Paramedic Portfolio and Scenario Based Exam
Psychomotor Exam
On January 1, 2017, the NREMT implemented the new scenario based psychomotor exam. Paramedic candidates are tested on (6) skills, including an integrated out-of-hospital (IOOH) scenario. The scenario will reflect either a pediatric, geriatric or adult patient. Each candidate will be provided with a trained paramedic partner and evaluated on his/her ability to manage a call, lead the team, effectively communicate, and maintain professionalism throughout the simulated patient encounter.
Regional Workshops
NREMT & NAEMSE are partnering to bring a brand new educational opportunity entitled Regional Scenario Development Workshop. This is a registration free workshop designed to provide you with hands-on experience developing formative and summative scenarios for use in your classroom. Workshops are limited to 50 participants who will be guided through the scenario development process by NREMT staff. Topics that will be covered are scenario writing, calibration, and evaluation in the workshop. Scenarios created in the workshop will be available for use following the event.
History and Rationale
In 2017, the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) changed the way it verifies psychomotor competency for National Registry Paramedic (NRP) Certification. Several factors prompted the NREMT to change its psychomotor examination. The first was a desire to ensure protection of the public by assessing psychomotor competency in a way that simulates actual practice in a simulated environment. The second factor is that EMS employers often find that while newly certified paramedics know how to perform individual skills, they cannot move to the next level and integrate those skills into scene and patient management. Finally, the NREMT now requires that all paramedic candidates graduate from a CAAHEP-approved paramedic program or one that holds a current Letter of Review (LoR) from the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). Scenario examinations allow the NREMT to incorporate essential attributes of Team Leadership along with scene and patient management, thus better reflecting actual out-of-hospital care as opposed to continuing to test 12 isolated skills.
The NREMT developed a portfolio of vital skills that each paramedic student must master to qualify for the NRP Certification examination. The program tracks each student's portfolio throughout the formative and summative phases of education in the laboratory, clinical, and field internship settings. The completed portfolio provides a mass of evidence that documents a candidate’s acquisition of psychomotor competency in the skills we currently evaluate on the 12-skill NRP Psychomotor Examination. All students that begin their paramedic program on or after August 1, 2016 are required to complete a portfolio that becomes a part of their permanent educational file and is a prerequisite to seeking NRP Certification.
2017 Transition
Starting on January 1, 2017, Paramedic candidates had three potential pathways to satisfy the psychomotor examination.
PHASE 1 & PORTFOLIO VIDEOS
A Critical Fail Example: Integrated Out of Hospital Scenario
Detailed Overview of the Integrated Out of Hospital Scenario (IOOH)
How an IOOH Scenario is Scored
History of Paramedic Psychomotor Competency Portfolio (02/24/2015)
Paramedic Psychomotor Competency Portfolio Update (05/19/2015)
Paramedic Scenario Psychomotor Exam & Psychomotor Competency Portfolio Update (11/17/2015)
PHASE 1 PARAMEDIC PSYCHOMOTOR EXAM
The Psychomotor Exam (Phase 1 Scenario Based)
Beginning January 1, 2017, the NREMT will implement the new scenario-based psychomotor exam. In the new test model, Paramedic candidates will be tested on a total of six skills. Five skills from the traditional NRP Psychomotor Examination (Patient Assessment – Trauma, Dynamic Cardiology, Static Cardiology, Oral Station Case A, Oral Station Case B) will be tested, with the addition of an Integrated Out-Of-Hospital Scenario.
Patient Assessment-Trauma
Candidates are required to perform a "hands-on," head-to-toe, physical assessment and voice treatment of a simulated patient for a given scenario, including:
- Scene Size-Up
- Primary Survey/Resuscitation
- History Taking
- Secondary Assessment
Cardiac Management Skills
The candidate is evaluated on their ability to manage cardiac arrhythmias and interpret ECGs. This will be verified in two portions:
You will be evaluated on your ability to manage a cardiac arrest situation, including actual delivery of electrical therapy and "voicing" all interpretations and treatments given a scenario. The presentation of the portion will be similar to a "megacode."
Given four (4) prepared ECG tracings with associated patient information, you must verbalize the interpretation of each rhythm and voice all associated treatments.
