2020Protocols

South Plains Emergency Medical Services

Saving Lives in the South Plains

2023 PROTOCOLS

2023 ECA Protocols

2023 EMT Protocols

2023 Advanced EMT (EMT Intermediate)

2023 Paramedic

2023 ECA Protocols

2023 ECA Protocol Changes

2023 ECA Protocol Test

* The purpose of the protocol test is:

1. To know what your medical director will allow you to do under his license.

~ The protocols are not what all EMS services do under their respective medical direction.

~ The protocols are not necessarily what you learned in your EMS or specialty courses/CE/Conference.

2. The protocols change yearly through extensive research, best practices, medical director preference, and field needs & requests.

~ The test is designed to learn what the new changes are.

~ The test is to ensure that you do not perform treatments that are no longer in the protocols.

~ The test is designed as an open book test so you will know where to find the changes (new additions

& discontinuations).

~ The online test is randomized. No two tests are the same. Do not take it once as a "practice".

~ The test is not designed for you to "see if you can pass it without opening the protocols".

> The highest failure rate is due to this thought process.

> One of the large failure rates is due to rushing through the test.

< The average time to take the written test in the SPEMS office is 4 hours.

< The page number must be written on the test as part of the grade when taken at SPEMS.

~ Needless failures are an administrative burden, a waste of resources, and valuable time.

~ SPEMS pays a fee per test. At this time there is no charge to the individual. However, should the

system be abused, the individual may be required to pay for the tests they waste.

3. The protocol test is designed to know that you can perform optimal patient care.

You must score 90% or better to pass this open book test. You only get 1 attempt to pass. If you do not pass after 1 attempt you must contact the SPEMS office. Upon remediation on the phone, the test will be re-opened for you to resume your 2nd attempt. Should you fail, you will be required to schedule a 4-hour appointment with the SPEMS office to take a written, monitored exam. At the discretion of the SPEMS staff/peer reviewer/medical director, tests scored less than 80% may be required to either take the entire test again or be required to take the second attempt in the SPEMS office. IF YOU FAIL BOTH ATTEMPTS, DO NOT ALTER YOUR NAME OR EMAIL ADDRESS TO CIRCUMVENT THE SYSTEM. EVEN IF YOU PASS, THE SCORE WILL NOT COUNT. YOU WILL STILL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SPEMS OFFICE TO RETEST.

Remember that the protocol test must be completed by the appointed date. If the test is not taken by that date, than you do not have medical direction. Ultimately, it is the EMS Directors responsibility to ensure that EVERY practicing person on that service passes the Protocol test BEFORE being allowed to staff an ambulance.