Rowan College at Burlington County announced a new partnership with Virtua for a new paramedic science degree and certificate program to meet the growing need for first responders.
“Rowan College at Burlington County has always had an excellent relationship with Virtua, which serves as a clinical site to give our nursing students hands-on experience before entering the career,” said RCBC President Paul Drayton. “I am glad to see our relationship with Virtua strengthen as we begin the paramedic science program. We will be the premier destination in the country for people seeking a highly-rewarding career as a professional emergency medical technician.”
RCBC students will have the opportunity to receive training though the Virtua School of Paramedic Science, which formally began in 1997 and became fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program in 2015. Students will receive high-quality training that comes with impressive statistics. More than 90 percent of students who have participated in the program through Virtua pass the National Registry Certification Exam on their first try. All students pass on subsequent attempts. Employers seek graduates of Virtua’s paramedic program because of high level of clinical and classroom expertise.
“The program at Rowan College at Burlington County will provide for several enhancements to the existing program,” said Virtua President and CEO, Richard P. Miller. “We look forward to an expanded relationship with RCBC to grow our programmatic offerings, including an international training component to serve EMS systems outside of the United States.”
The paramedic training consists of two academic years, run over six consecutive semesters, and includes an online component. Students learn about obstetrics and neonatology, pediatric and geriatric care, special needs patient care, trauma care, ECG interpretation, pharmacology, as well as disease processes and management. They can also earn certifications in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support.
RCBC students will acquire intensive hands-on learning experiences though more than 700 combined in-hospital clinical and field internship hours. In the hospital, students will train under preceptors in different departments including emergency, labor and delivery, ICU, outpatient laboratory, operating and others. In the field, students will function as paramedic interns on paramedic units in the community. Paired with experienced mentors, students will learn how to apply their classroom and in-hospital education to the 911 emergency setting.
Burlington County Sheriff Jean Stanfield, a staunch supporter of Burlington County’s first responders, said the addition of Virtua will enhance the county’s ability to respond to emergencies. “Burlington County’s first responders know no equal and save lives every day. I look forward to having the well trained graduates of this new program join their ranks. While I commend RCBC and Virtua for this innovative new partnership, the real winners here are the residents of Burlington County and the entire region.”
RCBC and Virtua are working to implement the new program in fall 2016, pending state approval.
Paramedic Science will be part of the college’s Health Sciences Division, which will move to the Health Sciences building on Briggs Road as the college transitions to the Mount Laurel campus. The facility will feature a state-of-the-art simulation lab to train future first responders.
