Virtua and Rowan College at Burlington County Paramedic Education
Virtua and Rowan College of Burlington County provide training to become an NJ-certified emergency medical technician or a nationally registered paramedic.
VIRTUA PARAMEDIC EDUCATION
Virtua and Rowan College at Burlington County:
South Jersey Partners in EMT and Paramedic Education
If you’re considering a career as an EMT or paramedic, you’ll need state-of-the-art, hands-on training to excel in these fast-paced professions.
Virtua and Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) combine powerful on-site and online education so graduates can enter their careers with confidence.
As partners, Virtua and RCBC offer the educational requirements to become a New Jersey certified emergency medical technician (EMT) or a nationally registered paramedic (NREMT-P). Virtua’s paramedic teams are certified to provide advanced life support outside a hospital setting.
Simulations that provide real-life experience
Our EMT and paramedic education programs are unlike any other in the region. In the simulation-learning lab at RCBC, you’ll treat patients exactly as you would find them in real emergency calls.
You’ll develop your skills in realistic environments like:
- A full-scale kitchen, living room, bathroom or bedroom
- A hospital emergency room
- A fully-equipped ambulance mounted on pneumatics that simulates actual on-the-road travel
Students work on life-sized simulation mannequins that breathe and function with sophisticated technology. Students perform independently and in teams, and they're evaluated by their peers and instructors.
Virtua EMT Program at RCBC
This course prepares students to answer 911 calls for medical emergencies and provide out-of-hospital basic life support. A current CPR certification, also available at RCBC, is a prerequisite for enrolling in the program. Students who successfully pass the course earn 8 college credits and are eligible to continue to the Virtua Paramedic Science program.
Course options include:
- Hybrid: This course combines online and in-classroom instruction; however, students get most of their homework, quizzes and lectures online.
- Traditional on-campus: In this on-campus course, classes are held on varying weekdays and weekends.
Virtua Paramedic Program at RCBC
This course prepares students to answer 911 calls for medical emergencies and provide out-of-hospital advanced life support. Student candidates must possess current EMT and CPR certifications as prerequisites for enrolling in the program.
Program options include:
- Certificate in Paramedic Science: These professional courses are divided into semesters consisting of didactic courses and clinical training courses. Students earn college credits and a certificate of completion.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree: This option allows students to earn a 2-year associate of applied science – paramedic degree with additional credits of specified general education courses to supplement the professional paramedic curriculum.
Both options exceed the requirements of the National Standard Curriculum for Paramedic studies.
Sponsorship
Students applying to Virtua Paramedic Science at RCBC are required by New Jersey regulations to obtain a clinical sponsor. Students sponsored by Virtua will complete clinical rotations at Virtua’s hospitals, as well as specialty training at ancillary sites. Field internship and field residency semesters are served on Virtua MICU vehicles throughout Burlington and Camden Counties.
RCBC transforms lives by delivering innovative, high-quality and affordable educational experiences. The Paramedic Science Program at Rowan College at Burlington County is accredited through the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and by the Commission on Accreditation of Education Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
For more information, please contact:
Phone: 856-242-5960
E-mail: paramedic@rcbc.edu
Paramedic FAQs
Paramedics are educated and certified by the New Jersey Commissioner of Health to provide advanced life support services under the direction of a physician. Among the care paramedics provide is intravenous therapy, medication administration, cardiac monitoring, defibrillation and advanced procedures for protecting and maintaining a person's airway.
The Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICUs) are extensions of the Emergency Departments. One base station (located in the Emergency Department at Virtua Voorhees) is the means by which pre-hospital advanced life support is directed, with the paramedic acting as the tool of the physician. The Emergency Department physician and nursing staff have the responsibility for the care of the patient being treated in the field just as they would if the patient were present in the Emergency Room.
Paramedics have fulfilled requirements by a credentialing agency to practice the art and science of out-of-hospital medicine. They have received extensive classroom instruction, hospital training and a field internship, and possess knowledge and skills that allow them to perform in a professional manner.
As an advocate for patients, paramedics seek to be proactive in affecting long-term care by working with other provider agencies and organizations. The emerging roles and responsibilities of the paramedic include public education, health promotion and participation in injury and illness prevention programs.
By law, MICUs in New Jersey are hospital-based and highly regulated by the State Department of Health. In addition to Virtua's Quality Assurance review, the Department of Health regularly inspects MICU programs statewide and reviews MICU calls for appropriate care. Every two years, paramedics are required to become re-certified.