NREMT Paramedic study plan
NREMT Paramedic · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Airway, Respiration, and Ventilation
Label the upper and lower airway structures and describe what each contributes to patency and gas exchange
Differentiate between hypoxia, hypoxemia, and inadequate ventilation using clinical signs and SpO2/EtCO2 values
Select the correct oxygen delivery device and flow rate for a given patient presentation across the full range of devices
Demonstrate the sequence for opening an airway, suctioning, and inserting an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal adjunct
Calculate and interpret basic respiratory values (tidal volume, minute volume, respiratory rate) for adult, pediatric, and infant patients
Your checkpoint
A one-page airway decision card mapping 8 patient presentations to device, adjunct, and ventilation rate, plus 40 practice questions scored at 80% or better
Airway, Respiration, and Ventilation & Cardiology and Resuscitation
Compare supraglottic airways and endotracheal intubation on indication, contraindication, and confirmation method
Justify every advanced airway placement with continuous waveform capnography and describe how to respond to each waveform abnormality
Set ventilator or BVM parameters to target a specific EtCO2 or SpO2 goal in a head injury, asthma, and cardiac arrest scenario
Identify the steps of a failed airway algorithm and state when to move to a surgical airway
Perform a 3-lead setup and identify P waves, PR interval, QRS width, and rate from a rhythm strip
Your checkpoint
Completed skill checkoff sheet for BVM, supraglottic insertion, intubation, and capnography interpretation with an instructor or peer evaluator signature line for each
Cardiology and Resuscitation
Classify at least 12 rhythms by rate, regularity, QRS width, and P-wave relationship without reference material
Distinguish artifact from true dysrhythmia and state the clinical action for each unstable rhythm
Apply the tachycardia and bradycardia treatment algorithms to 10 written scenarios and defend each intervention chosen
Interpret a 12-lead for ST elevation, reciprocal changes, and axis deviation, and identify the coronary territory involved
Differentiate STEMI, NSTEMI, unstable angina, and pericarditis on presentation and ECG findings
Your checkpoint
A rhythm identification log of 50 strips with your interpretation, the correct answer, and a one-line rationale for each miss
Cardiology and Resuscitation
Execute adult cardiac arrest care from recognition through ROSC, including compression quality metrics, defibrillation energy, and drug timing
Sequence the reversible causes of arrest and match each to the intervention that addresses it
Manage post-ROSC care including oxygenation targets, blood pressure support, and destination decision
Adapt arrest and peri-arrest care for pediatric and pregnant patients
Explain when to terminate resuscitation and how to support the family during and after the event
Your checkpoint
A timed 25-question cardiology and resuscitation practice block completed at 84% or higher with every missed item rewritten as a corrected study note
Trauma
Control external hemorrhage with direct pressure, wound packing, and tourniquet application in the correct order
Recognize the classes of shock by presentation and match each to the volume and vasopressor strategy indicated
Assess and manage chest trauma including tension pneumothorax, open chest wound, flail chest, and cardiac tamponade
Prioritize treatment for burns using the rule of nines, and identify when to transport to a burn center
Evaluate head and spinal trauma and apply spinal motion restriction criteria rather than blanket immobilization
Your checkpoint
A trauma priorities flowchart for 6 mechanisms of injury, each listing the first three interventions and the transport decision
Trauma & Medical
Triage trauma patients to the correct destination using mechanism, anatomic, and physiologic criteria
Manage abdominal, orthopedic, and soft tissue trauma including splinting, traction, and crush injury considerations
Differentiate the respiratory medical emergencies (asthma, COPD, pulmonary edema, embolism, pneumonia) and treat each appropriately
Manage neurologic emergencies including stroke, seizure, and altered mental status using validated screening tools
Stabilize endocrine emergencies including hypoglycemia, DKA, and thyroid storm
Your checkpoint
Two 20-question domain blocks (trauma, medical) each scored at 80% or higher, with a written correction for every missed item
Medical
Treat toxicologic emergencies by toxidrome, including the specific antidotes and contraindicated interventions
Manage obstetric emergencies including eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, prolapsed cord, and imminent delivery
Assess and intervene in behavioral emergencies while maintaining scene safety and patient dignity
Respond to anaphylaxis, sepsis, and acute abdominal pain with time-critical intervention sequences
Adapt assessment and dosing for pediatric, geriatric, and bariatric medical patients
Your checkpoint
A toxidrome and antidote reference table with 10 entries plus 25 mixed medical questions scored at 80% or higher
EMS Operations & Airway, Respiration, and Ventilation & Cardiology and Resuscitation & Trauma & Medical
Apply scene size-up, incident command roles, and triage tagging in a simulated mass casualty incident
Differentiate transport modes and destinations using patient acuity, geography, and system resources
Explain documentation, reporting, medical direction, and scope-of-practice obligations that govern field decisions
Complete two full-length timed practice exams under test-day conditions
Convert every missed item across all domains into a review sheet and re-test only those weak areas
Your checkpoint
Two full-length practice exams averaging 82% or higher with a completed weak-area remediation sheet sorted by domain
Milestones
Week 2: Score 80% or higher on a 40-question airway and ventilation block covering device selection, adjuncts, capnography, and ventilation targets
Week 4: Identify 45 of 50 rhythms correctly in under 15 seconds each, and pass one instructor-observed arrest scenario from recognition through post-ROSC care
Week 6: Score 80% or higher on separate trauma and medical question blocks, and verbalize a complete treatment sequence for 5 trauma and 5 medical scenarios
Week 7: Recite the antidote for every toxidrome covered and score 80% or higher on a mixed medical block including OB, behavioral, and pediatric items
Week 8: Average 82% or higher across two full-length practice exams with no single domain below 78%, and a written remediation sheet with no more than 5 unresolved weak areas