Oral Station NR practical Exam

Part of the National Registry Practical exam is two Oral Stations, I have discussed it previously here.

 I'm not sure but I have heard that the addition of these Oral Stations is a relatively new addition to the test.

Obviously checklist station scenarios do a poor job of assessing higher brain function in the paramedic student.

You can teach a monkey to pass Dynamic. What really separates a Paramedic from other level providers is their critical thinking skills and ability to control a scene.

The Oral station is suppose to test that.

I don't think I am suppose to discuss the specifics of my scenarios that were presented but I can say that they weren't that difficult to deal with.

 And that is what really screwed folks up.

 I am guessing that the reason so many folks failed the station was that they didn't ask all the SAMPLE questions and take a complete set of vitals.

Honestly, I only did it because during practice one of my instructors told me I should (when testing the Oral Stations).

Also, when I say a "complete set of vitals" I am talking HR, RR, BP, SP02, pupils, lung sounds, temperature, FSBG, skin color, temperature, and moisture.

I can tell you that one of the patients I flat out would not have taken FSBG or temperature if faced with that exact situation in the field, because I honestly don't think there would be enough time(it was an 8 minute transport time to trauma center)

I may very well may have not asked about allergies either, because in this case the patient really didn't "need" any medications.

But I did ask, and I passed. Folks I know didn't ask, and didn't pass.

This whole situation kind of goes against what Paramedic instruction presses.

Paramedics are taught to form a differential diagnosis, and ask pertinent questions regarding patient presentation and that underlying differential.

If it doesn't matter what the patient's temperature is, I really don't think that someone should be penalized for not asking about it.


 So future paramedic student test-takers keep that in mind....