Pioneered by Dave Melendy, the course was first offered in the Spring semester of 2002, and has remained popular ever since.  It particularly appeals to those students who find it difficult to attend the conventional classroom schedule due to work or other obligations, as well as those students who don't routinely have access to continuing education classes.

The student enrolling in the course must be self-motivated, and be capable of basic computer and browser skills. For most students however, the online learning method has many advantages, particularly in being able to coordinate their own time schedule.  This is in contrast to a preset schedule that may not be conducive to their attention span, such as a four hour evening class after a long day at work.

This course will review and update your knowledge of the principles and skills required to perform as an EMT-I in the State of California. The course is divided into various modules that maintain consistent with the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic: National Standard Curriculum. The Blackboard course site includes a syllabus, content pages, self-administered quizzes/exams and a message board.

A textbook purchase is not required for this course; however, the student should have their EMT-1 textbook available as a reference. The course is designed to work easily with the textbook Essentials of Emergency Care, by Limmer, Elling and O'Keefe, Brady Books, Prentice Hall Publishing. This text is available for purchase at the bookstore and includes PowerPoint slides on a CD.

In order to take this course, students must submit a copy of their EMT Certificate or card, and their social security number, by mail or in person, to the Nursing Division office, Cuesta College, P.O. Box 8106, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106.  This information must be submitted at least one week prior to the beginning of the semester.  The student must have access to a computer with an email account and internet access.  In addition to the proceeding, the student will need to initial a course acknowledgement form.

EMS2 includes a mandatory skills day. Date, times, and location will be announced in the fall schedule. This day will include various skills stations, including AED and research presentations. Please do not enroll in this class if you have a known conflict with the mandatory skills day, as no alternate dates will be scheduled. You must be present for the mandatory skills day in order to pass this course.

This course is offered online using the Blackboard platform. You will not be able to login until the first day of class. More information regarding login will follow prior to the start of the class.

Please review the following information to determine whether the online classroom environment may be right for you. This course requires that you:

• Check your email for class announcements at least three times a week.
• Disable email filters that may block course emails/announcements.
• Are self-motivated to engage the program on a regular basis.
• Are comfortable using a "browser" to navigate through web pages.
• Use a search engine to research EMS topics.
• Participate in online class discussions/message boards.
• Understand the concepts associated with logging in and using passwords.

If you are a student with a verified disability, please notify the instructor of your needs for accommodations as soon as possible. Authorized accommodations and alternative media will be provided as appropriate.

This Class is credit/no credit. You must finish the class with a 70% average or higher in order to pass the course and make the mandatory skills day.

• 28-Quizzes 10 pts each

• 6-Discussion questions 5 pts each

• 1-Research Paper 20 pts

• Skills Exam Pass/Fail

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Additionally, I feel that this refresher course is well suited for distance education, since the student has been through a full basic class, and in many cases, they have been a "practicing EMT" in the field.  Often these students are able to conduct online time while at their place of work.

Please accept my thanks for your interest in this innovative way to maintain your EMT certification.  I welcome any comments, suggestions, bug notices, etc. as you work your way through our online program.

Chris Stubendorff

Instructor/EMT-P

Contact Information

Phone 805-546-3119

Email: christopher_stubendo@cuesta.edu