Changes to HS Res Tng

[Donut]

I thought I'd resurrect this one rather then start another:

HS Pres members are now eligible not only for PCP reimbursement, but to get placed on a Cl B contract for the duration of their tng; here's an excerpt from the msg:



3. With this initiative, the CF H Svcs Gp will sponsor selected Res Med Techs to attend a Canadian college or educational institution for the purpose of achieving a PCP (or provincial equivalent) diploma or certificate within their province of residence.  Members selected for this program will be responsible to apply for and obtain acceptance at a CF approved Canadian college or educational institution.  Members will be responsible to obtain their provincial licence or certification, and will also be expected to consolidate and maintain this qualification through employment as a PCP in the civilian sector.

EMPLOYMENT AND DEPLOYMENT

4. It is the member’s responsibility to maintain PCP clinical currency.  Therefore, to be considered for this program, the candidate must be able to provide a reasonable guarantee that employment with a civilian ambulance service is probable, and that sufficient work is available to keep the licence or certification current and in good standing.  Members are expected to maintain short and long term competency through their civilian paramedic employment, as there is no intent or ability for the CF to develop and fund a PCP Maintenance of Clinical Skills Program (MCSP) for Reservists.  Therefore, as part of the application process, the unit CO and RSM must attest to the availability of local civilian PCP employment.

5. The requirement to sustain current deployed operations includes the Med Techs/PCPs.  Reserve members who apply for this program must give their personal commitment to sustain CF H Svcs Gp’s operational requirements by volunteering for an employment tour in an operational theatre within two years of consolidation of skills.  All candidates must sign a Statement of Understanding to this effect, at Annex D.  In addition, in-theatre employment requires that members maintain competency of the clinical and field modules of their Reg F QL3 qualification.

End quote.

They're also asking them to commit to 4 years in the Mo (not sure if that's legally binding in any way shape or form...I have my doubts) and one tour when they're done their tng and their "consolidation of skills" period.

They don't deploy the ones they have now, and they're already looking for more....I'll believe it when I see it....

The Res pension CIF is only 341 days away...

DF

 

[medicineman]

It may in fact be quite legal for them to ask for a commitment if the crown is assuming responsibility for the training money - called Obligatory Service everywhere else where they pay for you.  The new Basic Engagement for a Med Tech in the Regular Force is 6 years vice 3 because of the expense and time of training them up to an operational level - it's only fair that they ask for a little back if they are going to pay your way through a college program.  I think it's a big step forward for the Forces for them to come out and ask for a commitment for Reservists - just need to convince the private sector employers and schools that Reserve soldiers have a commitment besides they're normal 9 to 5 stuff so that they can aggresively fulfill their part of the bargain when it comes to training.  Legislation like in the US is required me thinks that federally protects a Reserve serviceperson or Guardsman's job, as they have obligatory service to perform in the event of a call up and have contracts to serve for their part time service as well (good luck on that).

Of course, that caveat might  have been put there to see if everyone would just say it isn't worth the hassle, stop bothering Group and not call the bluff...

MM

 

[DartmouthDave]

Hello,

"Total Force" (not to date myself) has been a part of Reserve for many years.  For example, ROTO2 to FRY had lots of infantry reserves on it. Among other trades, as well such as comms, drivers, and combat eng. (to dispel the argument that infantry is an easier task to fill)  Half of a rotation to Cyprus was all reserves in 91.

So, I do not see why the CFMG makes deploying reserve members so difficult?  It has worked well with other trades?  Moreover, I don't think the reserves will be 'fair-weather' soldiers either.  I know, many of my friends in the reserves  are anxious to go despite having to leave civilian jobs. (i.e. EMS jobs, ICU jobs)  Many have gone on other tours as well (Cambodia, FRY, Cyprus, Namibia, ect.....)

I know a green res. QL3 Med-A isn't ready for a tour.  But, a res Med-A with solid clinical experience is.  Even for the MIR/clinic stuff.  They may not see a trauma patients everyday but they see patients on a daily basis. Which is more than most (not all) reg. force Med-A. 

So, why not use them?  For example, I know a Med-A who is an RN and an ACP in a major urban ems service.  An other res QL4 Med-A who is an ACP. 

It seems they whole res. QL3 QL4 Reg QL5 et al...... system is keeping skilled people out.  If the CFMG wants to get better (Medevac, Critical Care Transports for Afghanistan to Germany, Germany to CND, ect...) it needs to streamline the whole training process, and actually gain hands-on patient care experience.


