Spring 2026
Introduction to Advanced Practice
Approved: Initials/date Introduction to Advanced Practice EMSP 1338 (Lecture) CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Face to Face, Online or Hybrid PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: EMT-Basic certification EMSP 1356 EMSP 2205 EMSP 2137 COURSE DESCRIPTION Fundamental elements associated with emergency medical services to include preparatory practices, pathophysiology, medication administration, and related topics. o Ethical principles/moral obligations o Ethical test and decision making • Complex depth, comprehensive breadth of medication administration to include; o Routes of administration o Within the scope of practice of the paramedic, administer medications to a patient. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: • Integrate comprehensive knowledge of EMS systems, the safety and well- being of the paramedic, and medical- legal and ethical issues, which is intended to improve the health of EMS personnel, patients, and the community. • Fundamental depth, foundational breath of history of EMS. • Complex depth, comprehensive breath of EMS systems to include o EMS systems o Roles/responsibilities/professionalism of EMS personnel o Quality improvement o Patient safety • Fundamental depth, foundational breadth of EMS research to include; o Research principles to interpret literature and advocate evidence-based practice. • Complex depth, comprehensive breadth of workforce safety and wellness to include; o Provider safety and well-being o Standard safety precautions o Personal protective equipment o Stress management o Dealing with death and dying o Prevention of work related injuries o Lifting and moving patients o Disease transmission o Wellness principles. • Complex depth, comprehensive breadth of documentation to include; o Principles of medical documentation and report writing. • Complex depth, comprehensive breadth of EMS systems communication to include; o EMS communications system o Communication with other health care professionals o Team communication and dynamics • Complex depth, comprehensive breadth of therapeutic communications with patients in a manner that achieves a positive relationship to include; o Factors that affect communications o Interviewing techniques o Dealing with difficult patients o Adjusting communications strategies for age, stage of development, patients with special needs, and differing cultures. • Complex depth, comprehensive breadth in medical/legal and ethics to include; o Consent/refusal of care INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Dustin Sites Email: dsites@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-247-4833 Office Location: MPC 254 Office Hours: Upon Request REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS EMS Program Student Handbook Nancy Caroline’s Emergency Care in the Streets 9th a. ISBN: 9781284274004 Platinum Planner EMS Testing ATTENDANCE POLICY Attendance is mandatory. If a student is tardy (2) times it constitutes (1) absence. Greater than (3) absences throughout the semester may result in a deduction in (3) points or greater to your final grade and will be determined at the time of occurrence(s). Any anticipated absences must be reported to the instructor as soon as possible via email. An excused absence should be arranged prior to absence, when possible. When it is not possible to give prior notification, an unexcused absence will be recorded. To change classification of an unexcused absence to excused it will be on a case-by-case basis. Documentation for any excused absence will be required. Additionally, students with perfect attendance will have (10) additional points added to lowest Mid Term or Final test grade. Students with (1) absence will be eligible for (9) points added to their lowest Mid Term or Final test grade. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. COURSE CALENDAR DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) 1/20 CPR 1/22 SKILLS 1/27 CHAPT 1 EMS SYSTEMS CHAPT 1 QUIZ DUE 2/1 1/29 SKILLS 2/3 CHAPT 2 WORKFORCE SAFETY AND WELLNESS CHAPT 2 QUIZ DUE 2/8 2/5 SKILLS 2/10 CHAPT 3 PUBLIC HEALTH CHAPT 3 QUIZ DUE 2/15 2/12 SKILLS 2/17 CHAPT 4 MEDICAL, LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES CHAPT 4 QUIZ DUE 2/22 2/19 SKILLS 2/24 CHAPT 5 COMMUNICATIONS CHAPT 5 QUIZ DUE 3/1 2/26 SKILLS 3/3 CHAPT 6 DOCUMENTION CHAPT 6 QUIZ DUE 3/8 3/5 SKILLS 3/10 MID TERM REVIEW A&A 1. 