The EMS Educator

The Patient Perspective: EMS’s Best Teacher

What if the best EMS educators weren’t clinicians, but patients themselves? In this episode, hosts Hilary Gates and Maia Dorsett welcome sudden cardiac arrest survivor Nova McCarthy and medical director Alicia Bond for an insightful discussion on how patient experiences can enhance EMS education. Nova describes her experience as a keynote speaker and explores the power of patient-centered learning. She details powerful moments from her near-death experience, including the compassion and kind words of the EMS clinicians who cared for her.  Listen in to discover how EMS providers can learn directly from those they serve—gaining deeper empathy, refining communication, and improving decision-making in high-stakes moments.  This conversation challenges traditional training methods and offers an innovative take on EMS education. 

Mentioned in the episode:

Heartsight

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation

Trauma Survivors Network

Near Death Experiences

Email Alicia Bond: jcemsmedical@gmail.com

Email Nova McCarthy: mccarthynova@gmail.com

State of Jefferson EMS Conference

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.

Trauma Stewardship: Caring for the Caregivers in EMS

How do EMS clinicians process the trauma they witness daily—and how can they be better supported? In this episode of The EMS Educator podcast, hosts Rob Lawrence, Hilary Gates and Maia Dorsett explore the critical topic of trauma stewardship with guest Ronit Reguer, the first behavioral health coordinator for DC Fire and EMS. Together, they unpack the challenges of emotional resilience, the importance of proactive mental health care, and the cultural shifts shaping the future of first responder support. Ronit shares her experiences implementing innovative wellness initiatives, from peer support programs to “Wellness Wednesdays,” and offers powerful insights on addressing trauma before it leads to burnout. Whether you’re an EMS clinician, educator, or leader, this episode delivers vital lessons on fostering a culture of care that ensures long and meaningful careers as well as healthy humans.

Mentioned in the episode:

Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

https://traumastewardship.com/inside-the-book/

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.

Building Excellence in EMS Credentialing

Want more advice about how to effectively create EMS credentialing programs for your learners? In the latest episode of the EMS Educator Podcast, join hosts Rob Lawrence, Hilary Gates, and Maia Dorsett for a dynamic conversation with guests Dr. Jeremy Cushman and Shane O’Donnell. They dive into the intricacies of their successful educational program that trains EMS clinicians for specialty care transport (SCT). Jeremy and Shane discuss how to conduct needs assessments, perform gap analyses, and build learner-centered education models tailored to your system’s unique demands. From psychomotor skill validation to fostering clinical acumen, this episode offers actionable insights for EMS educators and leaders. Whether you’re refining an existing program or starting from scratch, this episode is packed with lessons and strategies to enhance EMS education and elevate patient care.

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.

Saving Lives Through Community Education

How should EMS educators expand their reach beyond the classroom? Prodigy's new Associate Medical Director of Pediatrics Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, MD, MPH, FAAP shares her profound dedication to public health education and CPR training in Pittsburgh’s community and beyond. Join hosts Rob Lawrence, Hilary Gates, and Maia Dorsett as they discuss Sylvia's life-saving training of University of Pittsburgh athletes to discussing her global initiatives, including her impactful work in Ghana. The hosts highlight critical disparities in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest responses and emphasize the importance of community-specific interventions. This episode explores how educators can expand their reach and provides practical insights for anyone aiming to become a force multiplier in public health. Listen in for inspiration and actionable tips to foster life-saving skills within your community.

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

Bonus content: Rob interviews Jon Needle, Community Response Manager of the East of England Ambulance NHS Trust about the unique ways that our friends across the pond leverage their community members.

Mentioned in the episode:

Pitt Center for Cardiac Arrest Survival

Ellie Breech saves her father's life with CPR

Damar Hamlin's 3 for Heart Challenge

Akoma United

Disparities in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest 

East of England Ambulance

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube & IG.

 

The Education of Ginger Locke

Ginger Locke, newly-minted Prodigy teammate and host of the "Medic Mindset" podcast joins The EMS Educator podcast as co-host. She highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute." We then dive into Ginger's EMS origin story and her ideas about the future of EMS education. Alongside Hilary Gates, Rob Lawrence, and Maia Dorsett, Ginger explores key aspects of creating a positive learning environment in EMS education. The conversation also touches on the evolving nature of EMS education, being a learner in our information-rich environment, data-driven customization of continuing education (CE), and the integration of new tools and technologies into practice.

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube & IG.

Engineering Belonging in EMS

What is belonging? Why is this critical for learning? In this episode, hosts Rob Lawrence and Dr. Maia Dorsett welcome expert guests, Dan Batsie, Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety for the State of Vermont; Dr. Heather Davis, Director of Assessment, UCLA School of Medicine, also taskforce chair of the IDEA Taskforce; and Ginger Locke, Prodigy’s newest team member (also Associate Professor of EMS Professions at Austin Community College).

Collectively they discuss the essential role that belonging plays in education, professional development, and organizational culture. Tune in to explore how to create inclusive environments that encourage connection, trust, and teamwork.

