Red Cross EFR

grabone · 06-07-2015 9:52am #1

Hi gang,

Anyone here involved with the Red Cross. I'm looking for some info as to when the next EFR course is expected to be run?

sjb25 · 06-07-2015 9:55am

grabone wrote: »

Hi gang,

Anyone here involved with the Red Cross. I'm looking for some info as to when the next EFR course is expected to be run?

Usually run a few times a year was one just finished recently as far as I know
Ask You're unit officer emails will be sent to them when they are on

grabone · 06-07-2015 11:37am

sjb25 wrote: »

Usually run a few times a year was one just finished recently as far as I know
Ask You're unit officer emails will be sent to them when they are on

Cheers, my unit officer has mentioned that one will probably take place in the autumn but he wasn't very specific. I was just wondering if anyone else had a better idea?

Many thanks!

RedNeonTiger · 06-07-2015 11:36pm

Typically the next one starts around October/Novemberish with the exam in December.

westliferule · 21-09-2015 12:06pm

Hi Guys,

I am in SJA. In the next few weeks I will be starting my EFR course. I was not planning on doing in fr a few years but our superintendent wants us all up on the same level. I am just wondering what kind of things do tey ask on the MSQ and how hard are the OSCE? And also what is the advantage of a two response CPR as oppose to one?

Thanks in advance.

glenjamin · 22-09-2015 1:56pm

westliferule wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I am in SJA. In the next few weeks I will be starting my EFR course. I was not planning on doing in fr a few years but our superintendent wants us all up on the same level. I am just wondering what kind of things do tey ask on the MSQ and how hard are the OSCE? And also what is the advantage of a two response CPR as oppose to one?

Thanks in advance.

You can get EFR OSCE's from PHECC's website. http://www.phecit.ie/Images/PHECC/Members%20and%20Students/Ver%202%20Assessment%20Sheets%20EFR%20Sep%2011%20JE.pdf (Not sure if that's the latest one)

Generally questions for the MCQ will be asked from your CPG's plus a bit of physiology and anatomy.

Just trying to understand your last question there. If it's about why a 2 man CPR is better than one it's simple. The more bodies you have to lend a hand the better (within reason). With 2 practitioners attending one can simply do the airway while the other does compressions. Doing CPR can be tiring so having more people there will allow people to rotate without fatigue hitting in.

Hope that's the answers you were looking for

westliferule · 22-09-2015 2:33pm

Thanks for than answer. Is it basic anatomy and Physiology or is it more detailed also where will I get proper information on the CPGS?

glenjamin · 22-09-2015 10:07pm

westliferule wrote: »

Thanks for than answer. Is it basic anatomy and Physiology or is it more detailed also where will I get proper information on the CPGS?

I'm not 100% sure for EFR, but for EMT it's the function of the heart and lungs, knowing the main bones of the body, spine, different quadrants of the abdomen, and parts of the body for taking a pulse. I doubt it's that detailed for EFR but I can't say for sure.

Here's the CPG's for EFR:
http://www.phecit.ie/Images/PHECC/Clinical%20Practice%20Guidelines/2014%20CPG/20141031%20Emergency%20First%20Responder%20CPG.pdf

If I was you I'd order a hard copy off PHECC. I think everybody should have one.

Good luck with the EFR!

westliferule · 23-09-2015 4:02pm

Thanks

bilirubin · 24-09-2015 5:18pm

This Irish EMT website is quite good for MCQ questions.
Go to this website www DOT emt DOT ie
EFRs should be able to answer some of them
Change the level of difficulty to Easy or Moderate.

westliferule · 20-10-2015 11:52am

Hi All,

I am doing my EFR exam I am just wondering some info on vital signs. I always thought an adults pulse rate was 60-80 but some places say its 60-100 which 100 seems a little high. According to PHEEC what is a normal pulse and breathing rates? I looked it up several times but everywhere tells me something different. Also is a normal blood sugar between 4 and 8?
Any help would be much appreciated. I am fairly new to saint johns and was hoping to leave my EFR for couple years but but superviser wants us all on the same level. One other thing what kind of questions would they ask on the CPGS?

carav10 · 20-10-2015 9:52pm

When it comes to the phecc exams, never mind what you'll have thought, it's whatever is in the cpgs goes, which says 60-100 on the one for Primary Survey in Adults & definitely study the rates for paeds.

As for what will be asked, know the info in the Red boxes for definite. Know them inside out & upside down. Then medications, dosages, indications/contraindications/side effects. On top of that, know the cpgs full stop :-)

For blood glucose, you don't really need to know normal ranges as such, more the abnormal which for EFR is <4 mmol/L for administration of glucose gel. An EMT would need to be concerned with anything <4 or 11+. I just looked up the Emergency Care book used for EMT training and that says normal levels are between 4-7 mmol (4.4 to 6.6). Don't get too hung up about normal for it though, know your abnormal.

