Initial Licensing - Test Site General Information Sheet

You have nine (9) months from the date on your EMT Course Completion Certificate to complete your initial state licensing examination and obtain your NM state EMT license. Then you have a total of (2) years from the date on your course completion certificate to complete your testing process, if necessary. Failure to complete your state examination within two (2) years will require you to take the entire EMT course over before you can re-apply for state licensure examination.

Check your Confirmation letter for the times you are testing.
Your New Mexico State Written and Practical examinations will be given the same day on Saturday.
Written Test Times will begin at 09:00 & 14:00 on Saturday
Practical Test Times will begin at 08:00 & 1300 on Saturday
Arrive a little early (about 20 minutes) in order to process. Candidates who are late (more than 5 minutes) may not be allowed to test and will be rescheduled for another test site at an additional cost of $30 - $35 and you will loose an examination attempt..
Items allowed in the test site: You may bring your own gloves and stethoscope to use during your practical test; however, equipment (if required) for your test will be provided.

EMT- Basic candidates please bring the following Supplies:

Two (2) Pairs of gloves

Intermediate candidates please bring the following IV Supplies:

Three (3) IV Catheters (20 ga preferred)
One (1) 250-1000 cc bag of fluids
One (1)IV administration set (10,15,or 60 drop)
One (1) 1 cc syringe with needl
Two (2) Pairs of gloves

These items should be obtained through your service and may be expired. Please keep all IV items in a bag or container until you need them in a station. All IV supplies that you do not use, take back with you. DO NOT leave them at the test site. If you have any problems obtaining these supplies, please contact me prior to the test site at (505) 476-8215.

Items Not Allowed in the test site:

Skill sheets, study reference material, notes, pagers, cell phones, radios or recording devices. Please leave these items in your car or at home. DO NOT bring these items into the briefing or test area. No exceptions!!!
You should complete your testing by no later than 5:00 PM. Ample parking is available for those who wish to drive.
You will be doing some bending, kneeling, and squatting the testing stations. Please wear appropriate clothing.

DIRECTION TO TEST SITE

See Test Site Maps

Processing:

EMT-Basics and Intermediates need to have a picture ID and a document with your SSN on it. Intermediates will also require their Basic license card (current). See your confirmation letter for your specific times for testing.

If you cannot make the test site, please call (505) 476-8200 and cancel. If you do not call before the beginning of the test site ( No Later Than Friday afternoon, the week of the test site) and cancel/reschedule you will be charged a $30.00 - $35.00 Test Site Fee and you will lose one examination attempt.

Should you have any questions please feel free to call Ute Fennicks, State EMS BLS/ILS Coordinator, at (505) 476-8215.

Check out the NM EMS Bureau Web site: www.nmems.org

Testing Requirements: Assessment Based Testing Basic and Intermediate:

Assessment Stations are all twelve minutes (12) from the time you are told to begin to the time you have to complete the task of treating your patient.

We ask that you treat and interact with your patient as you would in real life. It is not necessary that you verbalize a step by step procedure to the Skill Evaluator as you do the task.

For example, if you have determined that patient needs a MLA, it is not necessary to verbalize the indications/contra-indications, the step by step procedures for checking the cuffs, the indications for removing the MLA, etc. You would not do this while working on a real patient in the field, we would not expect you to do it in the testing stations. If you spend to much time verbalizing step by step procedures, you will run out of time. Treat the patient! The Skill Evaluators will document your treatment(s).

Patients are moulaged to present/mimic the injuries based on a scenario. In all stations it is required that you identify and treat all life threats and injuries found. The patients will role play the conditions/injuries and provide answers/information to you when you ask. IMPORTANT - Handle your patient like you would on a real call.

All the equipment you will need to treat the patient is located in the room you will be testing. This equipment is standardized within all three training institutions as a minimum Use equipment that you are familiar with and was taught in your EMT Course. This is not a time to experiment. Proctors cannot train you on a piece of equipment in the room prior to your testing. This should have been done by your instructor during your course. Also there is more equipment in the room than you will need to treat your patient, select only the equipment you need to treat your patient. For example, if your patient has no known spinal injuries upon examination and MOI, it would not be necessary or expected for you to fully spinal immobilize your patient on a longboard.

Treat your Patient based on their injuries and needs.

Some skills may be verbalized in the trauma station to prevent being tested twice on the same skill in a different station. For example, in the trauma station you may verbalize the use of a combi-tube on a patient. All you would say to the proctor is "I would insert a combi-tube in this patient to manage/secure the airway." Doing the task or explaining how you would do the task is not necessary or required. Intermediates may verbalize starting an IV or giving medications in the trauma station only. In the medical station all skills will need to be actually performed. For example, if you decided your patient needs a combitube to secure the airway then you would actually do the task on the mannequin provided. Again you do not need to verbalize a step by step procedure or state the indication/contraindications for inserting/removal of a combi-tube. You would not do this in real life, we don't expect you to do it at the test site. Treat your patient just like you would when you respond to a call and encounter a real live person!!! Don't forget to tough and talk to your patient, they have all the information you need to find out what's wrong and treat it. Patients will respond to your treatment, ie correct treatment they get better, incorrect treatment they get worse.

Grievances: Should you believe you have been unfairly evaluated, see the hall monitor and have them contact me (Ute) IMMEDIATELY. Do not go to your next testing station or leave the area until you see me.

Starting your Test: The proctor will read you the directions and then the scenario and dispatch information . Your time starts when the proctor tells you to begin or a patient makes contact with you. If you have any questions please ask the proctor before you begin. Once the evaluation begins the proctor may not stop the evaluation and restart it or give you additional time.

Below are the instructions for each of the two assessment stations you will be tested on.

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PRACTICAL SKILLS CANDIDATE FOR MEDICAL ASSESSMENT/ TRAUMA ASSESSMENT Stations

PLEASE READ OUT LOUD TO THE CANDIDATE:

This is a twelve (12) minute station. In this station required to perform a primary/secondary survey, discover and treat all life threatening injuries and conditions found.

You must conduct your assessment and treatment (s) as you would in the field, to include communicating with your patient.

You may use any equipment in this room.

You may remove the blanket and any clothing down to the shorts/swimsuit as you feel appropriate.

Clinical information NOT obtainable by visual or physical inspection, for example B/P, will be given to you ONLY when you perform the actual task of taking a blood pressure.

You may assume that you are working alone. Additional real or imaginary EMT's of the same level will be provided only after you have demonstrated the task. For example, bagging a patient, after you have established the airway and demonstrated bagging the patient/mannequin , I will state that your helper as taken over the task of bagging for you.

I will acknowledge your treatments and may ask you for additional information if clarification is needed.

Do you have any questions before I read the scenario?

EMT Intermediates: The requirements are the same as the basic except that you will be treating the patient at the intermediate level which includes the basic scope of practice. You will be tested on your IV/medications skills in the Medical Assessment station. You are allotted fifteen (15) minutes in this station. You may verbalize IV Treatment(s) in the Trauma Assessment, Twelve (12) minutes station, so as not to test you on the same skill twice. For example, stating "I would start two large bore catheters with normal saline at wide open" is sufficient.