Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Forum: AAMS, AMPA, ASTNA, NEMSPA, NFPA

2002; Elsevier BV; Volume: 21; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s1067-991x(02)70092-8

1532-6497

Christian Giller, G. Powell, Ken Williams, Jill R. Johnson, Victoria A. Spediacci,

Trauma and Emergency Care Studies

Well, spring has sprung, and it is once again time to ramp up for the Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference (CCTMC)—or Mid-Year Conference for those of you who can remember when it was known as such. This year's conference promises to be one of the best yet and will provide exceptional clinical tracks at an affordable rate. The conference will be held at the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas April 15-17. This is an awesome resort, and Pat Petersen has outdone herself again in her research, development, and coordination of this event. In addition to the conference, NFPA will present our third annual Tim Hynes Award and hold the Tim Hynes Memorial Golf Tournament. The award, which bears the name of one of our past presidents who was tragically killed in the line of duty, was established as a way to honor an exceptional paramedic as Paramedic of the Year. The golf tournament, which was established to provide financial support for the families of paramedics killed in the line of duty, is a fun-filled, “best ball” foursome with recognition for players and prizes in several categories. Each year the event continues to grow in both popularity and size. Please come out and make this year the best ever! Enjoy a round of golf in a spectacular setting and interact with the board of directors, all for a very worthy cause. Contact Pat in the office for details. This year we will provide a review course for the certified flight paramedic examination and also offer the test during the conference. In addition, we now have a study guide to help you prepare. Contact Pat in the office no later than April 1 to secure your place in the review course and the examination. To purchase the study guide, visit the NFPA website. Last, but not least, there has been some discussion of late regarding the board's decision to change the certified flight paramedic abbreviation from CFP to FP-C. I would like to clarify the rationale behind that decision. An individual who successfully passes the examination is known as a certified flight paramedic. The abbreviation was changed because CFP is trademarked by the Board of Certified Financial Planners. On being advised of this prior claim, the NFPA board discussed several options with a random sample of members. Consensus was that the change to FP-C would be the least difficult to make and still maintain the professional recognition this certification denotes. I need to stress that those individuals who pass the certified examination still will be known as certified flight paramedics. The correct way to designate this certification is by the initials FP-C after your name. If you have any questions on this or any other topic, please feel free to E-mail anyone on the board of directors. I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas and encourage you to get involved with and attend the board meetings. Most of all, take care and be safe! Many exciting events and opportunities lie before us in the near future. The Forum provides an excellent venue to reach AAMS members with up-to-date information about where we are, where we are going, and how we will get there through 2002. Here are a few items I would like to highlight: The efforts undertaken by the AAMS board and staff on behalf of members regarding the air carrier relief bill amount to many hours and dollars. By the time you read this article, the outcome likely will be apparent, but it is impossible to predict now. Suffice to know that much diligent work is going into the effort to address this issue. The first critical care ground conference, held January 18-20 in Dallas, Texas, was just the beginning of many more good things to come through the tremendous effort that the transport medicine community puts into education and critical care. The AAMS Spring Conference that took place March 6-9 in Washington, D.C., “Air Medical Transport: The New Reality,” provided a wonderful opportunity for AAMS members to share experiences and gain perspective. From April 15-17, the Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference will take place in Las Vegas. AAMS will have the opportunity once again to seek significant input toward the new structure and new relationships that characterize the future of the transport medicine community. The Medical Transport Leadership Institute will be held April 28 through May 2 at Oglebay Park. The certificate received upon successful completion of the program is rapidly becoming a very meaningful credential in the world of transport medicine. I urge all who can possibly attend to do so. By the time we attend AirMed September 17-20 in Switzerland, just a little more than a year will have passed since the tragedies of September 11 took place. It is emotionally and intellectually challenging to realize the profound changes that the world has and will have undergone in that year. One of the new features we have discussed developing for AAMS is an international network. I certainly feel an urgency to create these relationships and firm up the vital bonds in the global environment of transport medicine. Without a doubt, transport medicine—now composing approximately 10% of our health care dollars—may grow to as much as 25% when we consider the demographic boom that is going to make moving patients so important. As we develop strategies to cope with that demographic expansion and move more sick people, we can learn a great deal from mechanisms developed around the world. Our opportunities to share are huge, and I urge you all to take significant advantage of every chance you have to learn more from other programs and organizations. Near the end of the year, we will find ourselves in Kansas City from November 4-6 for the Air Medical Transport Conference. As always, this conference offers a wonderful chance to get together, look back on a year of world change, and