Oral Station - Scenario A & B
New Oral StationYou will be evaluated on your ability to verbally manage all aspects of an out-of-hospital call given two (2) separate cases: Oral A & Oral B
In each case, you will be evaluated in the following categories:
- Scene Management
- Patient Assessment
- Patient Management
- Interpersonal Relations
- Integration (verbal report, field impression, and transport decision)
Integrated Out-Of-Hospital Scenario
The Integrated Out-Of-Hospital Scenario (IOOH) will reflect either a pediatric, geriatric or adult patient. The candidate will be provided with a professional paramedic partner and evaluated on their ability to manage a call, lead a team, effectively communicate, and maintain professionalism throughout the simulated patient encounter.
DOCUMENTS AND FORMS
Resources
Portfolio Forms
Download all the Paramedic Portfolio Forms in a single binder
Individual Forms
- FP400 Obtain A Patient History Skill Lab Form
- FP401 Comprehensive Normal Adult Physical Assessment Techniques Skill Lab Form
- FP402 Comprehensive Normal Pediatric Physical Assessment Techniques Skill Lab Form
- FP410 Direct Orotracheal Intubation Adult
- FP411 Direct Orotracheal Intubation Pediatric Skill Lab Form
- FP412 Nasotracheal Intubation Adult Skill Lab Form
- FP413 Supraglottic Airway Device Adult Skill Lab Form
- FP414 Needle Cricothyrotomy (Percutaneous Translaryngeal Ventilation) Skill Lab Form
- FP415 CPAP and PEEP Skill Lab Form
- FP420 Trauma Adult Physical Assessment Skill Lab Form
- FP421 Trauma Endotracheal Intubation Adult Skill Lab Form
- FP422 Pleural Decompression (Needle Thoracostomy) Skill Lab Form
- FP430 Spinal Immobilization Adult (Supine Patient) Skill Lab Form
- FP431 Spinal Immobilization Adult (Seated Patient) Skill Lab Form
- FP432 Joint Splinting Skill Lab Form
- FP433 Long Bone Splinting Skill Lab Form
- FP434 Traction Splinting Skill Lab Form
- FP435 Hemorrhage Control Skill Lab Form
- FP440 Medical and Cardiac Physical Assessment Skill Lab Form
- FP441 Intravenous Therapy Skill Lab Form
- FP442 Intravenous Bolus Medication Administration Skill Lab Form
- FP443 Intravenous Piggyback Infusion Skill Lab Form
- FP444 Intraosseous Infusion Skill Lab Form
- FP445 Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Medication Administration Skill Lab Form
- FP446 Intranasal Medication Administration Skill Lab Form
- FP447 Inhaled Medication Administration Skill Lab Form
- FP448 Glucometer Skill Lab Form
- FP460 12-lead ECG Skill Lab Form
- FP461 Synchronized Cardioversion Skill Lab Form
- FP462 Defibrillation (Unwitnessed Arrest) Skill Lab Form
- FP463 Transcutaneous Pacing Skill Lab Form
- FP470 Normal Delivery with Newborn Care Skill Lab Form
- FP471 Abnormal Delivery with Newborn Care Skill Lab Form
SCENARIO INFORMATION
Scenario Tools
Sample Scenarios
These sample IOOH scenarios were created by Regional Scenario Development Workshop (RSDW) attendees in 2016 for the purpose of giving paramedic education programs a strawman resource to prepare for IOOH scenario based ALS exams. Many of the attendees who created them are paramedic educators/program directors from across the U.S. They were not created by NREMT. NREMT gives permission for these samples to be tweaked and utilized in EMS education programs for formative and summative assessments.
**DISCLAIMERS:
- These sample scenarios have NOT been vetted or reviewed for medical accuracy
- These sample scenarios have NOT been reviewed for grammar, spelling, writing style, etc
- Aesthetically, they are similar to the scenarios utilized for the ALS exams; however, the content, while similar, is NOT the same as that on the operational scenarios used for certification exams
- The Mandatory Actions and Critical Criteria are not included in these samples for exam security purposes
- NREMT does NOT endorse any equipment or resource brand named in any of these sample scenarios
Select a scenario type and a patient type to view a list of matching scenarios.
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult Abdominal Pain.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult Blunt Trauma.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult Burns.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult Chest Pain.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult OB GYN.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult Overdose.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult Penetrating Trauma.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult Psychiatric Condition.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult Respiratory Distress Failure.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Adult Stroke.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Geriatric Abdominal Pain.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Geriatric Blunt Trauma.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Geriatric Cardiac Rhythm Disturbance.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Geriatric Chest Pain.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Geriatric Diabetic Emergency.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Geriatric Penetrating Trauma.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Geriatric Respiratory Compromise.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Geriatric Respiratory Distress.docx
- 17.09.21 Summative Geriatric Stroke.docx