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Trauma Emergencies and Care

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Trauma Emergencies and Care

This course is part of Become an EMT Specialization

Instructors: Arthur Pliaconis

30,833 already enrolled

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

485 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

485 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

1 week at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

96%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

5 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Become an EMT Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

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There are 4 modules in this course

Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center.

Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body may be injured- or trauma by system. There are different considerations in the trauma patients depending on both how, and where, they are injured. And of course- you will learn your standard approach to a history and physical exam of the trauma patient. Finally, you will learn about something that you hope to never encounter: mass casualty incidents, or MCI’s. These are occurrences where you may have multiple patients, and there is an organized and specific approach as a provider in these circumstances.

Are you ready to take on trauma? From the battlefield to highways, traumatic injuries were the catalyst for developing systems to move patients to places that they could receive more advanced care. In this module we will talk about what trauma is and why it deserves special attention when it comes to patient care.

What's included

9 videos8 readings2 assignments

9 videosTotal 49 minutes

Trauma Emergencies and Care2 minutes
What is Trauma?7 minutes
Basic Management of the Trauma Patient6 minutes
Mechanisms of Injury - Kinetics4 minutes
Mechanisms of Injury - Blunt5 minutes
Bullets and Blasts6 minutes
Trauma Assessment - Unstable9 minutes
Trauma Assessment - Stable6 minutes
Trauma Patient Assessment/ Management4 minutes

8 readingsTotal 100 minutes

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Current “Become an EMT” Specialization No Longer NREMT Eligible10 minutes
About Us: Become an EMT Specialization Team at Denver Health Paramedics5 minutes
Course Information10 minutes
Get help and meet other learners. Join your Community!5 minutes
What is Trauma?10 minutes
Basic Management of the Trauma Patient30 minutes
Mechanism of Injury20 minutes
Trauma Assessment: National Registry Style10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Course Disclaimer30 minutes
Introduction and Kinetics of Trauma Assessment30 minutes

In this module we will discuss the physiology of bleeding, and how hemorrhage, or excessive bleeding, leads to shock. We will review the CV system, and discuss about different types of blood loss, how it leads to shock, and then ultimately how to manage hemorrhagic shock before shock leads to death.

What's included

11 videos3 readings1 assignment

11 videosTotal 44 minutes

Physiology of Bleeding1 minute
Introduction to Bleeding3 minutes
Management of External Bleeding4 minutes
Internal Hemorrhage and Bleeding Severity5 minutes
Hemorrhagic Shock5 minutes
Management of the Bleeding Patient4 minutes
Multi Casualty Incidents (MCI)7 minutes
Triage7 minutes
Distribution, Disaster, and Debrief4 minutes
Tourniquet Application3 minutes
Bleeding Control with Direct Pressure1 minute

3 readingsTotal 75 minutes

Management of External Bleeding10 minutes
Internal Hemorrhage and Bleeding Severity20 minutes
Triage45 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Bleeding and Shock Assessment30 minutes

In this module we will discuss various soft tissue injuries, including burns. Before watching the videos in this module please review your anatomy, specifically of the skin. As we cover soft tissue injuries, you will note that there are varying degrees of injury that can occur with trauma, and many of the classifications have to do with how deep or how much damage is done, and in what way, to the skin and blood vessels.

What's included

12 videos3 readings1 assignment

12 videosTotal 75 minutes

Open and Closed Injury9 minutes
Soft Tissue Assessment and Treatment8 minutes
Burn Definitions6 minutes
Burn Systems and TBSA Calculation9 minutes
The Assessment and Treatment of Burns7 minutes
Burn Special Considerations5 minutes
Musculoskeletal Injury Basics7 minutes
Musculoskeletal Special Considerations4 minutes
Musculoskeletal Assessment and Treatment6 minutes
Splinting a Lower Extremity2 minutes
Splinting an Upper Extremity7 minutes
Hare Splint4 minutes

3 readingsTotal 90 minutes

Burn Definitions20 minutes
Burn Systems and TBSA Calculation60 minutes
Musculoskeletal Assessment and Treatment10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Soft Tissue Injury and Burns Assessment30 minutes

We will cover trauma isolating different parts of the body and what injuries you should consider in these particular areas. Having an understanding of what injuries may be present can help you determine where you patient may need to go, and how quickly you need to get them there. It will be helpful for each of these videos to review the pertinent anatomy associated with the body system we are discussing.

What's included

10 videos3 readings1 assignment

10 videosTotal 72 minutes

Head Injuries10 minutes
Spinal Cord and Column Injuries9 minutes
The Approach and Treatment of the Head and Spinal Injury Patient7 minutes
Face and Neck Trauma6 minutes
Chest Trauma10 minutes
Abdominal Trauma9 minutes
Genitourinary (GU) Trauma6 minutes
Multi-system Trauma and Special Populations9 minutes
Spinal Immobilization: Supine Patient4 minutes
C-Collar Application - Seated2 minutes

3 readingsTotal 55 minutes

Spinal Cord and Column Injuries20 minutes
The Approach and Treatment of the Head and Spinal Injury Patient20 minutes
Chest Trauma15 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Trauma by System Assessment30 minutes

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Instructors

Instructor ratings

(142 ratings)

Arthur Pliaconis

University of Colorado System

6 Courses121,012 learners

Offered by

University of Colorado System

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Reviewed on Feb 9, 2020

Being an emergency nurse, I found trauma emergency course is highly effective and useful for me. Thanks!

Reviewed on Jul 19, 2020

I really love the course so helpful to refreshen up all the concept in traumatic care😊

Reviewed on Oct 2, 2020

Thank you so much university of Colorado system and coursera.this course was really helpful

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Frequently asked questions

IMPORTANT UPDATE: "Become an EMT" Specialization & NREMT Certification

Current Course Status

The existing version of the "Become an EMT" specialization no longer meets the updated certification standards implemented by the NREMT in 2024. The current version cannot be used to qualify for NREMT examination. It remains a valuable resource for anyone exploring emergency medical services, continuing education, or general EMS knowledge. The current version is not a pathway to NREMT certification at this time.

New Version Coming Summer 2026

A fully redesigned NREMT‑aligned specialization is scheduled to launch in Summer 2026. NREMT‑aligned specialization is scheduled to launch in Summer 2026. This update ensures the course meets all current certification requirements and supports your long‑term success.

Path to NREMT Certification with the New Course

Two components must be successfully completed to sit for the NREMT exam:

If You Are Currently Enrolled

If you are enrolled and working toward NREMT certification, we recommend pausing your participation and waiting for the Summer 2026 specialization. The knowledge you've already gained will still hold value as you start the new course, however, the current course will not carry over to the new version.

If You Are Considering Enrollment

We recommend waiting for the new NREMT-eligible specialization when it launches in Summer 2026. Until then, the current specialization remains a solid foundation for:

Questions? Reach out to us anytime at uchmedic@uchealth.org — we're happy to help you plan your path forward.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.