Start with dispatch and presentation
State why EMS was called, where the patient was found, and the patient’s general appearance.
Organize → Document → Report
Turn assessment findings into a clear patient story.
Review a complete EMT patient encounter, identify normal and abnormal findings, write an objective PCR narrative, and deliver a concise verbal handoff without adding facts that were never assessed.
0 of 3 lessons complete
Lesson 1
HOW: Build the patient-care story
Document the assessment
Include relevant history, primary assessment, focused findings, and vital signs in a logical order.
Separate fact from impression
Write objective findings first. Label the diagnosis as a working or suspected clinical impression.
Record treatment precisely
Document what was done, the route or device when relevant, and the patient response.
Show reassessment
Compare repeat findings with the initial assessment and describe improvement, deterioration, or no change.
Give a focused handoff
Use MIST or IMIST-AMBO: patient, problem, key history, findings, treatment, response, and remaining concerns.
Document what you know—not what you assume. “Possible stroke” is appropriate. “Patient had a stroke” overstates what an EMT assessment can confirm.
Lesson 2
WHY: Good communication protects the patient
Continuity of care
The receiving team uses your timeline, findings, and treatment response to continue care safely.
Clinical reasoning
A structured narrative shows how findings supported your working impression and priorities.
Objective language
Specific observations are more useful than labels such as “looks bad,” “normal,” or “stable.”
Negative findings matter
Pertinent negatives can help distinguish between competing causes, but only document what was actually assessed.
Handoffs must be brief
Lead with the immediate problem and high-risk findings. Extra detail can follow after the urgent facts are understood.
Never invent
Missing information should be identified as unknown, not completed with a guess.
Quick knowledge check
Which statement is the most objective?
Full scenario mode: complete this assessment for the active patient. Teaching sections and patient changes are locked until you leave the scenario.
Lesson 3
PRACTICE: Write and report the encounter
Use only the provided case information. Do not add medications, allergies, findings, or treatments that are not listed.
Random completed encounter
Assessment
Patient Findings
Care delivered
Treatment & Response
Coaching feedback
Example PCR narrative
Example verbal handoff
Training content only. Documentation requirements and terminology vary. Follow your service policies, approved education, medical direction, and local protocols.