3/12 SKILLS 3/17 MID TERM 3/19 SKILLS 3/24 CHPT 10 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT 3/26 SKILLS 3/31 CHPT 10 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT CHAPT 10 QUIZ DUE 4/5 4/2 SKILLS 4/7 CHAPT 7 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 4/9 SKILLS 4/14 CHAPT 7 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 4/16 SKILLS 4/21 CHAPT 7 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY CHAPT 7 QUIZ DUE 4/26 4/23 SKILLS 4/28 PHTLS 4/30 PHTLS 5/5 FINAL REVIEW A&A 2. 5/7 SKILLS 5/12 FINAL FINAL COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: Quiz 40% Mid-Term Exam 20% Final Exam 20% Affective Evaluation 20% GRADE SCALE 90 – 100 A 84 – 89 B 75 – 83 C 70 – 74 D 0 – 69 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS For the latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc., review the Minimum Computer and Equipment Requirements on the LIT Online Experience page. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. STARFISH Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION 1. No food, drinks, or use of tobacco products in class. Do not order from a food delivery service and have food and drink delivered to class outside of lunchtime hours. 2. Computers, telephones, headphones, and any other electronic devices may not be utilized while in class or used only with permission of the instructor. If a call is received and needs to be taken, please step out of the classroom and return promptly. 3. Do not bring children to class. 4. No late assignments will be accepted. If an assignment is late, please contact the instructor immediately. 5. Students that miss a test are not allowed to make up for the test. Students that miss a test will receive a grade of ‘0’. Mid Term and Final exams are proctored and will begin promptly at the time assigned. Unless prior arranged students will not be allowed to enter late and begin a Mid Term or Final and a grade of ‘0’ will be received. 6. If you wish to drop a course, the student is responsible for initiating and completing the drop process. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an ‘F’ in the course. 7. Additional class policies as defined by EMS Program Student Handbook. 8. Uniforms including authorized pants with black belt, black boots and a red polo tucked in and void of logos will be always worn while in class and attending a clinical. Refusal to comply with this policy may result in a reduction of grade points and or removal from class or clinical. Course Outline A. Introduction to Paramedicine 1. Introduction 2. Expanded Scope of Practice B. EMS Systems 1. History of EMS 2. Today’s EMS Systems C. Roles and Responsibilities of The Paramedic 1. Primary Responsibilities 2. Additional Responsibilities 3. Professionalism D. Workforce Safety and Wellness 1. Prevention of Work-Related Injuries 2. Basic Physical Fitness 3. Personal Protection from Disease 4. Death and Dying 5. Stress and Stress Management 6. General Safety Considerations E. EMS Research 1. Research and the Scientific Method 2. Types of Research 3. Experimental Design 4. Ethical Considerations in Human Research 5. An Overview of Statistics 6. Format of a Research Paper 7. How a Research Paper is Published 8. Accessing the Scientific Literature 9. What to Look for When Reviewing a Study 10. Applying Study Results to your Practice 11. Participating in Research 12. Evidence-Based Decision Making F. Public Health 1. Basic Principles of Public Health 2. Accomplishments in Public Health 3. Public Health Laws 4. Epidemiology 5. Public Health and EMS 6. Prevention in the Community G. Medical/ Legal Aspects of Prehospital Care 1. Legal Duties and Ethical Responsibilities 2. Legal Accountability of the Paramedic 3. Paramedic-Patient Relationships 4. Resuscitation Issues 5. Crime and Accident Scenes 6. Duty to Report 7. Documentation 8. Employment Laws H. Ethics in Paramedicine 1. Overview of Ethics 2. Ethical Issues in Contemporary Paramedic Practice I. EMS System Communications 1. Effective Communications 2. Basic Communications 3. Verbal Communications 4. Written Communications 5. Terminology 6. The Importance of Communication in EMS Response 7. Information and Communication Technology 8. Public Safety Communications System Planning and Funding 9. Public Safety Communications Regulation J. Documentation 1. Uses for Documentation 2. General Considerations 3. Elements of Good Documentation 4. Narrative Writing 5. Special Considerations 6. Consequences of Inappropriate Documentation 7. Electronic Patient Care Reports K. Intravenous Access and Medication Administration 1. Principles and Routes of Medication Administration 2. Intravenous Access, Blood Sampling, and Intraosseous Infusion 3. Medical Mathematics