again renew the bonds that make working in this environment such a wonderful life experience. There are only a few of these forums in which to articulate my thoughts as president. Most importantly, I once again would like to thank you for the honor and opportunity to serve as the president of AAMS. As 2002 begins its second quarter, I look forward to working with all of you. Where will you be on April 14? You should be in Las Vegas at the Alexis Park Resort. Why? Because the AMPA preconference and general membership meetings, rescheduled from September 23, will be held on that date, followed by the 2002 CCTMC April 15-17. And why attend these conferences? (Yes, you can attend the AMPA precon even if you're not a physician or medical director.) Because academic excellence is an important part of air medical transport. Because these events give you the opportunity to improve your academic skills. What does the latest literature say about the use of amiodarone for ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest? How has the treatment of blunt traumatic brain injury changed recently? If you know how to mix dopamine, do you know everything about pressors and treatment of shock? When are medications indicated to facilitate endotracheal intubation, and which ones are best if the patient is in shock? Have we been fooling ourselves with our approach to disaster planning? How do you know if an infant is septic? How much of your practice is based on RCTs? What is an RCT?! Find a question you couldn't answer? Find questions that don't have answers? That's part of the challenge today. You're part of an evolving, changing profession. It isn't enough to follow guidelines. It isn't enough to follow protocols. Critical care transport patients deserve care from thinking professionals who know what the controversies are, when the guidelines apply and when they don't, and when the protocols need updating. These questions and more will be discussed at the AMPA preconference and the CCTMC in April. How do you apply the latest research to your program, your practice, and your patients? Do you know how to analyze the medical literature? What are the features of an article that you should use to determine if it will change your practice? Should a single article change your practice? A few articles? Evidence-based medicine is the latest effort to give us tools and a framework for reviewing the medical literature. Here's a good place to start if you're curious about EBM: http://cebm.jr2.ox.ac.uk/docs/toolbox.html. When you're considering a topic (a new medication, a different procedure), take a look at the medical literature and apply common sense, your knowledge of critical care transport and your profession, and sound principles of analysis to determine if each study is valid, what the results really are, how and if they apply to your practice. Together, these things should help you determine if you should change your guidelines, protocols, and practice. And come to the CCTMC in April to learn more. Why be a CFRN? I know many transport nurses ask this question of themselves and ASTNA. What will it do for me? Certification in general is a way to let the public and employers identify clinicians who have met certain standards in their specialty of care. Certification validates your expertise in nursing. It can open the door for career advancement and new job opportunities. The CFRN designation demonstrates competency in transport. It also shows a greater commitment to the transport profession and the quality of health care provided. ASTNA supports the certification of transport nurses. ASTNA and the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) worked to develop the CFRN examination. The first CFRN test was given in 1991. In 1998, the examination became available on computer. Two years of transport experience are recommended before taking it. No BSN is required. ASTNA is discussing the development of a ground transport certification examination with the BCEN. At the 2002 Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference in Las Vegas, ASTNA will present a 1-day CFRN review class on April 14 at the Alexis Park Hotel. Contact the ASTNA office for more information or a brochure. The BCEN also will be available at the resort to answer questions. The paper and pencil CFRN will be given at the conference on the 15th for those interesting in taking the test. The CFRN examination is managed and administered by the BCEN. For further information, visit mailto:[email protected] . Take pride in showing your achievement and commitment to transport nursing. The NEMSPA board of directors would like to acknowledge this year's Pilot of the Year Award winner—Tim Sukow of Duke Life Flight. Mr. Sukow has been recognized by his peers for demonstrating most notable accomplishments within his flight program. Tim's demonstrated leadership and participation were key in Duke's ability to receive CAMTS accreditation. He was an active participant as the aviation liaison to review, draft, or approve policies for this process. Tim also played a key role in Duke's research when it came time to replace aircraft within their program. With his guidance and expertise, he was able to provide follow-up on questions, options, and alternative ideas. His work and efforts paid off as demonstrated by Duke's decision to purchase new aircraft based on his recommendations. However, what sets Mr. Sukow above the standard was his participation, support, and guidance during a period when Duke Life Flight suffered a tragedy. “Tim's actions kept the program together, allowed it to respond in a dignified and proud manner, and returned it to its business of transporting patients sooner. He led the way for us all. He allowed us to cry because he cried. He inspired us to be brave because he was brave. He brought us together and kept us together because he showed us how much we all meant to him and each other. His actions were always dedicated to the program or someone in the program. He was selfless and magnificent.” This recognition of a professional within our industry will always elevate an individual to stand out above the rest. Congratulations, Tim Sukow—job well done!