Thanks,

David
  Please, my tone is positive, not insulting.  I just feel that the CFMG can, should do more.

 

[old medic]

Last night we got a brief from our CO and RSM, just back from Ottawa, and they announced some changes to the res tng for medics.  Just in case people haven't been getting this info, I thought I'd throw it out here and see what people think.

QL 3 and 4 are being lengthened.  They will, together, comprise the non-PCP portion of the reg QL3. So a res QL4 with PCP will have a direct equivalency to a Reg F QL3.  A three week bridge program will be running in Borden summer 06 to bring people over to the new standard, which will mean a decrease in recruiting and QL3 tng for the remainder of the 05-06 tng year.

Reg F PCP positions will be opened to "vetted" Res mbrs starting in Sept 06.

There is a proposal, with some support from higher, for the Reg Fd Ambs to take reservists on contract, give them their PCP, or reimburse them for it, send them on a deployment, and then offer direct CT into the Reg F.

Overseas deployments for reservists are (again) being considered in 30 or 90 day blocks, as well as the above scheme.

Anybody heard anything different? 
What are peoples thoughts on this?

DF

Just an update on this:

(I realize the CFMSS course block with the five bridging serials has been out for quite some time).

CFHS HQ put out a letter 02 May 2006 (300000297-402) titled "RESERVE MEDICAL TECHNICIAN
ENHANCEMENT TRAINING".

Key points (paragraphs 3, and 4).

3. The Reg F QL3 emergent care module lead to a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP)
qualification. Res F Med Techs who hold a PCP license in a Canadian province may
request equivalency for this third module through a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
and, following successful completion of enhancement training, will be granted the
Reg F QL3 competency. Med Techs who complete the enhancement training but
do not have a PCP license will not be granted the full Reg F QL3 Med Tech
competency (all three modules) but will have an enhanced Scope of Practice defined
at ref E. 

(Mod note: reference E is listed as "E. Res Med Tech Scope of Practice document
(draft, to be published in May 2006)" ).

4. The enhancement training is a 15 training days course approved by the Managing
Authority to close the small delta that currently exists between the field and clinical
portion of the Reg F QL3, and the Res F QL3 and QL4 offered before 2006 (refs C
and D refer). Res QL4 Med Tech (or higher) who successfully complete this course
will be granted equivalency with the Reg F QL3 clinical and field modules. Res F
Med Techs attending the Res F QL4 course starting in 2006 will be granted
equivalency to these two modules through the new curriculum.

 

[Donut]

I've just returned from Borden, having completed the first serial of the Res Enh Tng, so here's a bit of a summary on the tng.

Firstly, kudos to the staff involved.  I doubt the Res has ever before dedicated so much clinical experience in one course before, including RNs, SNs, ACP Paramedics, Reg F 6A (old school), and I'm sure there were other, hidden qualifications, too.

Among the students were a number of student nurses, PCPs, EMT-As, EMT-P, X-Ray tech, again, lots of clinical experience among the candidates, too.

The program content is sound; these are all skills our reservists need.  Having been 2IC of an MIR for a number of years, having to find people with the old 4s in order to run an immunization parade was getting to be a challenge.  Time could have been better utilized (how many practice sessions do you need to read a checklist for a serviceability check on a LP10?).  Standards were good, too, moving to a more results based assessment over a process based one; Initiate an IV using a sterile technique became just that, without the checklist of “you put the TK on before you swabbed the site, you fail,” so typical of military tng.  As always, “you’ll do it this way because that’s the way we do it” is not an acceptable rationale for a methodology in medicine.  Show me the study.

That being said, some of our class had completed virtually every one of these PO’s at the school at one time or another under the old tng, and a PLA process would have shown that.  One candidate working as patient care tech did ALL of it on a regular basis (far more so then most of the staff) .  Moreover, other skills, although not taught in some paramedicine programs, are the kind of things that working paramedics do on a regular basis anyway.  How different is cleaning a hospital bed from cleaning the cot after a bloody trauma or a MRSA/VRE patient?  Not terribly. Not at all in a results-based approach.

Overall, good content, implementation could have been better, PLAs would be a good place to start before we waste more money sending people out to Borden to be taught things they already know.

The true test of the program will be when units have to step up and admit that they cannot provide the requested support to units because they don’t have the qualified people, or will all sorts of exceptions to the rules continue to be made?

I'm sure things will occur to me as soon as I post this, and I may revisit this later.

DF