October 14th, 2011
EMT & Fire Training Inc. (EFT) has been teaching an online 24-hour EMT Refresher for almost a year now, and a common question potential students have is whether the refresher will be accepted by their state and the NREMT. Scott Reasor, Director of Operations for EFT, gives you the inside scoop on this new educational opportunity.
Get all the EMT Refresher facts.
Online education is becoming more accepted in Emergency Services, and the decision to offer an online EMT Refresher was looked at very carefully by the Board of Directors at EMT & Fire Training Inc. (EFT). After talking with both the National Registry of EMT’s (NREMT) and the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS) about the rules and policies for this type of training, the EFT Board developed a plan and implemented an online EMT Refresher that meets the requirements of both the NREMT and CECBEMS. This innovative approach at education delivery allows students from all over the world to attend an EMT Refresher and be able to apply it to their NREMT recertification just like a traditional refresher would be applied.
Since March 1st, 2011 when the program was launched, EFT has had over 90 students enroll in the EMT Refresher. The feedback from students has been extremely positive. Here is a quote from one of the students, “…this course was a life saver. I enjoyed it very much.” We have had students using it for recertification, as well as those who have failed the NREMT cognitive exam 3 times and needed to take the refresher to be able to get 3 more attempts at the NREMT exam. Several students have told us that they actually learned more in the Refresher than their original class had taught them.
So how about you? Will this course work for your situation? The short answer is, ‘maybe!’ Here is a list of things you need to know in order to determine if an online EMT Refresher will work for your situation;
- Check with the state you are licensed in first! Find out if they accept CECBEMS accredited EMS Refresher courses. If they are unsure, explain that the course is conducted online and that students must log in at specific class times to meet with the instructors. Also let them know that the NREMT accepts the refresher without any problems. Some states will NOT accept any refresher that is not ‘approved’ through them. In that situation you will need to follow what they direct. Most states do accept CECBEMS accredited training and so it will work for you.
- If you have failed the NREMT exam 3 times and want to take the remedial training required before you can take any other attempts, then this EMT Refresher will work for you 100%. If you have failed 2 attempts and want to take the refresher before your 3rd attempt you can do this as well. If you fail the 3rd attempt after taking the refresher, you can still apply it to the NREMT to take 3 more attempts at that point. We have had several students do this, just to take the edge off the worry of that 3rd attempt.
- You need to plan for how long the course will take if you are approaching your deadline. The refresher course lectures are spread out over several weeks, so plan on at least 3 weeks to complete the course. IF you need it sooner, there is the possibility that you can buy an instructors time to deliver the course in a very short amount of time. Just remember – It will take you at least 24 hours to complete the 24-hour refresher. This is not some fast tracked program. You actually are required to spend the time in the lectures.
- If you only need the refresher for your NREMT certification then it will work for you 100%. Just understand that this refresher does NOT provide any skills verification with it. You will need to have your training officer or medical director sign the appropriate forms on your recertification paperwork attesting to that.
If you have a different situation that you find yourself in from the ones talked about here, please give us a call. Usually we can track down everything you need to know with a few simple phone calls. The NREMT is very helpful when confronted with strange situations, and most state EMS officials are willing to answer questions as well.
So if you need a 24-hour refresher, now is the perfect opportunity to enroll at a discounted price. Even if you don’t need it right away, you can register now and still have 24 months to complete the course. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in class!
EMT Refresher Online Course
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