BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Paramedics are required to go through a lot of training and certifications before they can hit the street. Reporter John McMahon attended a recent UVM Health Network course to learn how students are sharpening their skills and building their futures.
As part of a drill, first responders jump into action to help a woman in need.
The training provides real-world scenarios for students in the paramedic training program at the UVM Health Network, which includes students in New York and Vermont.
“It’s been a big learning experience. Vermont EMS and New York EMS are different in terms of our protocols and our structure,” said Sarah Lamb, one of the instructors.
Hannah Cochran, an EMT from Craftsbury, is working toward being a paramedic. With the closing of Copley Hospital’s birthing center, she says she felt the need to step up her skills. “Making sure we’re especially on top of normal deliveries. Complicated deliveries — what we can do to support advanced life support and supportive care to mothers, especially who are looking at you know their hospital is no longer gonna be 20 minutes down the road,” Cochran said.
When class is over in December, students will move on to capstone projects and internships. Some may even be taking it a step further. “I know a lot of paramedics have gone on to be nurses, physicians, PAs and NPs, and all of them said that that start in EMS and paramedicine has been a huge step up for them in their education,” Lamb said.
And it’s not just about their education, it’s also about keeping patients safe. “Understand that you’re studying for something that doesn’t just look good on a resume, but for the fact that you might be the difference between life and death for someone one day,” Cochran said.
