Airway management a key skill for EMS students

Emergency Medical Services students practice airway management skills. 

The skill is an important part of earning EMT certification

 EMS students practice airway management. While working alongside other first responders, Emergency Medical Technicians are often responsible for assessing and, if necessary, clearing a patient’s airway of any obstructions.

“Airway management is your No. 1 priority,” said Robert Del Greco, the EMS instructor at the Center for Career Services.

Mr. Del Greco’s students began practicing those skills this week when they learned various airway management techniques. They were evaluated on what they learned, and seniors will need to display the skills again later this year in order to earn EMT certification.

“Mr. Del Greco spends more than a month on this, and I still remember what I learned last year,” said senior Dixmery Reynoso, a New Rochelle High School student. “I feel very confident that I would do well with this on a test.”

During this week’s training, the EMS students first learned how to assess the scene to ensure the safety of the patient. They were then taught how to properly use adjunct devices to clear both the nostrils and the mouth of any obstructions.

That included how to properly insert devices to help open both airways and how to use a portable suction machine to remove any obstructions. The students practiced these skills on lifelike mannequins.

“As EMTs, we’re always going to be sitting at the head of the patient. We often work hand in hand with paramedics, and our job is to manage the patient’s airways,” Mr. Del Greco said. “This is one of those skills that is fundamental for our students to know before they go out into the field one day.”