Hey Matt,

Does NYS require National Registry? If so, once you pass the course final (written and practical) take a few days off, relax, then study lightly on a regular basis, then two weeks before the exam pick the pace up with some intensive study. A day or two before the exam relax and try and clear your mind, review lightly <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />. When it is time for the practical try the same approach. Hopefully, things will be fresh in your mind, but at the same time you will need to try and relax as much as possible <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />.

The practical is especially stressful, even for the “well prepared”. As I have mentioned before, I became an EMT back in the mid 70’s so I have been at this a while. The day of the practical, it was 90+ degrees out, our practical exam was in Montgomery County at their fire training facility. They had us sit/stage in the non-air-conditioned atrium of the main building. Between the nerves and the heat it was hard to concentrate <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />.

For the trauma / patient packaging station in addition to extremity immobilization and long board immobilization we were required to put a KEDS on. Well, I have put many a KEDS on over the years, but when I started, something was wrong, I could not put my finger on it at the moment, but knew something was amiss <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />. So I took it off and reapplied the KEDS, still with that feeling something was just not right <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />. When I was finished the examiner checked the patient for alignment, placement and appropriate tightness. They direct you to remove the device and tell you to report back to the staging area, with no indication of how you did until the end of the day when they review each station with you.

I passed all the stations with the exception of the dynamic cardiology and patient packaging station. I failed the dynamic cardiology section, by not employing one of the drugs early enough in the scenario <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. I attributed that to nerves. I failed the patient immobilization station due to putting the KEDS on inside out and even though the patient was immobilized, I failed for misapplication, again nerves <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. I retook both stations the same day and passed them both without any problems, one I got over the jitters <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. Pete