Peak Performance: How Education and Experience Affect Paramedic Readiness

Introduction—Education and experience are strongly contested predictors of classroom performance and paramedic readiness. A 2017 paper found nursing students who only graduated high school performed significantly worse than students with a bachelor’s degree. In contrast, a 2015 study showed an inverse relationship between years of experience and pass rates. This study sought to determine if education or years of experience related to paramedic readiness exam pass rates.

Methods—A retrospective review of paramedic student data from Fisdap, an online database for EMS and healthcare education, was analyzed for self-reported education and experience levels. Only students who attempted a paramedic comprehensive exam were included. A one-way ANOVA was used to determine association in variables in Fisdap paramedic exams pass rates (72.5% or better) among students with varying education levels and years of experience. Logistic regression models were fitted (a=0.05) using nominal predictor variables for education level (high school diploma/GED, associate degree, and bachelor’s degree) and years of experience in the field (less than 1 year, 2–5 years, 6–10 years, or more than 10 years).

Results—According to this study, students with a degree are more likely to pass the readiness exam. The act of completion of the degree matters more than its level. Students with 2–10 years’ experience are more likely to pass the readiness exam than students with less than 1 or more than 10 years’ experience.

Conclusion—Predicting paramedic student readiness is important to program success. Paramedic programs might consider evaluating candidates’ education and levels of experience before admission with the goal of selecting the best candidate for paramedic school, or consider setting experience and education requirements for entry.