Atlantic Partners EMS

INSTRUCTOR GUIDEBOOK

Revised August 2011

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Atlantic Partners EMS (APEMS). We as a staff here at APEMS are excited to have you on board as an Instructor. This document is designed to serve as a guide to you as an Instructor for the Training Center, whether it be KVTC or NETC. Contained in this document you will find ways to develop and organize your program while meeting the requirements of the Training Center (TC).

The TC has been developed based on a consortium between APEMS and Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) or APEMS and Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC). Other than a new name to meet the new Maine EMS requirements for the Training Center Approval Process, not much has changed. We have a more formalized relationship with both groups as a result of this new requirement.

We hope that this document assists you with successfully completing your EMS Instructional process for licensure within our Training Center. We feel that this document will allow you to meet the needs of your students while also providing for a systematic approach to providing the necessary information to the Training Center. APEMS is required by Maine EMS Rules to make an annual report of this information and to provide the information to them at any request for it.

Licensure as an Instructor

As a Maine EMS TC, APEMS is required to provide proof of licensed Instructors for all licensure programs. We ask that you maintain your Maine EMS Instructor License and provide us with a copy of it upon your successful renewal. If at any time your license status changes we ask that you notify the APEMS Office as soon as possible.

Annual Training

As an Instructor for the TC you will be required to attend a pre-semester workshop. These workshops are intended to cover new EMS Education Updates, as well as convey any changes within our Training Center. New Instructors will also be required to attend the Adjunct Instructor Meeting at KVCC or EMCC prior to the start of their program at the college. These meetings are intended to provide you with the necessary tools to have a successful licensure program here at the TC.

New Instructors

Once an Instructor has become licensed by Maine EMS, the Instructor may make a request to become a licensure program Instructor with APEMS. It is the policy of APEMS that all new Instructors will co-teach a program with a seasoned Instructor within our organization. After evaluation at the end of the licensure program the TC Coordinator, Director of Education, Clinical Coordinator and the new Instructor will meet to evaluate their progress and whether or not they are ready to lead a licensure program in the future.

Course Certificates

Licensure Course Completion Certificates will be issued by Kennebec Valley Community College/Eastern Maine Community College. Any student contacting an Instructor for duplicates of the certificate or any questions regarding the issuance of the certificate, should contact the Registrar’s Office at Kennebec Valley Community College or Eastern Maine Community College.

Instructor Attire

Instructors are asked to wear their APEMSInstructor Polo Shirts and/or business casual attire when teaching in the classroom during Licensure Programs. Not only does this make us all look like a professional working team, it provides us an identifier in the college setting. Instructors needing more than the one shirt allotted to them each semester may purchase more from the APEMS office.

ALS Student Attire

All ALS Students will be required to wear their APEMS Student polo shirts, pants, KVCC/EMCC ID and boots to class. This will provide for uniformity, while also promoting a professional appearance. In the event that students do not have an APEMS polo shirt available they may wear a duty uniform from their service or a polo shirt with the other required classroom uniform components. Instructors are asked to include uniform attire in their syllabus and grading matrix. Exceptions to this can be made at the discretion of the Instructor due to inclement weather, practical skills, etc.

Equipment Closets/Cages

It is the responsibility of each Instructor to assure that equipment is returned to its proper place in the Closets/Cages at the end of class. If you have students return equipment after usage, please make an effort to police the closets to assure proper storage. Equipment up keep is a responsibility of us all. Damaged equipment should be brought to the attention of the APEMSEquipment Manager at the earliest convenience. A suggestion to alleviate equipment damage would be to assign one student per class that is in charge of organizing the closet at the conclusion of the class.

Documentation

All Documentation pertaining to an EMS Program Leading to Licensure through Maine EMS must be maintained for 7 years. In an attempt to make record keeping easier for the Instructors, APEMS has developed the following to assist you. In Appendix A, you will also find a checklist that will help you to facilitate this process and provide a place for you to document your submission of these materials to the Training Center.