Best of luck with the studies.

glenjamin · 21-10-2015 12:13am

Pulse Rate is 60-100 (adult), Respiratory Rate is 12-20 (normal) and 10-29 (adequate), while Blood Glucose is 4-7 (normal) and 4-10 (adequate) as far as I know. And as carav10 said I wouldn't get too hung up on it. Study your CPGs, know your basic A&P, and you'll be grand. And no matter what anyone else says always refer to your CPGs for the 'right' answer as that's what you'll be based on. Good luck!!

megabantz · 21-10-2015 10:53am

I wouldn't recommend getting bogged down with blood glucose readings as it's not in your scope of practice as EFR. you have no way of testing for this so you will never know the values for a particular PT. It a nice to know for efr but until you know the efr stuff off then dont worry about emt stuff

best of luck!

westliferule · 21-10-2015 11:35am

thanks so much guys you are a great help!! I suppose a lot of the CPG are common sense I am not sure if will have enough time to learn it all as doing a healthcare course at same time. :-(. Its not rocket science I'm sure!!! Thanks again so so much :-)

megabantz · 21-10-2015 11:47am

westliferule wrote: »

thanks so much guys you are a great help!! I suppose a lot of the CPG are common sense I am not sure if will have enough time to learn it all as doing a healthcare course at same time. :-(. Its not rocket science I'm sure!!! Thanks again so so much :-)

It may seem like a lot but take it piece by piece and it will all add up in the end. when you break it down i would recommend the following:

1) Learn the drugs as if you wrote them yourself - this will benefit during exam time and when on duty with efr, emt and paramedics etc

2) Understand and learn off the patient assessment for medical and trauma i.e AcBCDE etc - once you learn the order and what you do for each step off you wont forget them and they wont change (at least not that much as you progress more you will be adding things in) - I will add in sample and opqrst look them up

3) Learn off the anatomy and physiology as best you can as going forward this will be the bread and butter esp when you cross over to EMT etc. If you don't know how the body works and where everything is located then how can you know whats going on and what to look for in your assesments

- I will add in vital signs here as they are essential to working out whats going on inside

4) Enjoy it! it's a lot of fun and it's a great start in the pre hosipital care ladder!

bilirubin · 22-10-2015 1:58pm

westliferule wrote: »

Hi All,
I am doing my EFR exam I am just wondering some info on vital signs. I always thought an adults pulse rate was 60-80 but some places say its 60-100 which 100 seems a little high. According to PHEEC what is a normal pulse and breathing rates? I looked it up several times but everywhere tells me something different.

At OFA level the First Aid Manuals will more than likely state average Adult Pulse Rate range is 60 – 80 beats per minute. At EFR level as per PHECC CPG (see page 16 on the EFR CPG Oct 2014 edition) the normal Adult Pulse Rate range is 60 – 100 beats per minute. PHECC don't own the OFA course. From what I can tell the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) own the OFA course and outsource it to OFAAA. HSA existed before PHECC. Hence why it can be confusing to students learning first aid at different levels when you have 2 organisations PHECC and HSA who own first aid training courses with differences.

Best way i think to try make sense of the 2 ranges is say to yourself 60 – 80 would be the average pulse range & a normal pulse range 60 – 100. So you could tell a patient who has a pulse of 72 that they have a average pulse rate. Someone who has a pulse 83 you could just say to them they have a normal pulse and nothing to be too concerned about.

westliferule wrote: »

Also is a normal blood sugar between 4 and 8?

At EFR level you won't/shouldn't be examined on this. This is not a skill expected from you at EFR level (see Skills Matrix page 66 on the EFR CPG Oct 2014 edition). But no harm learning about it if you want to increase you knowledge and skills. Glucometry ( blood glucose/sugar measuring) is currently expected from EMT and above levels. At EMT level CPGs would indicate normal/adequate if the reading is between 4 and 10. Less than 4 then would indicate intervention of glucose gel/ sugary drink or the drug glucagon if the patient is unresponsive. A reading greater than 10 would mean the person should see a doctor to be assessed.

westliferule wrote: »

Any help would be much appreciated. I am fairly new to saint johns and was hoping to leave my EFR for couple years but but superviser wants us all on the same level. One other thing what kind of questions would they ask on the CPGS?

Ask your EFR instructor to give you sample questions or organise a mock exam to help you.

westliferule · 10-11-2015 3:42pm

will I have to know my CPG in order

glenjamin · 11-11-2015 6:56pm

westliferule wrote: »

will I have to know my CPG in order

Are you talking about the OSCE?

Red Cross EFR

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