Prehospital Care Research Forum (PCRF) Journal Club

How do we prepare paramedic students for the moments when resuscitation ends and grief begins? This journal club explores innovative approaches to teaching death, dying, bereavement care, and difficult conversations in paramedic education — and what students say they still need to feel prepared for practice. Article: Preparing for death, dying and bereavement care: student paramedic perspectives o...

In this episode, we explore one of the most talked-about shifts in trauma care: the return of whole blood in prehospital resuscitation. Is it truly a game changer, or simply a more streamlined way to deliver the same care? In this month’s journal club, we break down a large, multicenter randomized trial examining prehospital whole blood transfusion versus traditional component therapy in patients...

LIVE from ACCREDITCON in New Orleans! When clinical sites are scarce, simulation steps in—but what does that mean for paramedic education? This episode dives into national accreditation data to examine the prevalence of simulation substitution for core clinical skills and its relationship to program performance. We unpack the methodology, assumptions, and implications for educators and learners al...

In this episode, we take on a simple but important question in modern resuscitation: when machines take over CPR, does the type of device actually matter? Mechanical CPR use continues to grow across EMS systems, but not all devices are built the same. In this month’s journal club, we unpack a large retrospective study of more than 38,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients comparing plunger-ty...

Paramedic students don't just practice clinical skills during their clinical rotations—they are often present for emotionally intense, high-stakes moments in patient care. This journal club explores a qualitative study examining how students experience and make sense of these events, their emotional responses, and the ways they cope. Join us to reflect on what this means for EMS education and stud...

In this month’s clinical journal club, we take a deeper look at one of the most talked-about innovations in resuscitation: extracorporeal CPR (eCPR). But instead of focusing on the patients who receive it, this study asks a different and important question: what happens to everyone else? Using data from over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients in Los Angeles County, researchers examined...

Emergency cricothyrotomy is a rare but life-saving procedure in the “can’t intubate, can’t oxygenate” patient. In this session, we’ll review a study that examines the use of simulation-based mastery learning to train emergency medicine residents in this high-stakes skill. Join us as we discuss how simulation, competency standards, and deliberate practice might shape training for one of the most cr...

In March 2026's journal club we step into a nuanced corner of prehospital care that’s quietly reshaping how systems think about patient destinations. We unpack research from Toronto on paramedics transporting intoxicated patients to a stabilization centre rather than straight to the emergency department. Most patients required no medical interventions in the field, and only a small subset needed l...

Neurologic emergencies don’t wait for the hospital—and neither should neurology education. This episode breaks down a longitudinal EMS curriculum using cases, simulation, and gamification to improve prehospital neurologic assessment. We’ll discuss feasibility, knowledge outcomes, and system-level metrics like door-to-needle time and thrombectomy transfers. Does active learning and simulation meani...

In this month’s journal club episode, we tackle a topic every EMS educator and clinician wrestles with: how do you honor a patient’s end-of-life wishes when they call 911? We unpack a structured review of U.S. EMS protocols and the wide variation in what counts as a valid Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, from physician-signed forms to bracelets, POLST-style documents, and even verbal orders. We’ll...

Does CPR training really need to be “to mastery”? This study suggests a few minutes of self-directed practice may be just as effective months later. Join the journal club to debate what this means for EMS education, standards, and training efficiency.

In this episode, we step inside the ambulance to explore a question rarely discussed: how safe is the air paramedics breathe when administering methoxyflurane, marketed as Penthrox. While not used in the United States, Penthrox is widely used in Australia and other parts of the world as an inhaled analgesic for prehospital pain management. In this month’s journal club, we unpack a controlled labor...

Our annual end-of-year special edition of the PCRF Education Research Journal Club when each of our panelists will share a favorite article from the educational literature in 2025.

In this month’s Educational Journal Club, we dive into a multi-state study examining EMS team performance during simulated pediatric emergencies. We will explore how well EMS clinicians handle high-stakes scenarios like respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, and seizures in children—and whether having a Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC) makes a difference. With insights into training gaps a...

Listen to the Education Research Oral Abstracts presented live at EMS Expo.

Join us for this month’s Journal Club from the Prehospital Care Research Forum as we take a closer look at the NAEMSP Trauma Compendium: a landmark collection of trauma care guidance from some of the field’s leading voices. In this special episode, we’re joined by the lead author for a guided tour through each article, while our panelists bring sharp questions and on-the-ground insights. Whether y...

How ready are EMS clinicians to care for patients who don’t speak English—and what shapes that readiness? This new study explores the intersection of language access, EMS training, and clinician confidence when serving diverse communities. Join us this month for the Prehospital Care Research Forum Journal Club as the lead author shares what they uncovered and why it matters for future EMS educatio...

What really happens after a lift assist? This study uncovers the timeline of patients who call 911 for help getting up—only to return days later, this time in an ambulance. Are these quiet calls a warning sign? Join us as we follow the path from floor to gurney and explore how repeat lift assists could be the key to predicting preventable emergencies. If you think a lift assist ends when the crew...

Burnout is a growing concern across healthcare, but how deep does it run in EMS, and what’s the real cost? In this episode, we explore a national survey of EMS clinicians that uncovers critical insights into well-being, workforce stability, and what might be driving providers away from the profession. Join us to find out how burnout is measured, why it matters more than ever, and what the data rev...

Violence against EMS clinicians is rising—but what if we could see it coming? This month’s Journal Club explores Aggressive Behavior Risk Assessment Tool for EMS (ABRAT-EMS), a simple yet powerful 3-item checklist that helps identify potentially violent patients before transport. With strong sensitivity and specificity, this tool could be a game-changer for EMS safety. Tune in as our panel dives i...

For EMS clinicians, clinical judgment involves higher-order thinking, beginning with clinical reasoning and culminating in clinical decision-making. Existing frameworks suggest that other constructs like leadership and communication may also influence clinical judgment. This evaluation aimed to determine whether leadership and communication are integrated within the broader concept of clinical jud...

This month's PCRF Education Journal Club dives into a systematic review exploring simulation-based education in paramedic training. With clinical placements under pressure, could sim labs be the future—or are we missing something vital? Tune in, read up, and bring your thoughts to the discussion—let’s break it down together! Article: Systematic review of the evidence for using simulation to replac...

In this episode of the Prehospital Care Research Forum's Journal Club, we examine the results of the TRAUMOX2 Randomized Clinical Trial, which compares early restrictive and liberal oxygen strategies for trauma patients. Tune in as we break down the findings, discuss the implications for prehospital and emergency care, and explore how oxygen management could influence outcomes for trauma patients....

How do stress, empathy, and coping strategies impact the clinical competency of paramedic students? In this episode of the education journal club of the Prehospital Care Research Forum Podcast, we delve into the fascinating findings of a study exploring these critical factors in paramedic education. Join us as we uncover how students navigate the pressures of clinical practice, the role of empathy...

In this episode of the Prehospital Care Research Forum's Journal Club, we discuss the findings of a qualitative study examining the acceptability of providing take-home naloxone kits by EMS to individuals at risk of opioid overdose. Discover the insights from the study, including patient perspectives, potential barriers, and the implications for overdose prevention strategies. Join us for a though...