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R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center

EMS Office

EMS Educational Programs:
Trauma Critical Care Unit Clinical Observation Objectives

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In the Neurotrauma and Multitrauma Critical Care Unit, the prehospital providers will have the opportunity to observe the assessment and treatment of critically injured patients. The prehospital provider will have the opportunity to examine the hospital course and treatment of the trauma patient, as well as assist with the physical assessments under the direct supervision of a critical care nurse.

This experience will allow the prehospital provider the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge about trauma to actual injured patients as they are encountered in the clinical setting. The observer will be able to draw direct correlation between field interventions and the hospitals continuum of care.

The focus of this observational experience is the management of patients with multisystem trauma, head, and spinal cord injuries. The prehospital care provider can schedule an observation in the Trauma Critical Care Units for Wednesdays and Fridays from 1500 hours to 2300 hours. The provider will be required to sign up at least two weeks in advance.

Note: This program is not approved for MIEMSS continuing education credits.

By the end of this educational experience, the prehospital provider will be able to:

  1. Discuss the ongoing assessment and acute management of the critically injured trauma patient.
  2. Discuss the importance of past medical history and current medications as it relates to patient assessment and management. Discuss specifically how this pertains to the elderly trauma patient.
  3. State how the critical care nurse acquires and transmits information about the critically ill patient in order to make appropriate decisions about the patient's care as well as keep other team members informed of the patient's condition.
  4. Discuss how the assessment strategies and therapeutic interventions used in the critical care setting can be applied in the care of the injured patient in the field.
  5. Describe the hospital course of the critically injured trauma patient and prepare a patient problem list.
  6. Explain the effects of various treatments and medications administered to the critically injured trauma patient.
  7. Assist with a physical assessment on the trauma patient and discuss the interpretation of the assessment findings with the critical care nurse.
  8. Describe the sequence of pathologic events that may follow severe traumatic injury.

This page was last updated on: June 19, 2007.