Two weeks prior to the official start date of your program, a course syllabus, course schedule, and any Assistant Instructor requests must be received by the APEMS Director of Education. The Director of Education will forward the contract requests for the Lead Instructor as well as the Assistant Instructors to the Payroll Office at EMCC/KVCC. Assistant Instructors not under contract prior to the start of class will not be compensated for their time in the classroom. For BLS Programs, the Instructor must provide the PSE date prior to the start of the program, so that an official MEMS PSE Request can be started. We will work with multiple BLS Program Instructors to find a date that we can hold a combined PSE whenever possible. APEMS Staff will assist you with all aspects of the testing process, please contact any of the APEMS Staff with questions

At the conclusion of the Licensure Program the Instructor needs to submit a final grade list which includes a detailed list of attendance to each class (to include students as well as assistants), any grades acquired throughout the program (i.e. quizzes, tests, practical, etc), and a final numeric grade that has been issued for the student. A copy of this will be maintained by the TC in an electronic file labeled for that particular class. Instructors may choose to submit an Excel spreadsheet or Blackboard Grade book to fulfill this requirement, as long as they list out the assistant instructors that were in attendance for each specific class as well.

Course completion certificates cannot be completed without final grades.

With the completion of the program, the Instructor is also required to submit any class handouts and a copy of all examinations of any sort (practical or didactic) that are given in the program. Instructors are encouraged to send this electronically throughout the program, however hard copies can be submitted and will be scanned into the Instructor’s Electronic File.

The TC will keep records of all state practical examinations and Practical Skills Evaluation rosters on file with the Electronic File as well.

Instructors are asked to clearly disseminate to their students any grade policies, attendance policies, examination make-up, and/or assignments via their syllabus. Changes to the Course Objectives or Curriculum are only allowed to be made with prior approval of the Director of Education and the KVCC /EMCC Curriculum Review Committee. Within the syllabus, Instructors are also asked to divulge office hours and/or other ways to allow for the student to receive academic support outside the normal classroom hours. See Appendix B for an Example of a Syllabus and a Schedule.

Instructors in the BLS Programs are asked to collect all immunization records from students. These records will be turned over to the APEMS Clinical Coordinator for review prior to students being allowed to do clinical rotations. The immunization records will be kept on file for 7 years in a file designated for that licensure program in the filing cabinet in the Clinical Coordinator’s Office.

RESOURCES

All Instructors within the TC, regardless of course location, have access to a variety of resources for both them and their students. If at any time you have issues accessing these resources please contact the APEMS Office for assistance.

Information Technology

All TC students are required to have a photo ID for all clinical experiences. Students will be asked the first night of class to go to IT and complete this process. For off campus classes arrangements will be made with the APEMS Office to help facilitate this process.

Instructors must also meet with IT prior to the start date of their first class in order to obtain a photo id, which must be worn while on campus, as well as access to Blackboard, CC e-mail and campus computers.

Tutoring

APEMS and EMCC/KVCC have worked well over the years to develop a variety of tutors that are available to struggling students in all licensure programs. This cooperative effort provides study help, test taking skills and tape recorders for students to record lecture. Students who require special assistance while taking exams secondary to learning disabilities are able to take these exams at the College Center during normal business hours.

Faculty Mail

Staff at the APEMS office will try to stay current with mail and make sure that anything of importance gets to off campus Instructors in a timely fashion. Questions regarding your mail can be directed to the APEMS Office at any time.

Environmentally Friendly

In an attempt to become more environmentally friendly, we ask that whenever possible Instructors use Blackboard for disbursement of handouts and other resources that require large amounts of photocopying. IT can help you set up a Blackboard account for your Licensure Program if need be.

As always the APEMS Staff is here to help in any way possible to make your Licensure Class a Success. Feel free to contact us at anytime for assistance.

APPENDIX A

Instructor:______Licensure Level: ______

Semester: ______Location: ______

Documentation / Date Submitted / Comments
Class Syllabus
(Due 2 weeks prior to class start date)
Class Schedule
(Due 2 weeks prior to class start date)
Assistant Instructor List
(Due 2 weeks prior to class start date)
Policy and Procedure Signature Page
Immunization Forms (if applicable)
(Prior to clinical experience)
Handouts #______
Quizzes/Exams #______
Attendance
(Include students as well as assistants)
Final Grades
Student Counseling Forms (if applicable)