behavioral, as well as environmental emergencies. The course structures allow students to question freely, debating, fishbowl, and running tests. They are given examinations on troubleshooting medical instruments by applying logical deduction and reasoning ability. 

5. Evaluating

This cognitive skill helps the students to make judgments regarding the different educational materials, knowledge learnt or the value of the ideas gathered. The students in NREMT are encouraged to conduct surveys or blogging to compare and contrast the different options that can be considered as solutions to a particular given problem or issue. It allows the students to criticize the learnt methods on solving a specific problem. In order to serve this purpose, the agency has included in its certification programs, various tools and techniques to enable the students to check the methods, interpret, describe, summarize, critique, explain, justify and conclude with the most effective solution (Cox, Imrie & Miller, 2014). NREMT enables students with the cognitive ability to judge a specific solution and propose the best approach. The practical lessons on different topics such as the demonstration of the EMT cardiac arrest skills help the student in learning the challenges of the tasks. From the learning, the students can derive their own judgments to improve the processes and procedures. In addition to that, the students allow the training given to the students to perform CPR and other emergency medical services including first aid, general patient diagnosis and assessment, automated external defibrillator etc. for open evaluation.

6. Creating

The agency tries to enable the students to use new and creative applications and instruments from their gained skills and knowledge. The agency trusts the ability of their students to produce an effective and original solution by means of facilitating them with labs and research, development of plans, analyzing multiple previous case studies, as well as addressing recurring problems. The agency conducts assessments where students need to prepare presentations in small groups, go through questions and answer sessions, participate in debates and small creative and innovative discussions (Adams, 2015). This particular approach undertaken by the NREMT agency potentially helps the students pursuing EMT certifications to think creatively and apply their practical knowledge freely.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that, the six dimensions of the revised taxonomy by Bloom helped in understanding that the selected accrediting agency i.e. National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) employs all the adequate measures that can be utilized for encouraging the students to apply higher order thoughts in their learning process. The primary objective of the curriculum provided by the agency is inclined towards improving the quality of emergency medical care. The different approved curriculum of NREMT tailored for the certifications provided by them indulges in cultivating amongst the students the six cognitive learning abilities and successfully yields both the behavioral and cognitive learning outcomes. It provides the students with the ability to remember learnt lessons and information, understand the gathered knowledge on the topics, apply the knowledge in practical environments, analyze the situations by decomposing the knowledge into individual components, evaluate and critique alternatives to propose the most effective solution, and ultimately be able to create new medical solutions.

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