Advanced Mechanical Ventilation Training for EMS Professionals

Presented by: FlightCrit
Hosted by: Altus Fire-EMS

The Prehospital Ventilator Life Support (PHVLS) Workshop: A comprehensive, competency-based training program designed to elevate the knowledge, clinical reasoning, and hands-on skills of EMS professionals managing mechanically ventilated patients in the prehospital environment

Built on the foundation of evidence-based practice and real-world application, this program integrates asynchronous learning with immersive, scenario-driven training to ensure participants develop true mastery—not just familiarity—with mechanical ventilation in the prehospital environment.

Program Overview

Participants begin with the Basic Ventilator Life Support (BVLS) online course, an 8-hour, self-paced learning experience that establishes core principles of mechanical ventilation, including physiology, ventilator modes, waveform interpretation, and patient-ventilator interaction.

This foundational knowledge is then expanded during a 2-day (16-hour) in-person workshop, where learners engage in high-impact, hands-on training focused on application, critical thinking, and performance under realistic clinical conditions.

What Makes This Course Different

Unlike traditional lecture-based education, PHVLS is built on active learning principles and emphasizes:

• Deliberate practice with expert feedback

• Scenario-based simulation reflecting real prehospital challenges

• Integration of cognitive, psychomotor, and clinical decision-making skills

• Focus on high-risk, low-frequency events encountered in EMS and transport medicine

Participants will manage complex cases such as:

• Complex Non-Invasive Ventilation

• Severe obstructive lung disease with dynamic hyperinflation

• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

• Post-intubation hemodynamic instability

• Ventilator dyssynchrony and troubleshooting

Program Components

Registration in the PHVLS Workshop includes:

• 8-hour Online BVLS Course

  • Self-paced, evidence-based curriculum

  • Continuing education credits included

• 2-Day In-Person PHVLS Workshop (16 hours)

  • Hands-on ventilator management

  • High-fidelity simulation and case-based learning

  • Small group instruction with expert faculty

• 1-Year Access to Monthly Live Continuing Education Series

  • Ongoing case reviews, emerging evidence, and advanced topics

  • Designed to reinforce retention and support lifelong learning

• Dual 3-Year Certification

  • BVLS Certification

  • PHVLS Certification

• Continuing Education

  • Up to 36 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) available

Target Audience

• Paramedics and Nurses involved in EMS

Educational Philosophy

PHVLS is grounded in the principle that clinical mastery is achieved through deliberate practice, reflection, and application—not passive exposure. This program is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, empowering clinicians to deliver safe, effective, and confident mechanical ventilation care in even the most challenging environments.

Outcome

Upon completion, participants will demonstrate the ability to:

• Apply evidence-based ventilation strategies across a range of critical illness states

• Interpret ventilator waveforms to identify and correct patient-ventilator dyssynchrony

• Troubleshoot ventilator issues in dynamic and resource-limited settings

• Optimize ventilation to improve patient outcomes while minimizing harm