Kansas EMS Transition

One of the challenges in a course design process is that it is in development or “under construction.” The answers and the final solutions are not present at the start of the process.  In most of the courses that we attend, the development work has already defined the “testing” question by the time we use the course.  Since the transition course is being developed in a relatively open process, you get to watch the construction process.  So, you also have to wait for the answer and the final product right along with the course developers.  I can and do understand the frustration that is associated with this reality.

 Here is the inside information:  We don’t know what the evaluation process will look like.  We won’t know what it is going to look like until the spring of 2010 – after we have developed the objectives and lesson plans. 

 Here is what we do know:  The physicians that have given us input are insistent that providers demonstrate competency – particularly in any skill or knowledge that is in the advanced realm (medications, injections, airway devices, etc.).    The educators who have participated in giving feedback have expressed a strong desire that the courses “mean something” and that competency be demonstrated and assessed in a meaningful way.  All of this input, along with the need to evaluate to see if learning has taken place, point to an evaluation process.

 For those who are engaging and watching the process unfold, I encourage you to think about how you would ensure learning transfer.  If you have constructive ideas about ways to do evaluation, I encourage you to drop us an email. 

 I’ve also been around the block long enough to know that not every EMS person who takes one of the transition courses will be happy – happy with the course, happy with the evaluation, or for that matter, happy with me.  If you work in EMS long enough, you understand this to be an occupational hazard.  In developing the courses and the evaluations, our job as developers is to remain focused on producing relevant and meaningful material that provides existing providers with a course that meets the objectives of the new scope of practice.  The Board of EMS, medical directors, service directors, and patients that we serve need to know that the new material is understood and can be effectively applied by each person who completes a given transition course.

 Thank you to each of you who are watching and thinking about the process.  The success of this transition process is dependent upon all of us in Kansas EMS to do our part in making the transition work.

We have been quiet for a bit, and I figured it was past time to post an update.  I have just come off the KEMSA Last Blast of Summer weekend and am trying to settle back into a routine.  We are into the first of several “dark” phases of the project where from the outside it looks like nothing is happening; but on the inside, a great deal of effort is underway on the project.

The needs assessment is done and Kathleen is busy crunching the data to determine where the gaps are between what the needs have been defined as and where people are at with those needs.  This work can be tiresome, as sometimes it seems that you are laboring away at something very abstract.  The reality is that if you do not know where you are going, and where you are currently at, you will never be able to make the journey.  In this case, the journey is defined as three courses of instruction that bridge existing first responders, EMT-Basics, and EMT-Intermediates to the new levels in the Kansas Scope of Practice.

Therefore, we will be content to work away at the course planning documents that detail out the needs assessment, gap analysis, and objectives of the courses.  Once completed in draft form we will be posting them to the website for all to see and comment upon.

Kathleen conducted the final focus group for the needs assessment yesterday in Ellsworth. Thanks to Region IV for hosting the event. 

Lanny, Jeff, Pam, and John talk through the questions.

Now the really hard work begins, that being to sort out the comments and themes from all of the focus groups and surveys so that we have a clearer understanding of where we are headed as we develop the curricula.

Our thanks to everyone who took the time to participate.  As well, for those who hosted our groups, thank you.  We appreciated the hospitality that we found across the state.  Look for more on the blog soon as we begin to uncover the themes and direction.

A question posed frequently is “How did the scope of practice get developed?” The Kansas Board of EMS (BEMS) was aware of the need within Kansas to look at and move forward with a new scope of practice. This need to move forward was the result of the release of the National EMS Scope of Practice document that outlined a new suggested national practice scope.

Early in 2008, BEMS assembled a workgroup to review the National Model and consider what Kansas should do with the scope of practice issue. The workgroup included representatives from BEMS, the six EMS Regions, EMS and Fire professional organizations, Community and Technical Colleges, and eight members-at-large. Over the course of six months, the work group considered what direction to recommend — adopting the new National Model or modifying it to meet Kansas state needs. In doing this work the group used a “blue sky” approach that essentially stated that what was in the past and what is in the present had nothing to do with where we felt the scope should go. All options were on the table from what the different levels would be, how they would labeled, and what they would be able to do.

The result is the EMS Attendant Skills Sets Recommendations from Kansas EMS Systems Approach to the Future (KEMSSAF). In August of 2008, BEMS approved these recommendations and directed the Board of EMS staff to move forward with developing a curriculum to bridge existing certified attendants to the new levels – thus the project we are currently working to complete!

Three of the four focus group sessions are finished and we have numerous themes that run between the sessions. I’ll hold on themes for now, to give the folks who attend the North Central focus group a chance to weigh in without external input.  However, one of the theme that I feared would materialize simply hasn’t.

In the first focus session held in Wichita, I had a chance to sit in as Kathleen led the group through the first parts of the focus group session.  One of the words that I heard several times from attendees was the word “easy.”  I’ll confess that when I heard that word surface so early in the process I shuddered at what we had gotten ourselves into. 

Yet, despite that fact that the “easy” word surfaced early, it didn’t survive the process.  Three focus groups into the four planned, “easy” isn’t on the list of concerns.  Successful.  Meaningful.  Accountable.  Engaging.  Well taught.  Realistic.  All of these words rise to the surface.  I now suspect that when we use the word “easy”, what we really mean is successful.  In all ways. For all people involved.

And that gives me a great deal of hope.

If you haven’t held back to back meetings in opposing corners of the state within 24 hours, we highly recommend it.  In the past two weeks both Kathleen and I have gone from one corner of Kansas to the other to present or facilitate at meetings.  We’re a bit ragged by this point.

For all of that whining, we encountered great groups of people in the focus group sessions.  Both the North East that met at at Johnson County Community College and the North West group that met at Sheridan County EMS were engaged in and prolific with their ideas.  Even 15 hours behind the wheel can’t dampen our enthusiasm for the information that we’ve been getting in the focus groups.

Pat, Kenneth, Dave, Bill (hidden), and David work through small group questions in preparation for the larger discussion.

A big thanks to our hosts for the focus groups (Ray Wright at Johnson County Community College and Deb Kaufman and David Stithem at Sheridan County) and to all of the participants who were able to find time to attend and participate.  We go to Ellsworth on August 11th for the final focus group and will then be on the downhill run of writing the course planning documents.  So far we only have four people signed up for Ellsworth so there is plenty of room.  To register, click here.  August 31 looms as the deadline for the needs assessment work before moving into lesson plan development.