We also took a moment to honor and congratulate Prodigy’s Medical Director, Dr. Dorsett on being recognized as the NAEMT EMS Medical Director of the Year 2024. We couldn’t be more proud of Maia on this achievement.  

Resources

IDEA for EMS: The IDEA Task Force was created to identify actionable ways to prevent and eliminate systemic racism and inequality and promote diversity and inclusion in the EMS community, including the National Registry. The Task Force is comprised of representatives from the EMS community and is led by the Chair of the National Registry of EMTs Board of Directors. Visit: Home | IDEA for EMS

Preceptor Training Videos: Prodigy is excited to release this series of preceptor videos in partnership with the NREMT IDEA taskforce. These are free for you to use in your own preceptor training. These videos are intended to be used as part of your preceptor training or education program. We will continue to release more videos on this page as they become available. If you are using them in your own training, please give credit to Prodigy EMS and the NREMT IDEA task force. Videos should be used in whole and not edited. Visit: https://marketing.prodigyems.com/preceptor-nremt

NAEMT EMS Medical Director of the Year Award:  Maia Dorsett, MD, PhD, Rochester, New York 2024, sponsored by Bound Tree. Visit: https://www.naemt.org/docs/default-source/media-docs/naemt-press-releases/2024/2024-national-ems-awards-of-excellence-recipients-8-17-24v2.pdf?sfvrsn=6b6bf193_3

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube & IG.

 

Cultivating EMS Educators: The Role of Mentorship

In this episode, we dive into the intersecting worlds of EMS education and mentorship with guest Jonathan Jenkins, a seasoned EMS educator.

As a surprise, we’re also joined by Mike Taigman, a renowned expert in EMS and healthcare improvement and mentor to many. Together, they explore the critical role of mentorship in developing new EMS educators, sharing insights, personal stories, and practical advice.

Whether you're an aspiring EMS educator or a seasoned professional, tune in for this conversation on the power of mentorship for EMS educators.

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube & IG.

Realism in EMS Simulation

Creating and managing realistic patient simulations is not an easy task.  EMS educators have a lot on their plate -- from designing the scenario to training facilitators to choosing the equipment to avoiding training scars.  What are best practices? We asked simulation gurus Brittany Prater, Director of Alabama EMS Region One and Robby May, ALS Education Specialist at Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue.  Listen as Rob, Maia and Hilary ask about the tricks of the trade and learn how to make your simulations prepare students for the real world.

Mentioned in the episode:

Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions by Gary Klein 
https://www.amazon.com/Sources-Power-People-Make-Decisions/dp/0262611465

Society for Simulation in Healthcare 
https://www.ssih.org/

Healthy Simulation
https://www.healthysimulation.com/

I'm a New Medic. And I'm Scared to Death.

https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/emsworld/perspectives/im-new-medic-and-im-scared-death

Brittany.prater@calhoun.edu

robby.k.may@gmail.com

The EMS Educator will publish on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube & IG.

The New NREMT Exams

On July 1, 2024, the NREMT will transition from the current psychomotor examinations to the new AEMT Certification Examination and new Paramedic Certification Examination.  According to the NREMT, this will "bring Paramedic and AEMT examinations in line with most other health-based professions, which have made similar updates in recent years, and matches the best research and science that’s currently available." 
What should educators be doing to prepare? How should students understand the change? What do we think will happen once the change is made?  
Hosts Maia Dorsett and Hilary Gates interview Paul Rosenberger, NREMT Examinations Content Manager and David Fifer, Assistant Professor in the Paramedic Program at Eastern Kentucky University to get the answers. 

Mentioned in the episode:

Follow David Fifer at https://x.com/DownToFifer

Davidfifer@eku.edu

Paul Rosenberger prosenberger@nremt.org

PEC Clinical Judgment paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10903127.2022.2048756

NAEMSE webinars: https://naemse.org/page/UpcomingWebinars

FAQs about this change can be found at: https://nremt.org/Document/ALS-Certification-Examination-FAQ

The EMS Educator will publish on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube & IG.

Preparing Your People for Pediatric Patients

How, where, when and why should we be training our EMS clinicians to take care of tiny humans? Look no further for the answers, as we have subject matter expert Stephanie Ashford, Division Chief of Clinical Practice at the Saint Charles County (MO) Ambulance District.  Stephanie has proven advice on how to successfully integrate pediatric readiness and skills training for your agency.  Tiny humans are sometimes terrifying (smaller parts, requires math, etc.), and Stephanie's experience teaches us how to implement Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice as well as other mantras such as "Pause, Prescribe, Replay" so that we are basing our training on proven research.  
Take a listen and be sure to check out the Peds Ready PPRP Assessment, open from May- July: https://emspedsready.org/ 

Mentioned in the episode:

Follow Stephanie on X: https://twitter.com/ashfordmom

Peak by Anders Ericsson 

Kirkpatrick Model

Dr. John Hoyle

SCCAD EMS STARS Program

The EMS Educator will publish on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops!

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube & IG.