Wilderness Module for Healthcare Professionals
The Wilderness Module is for medical professionals who want to learn how to provide high quality patient care in remote locations and challenging situations. Professionally trained instructors address the challenges posed by rough terrain, limited resources, inclement weather, difficult patient access, and prolonged evacuation.
Overview
The Wilderness Module is for medical professionals who want to learn how to provide high quality patient care in remote locations and challenging situations. How can we apply our skills and knowledge without access to the tools and resources we are used to in the front country? We address the challenges posed by rough terrain, limited resources, inclement weather, difficult patient access, and prolonged evacuation. This course emphasizes improvisation, critical thinking, and communication. We encourage EMT’s, paramedics, nurses, PA’s, doctors, and other medical providers to take this 5-day course.
Wilderness Module: 40 Hours/5 Days
This module focuses on patient access, assessment, care, and evacuation in remote environments. Students learn how to provide high quality care with limited resources and without access to an ambulance. The course builds on students’ existing medical training and expands their tool kits. Wilderness topics include search and rescue, improvisation, survival skills, rope rescue techniques, and communication. Current EMT license holders qualify as WEMT’s at the conclusion of the course. Other providers earn the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification.
This course does not include CPR.
What You’ll Learn
- Patient access, assessment, care, and evacuation in remote environments
- Providing high quality care with limited resources and without access to an ambulance
- Search and rescue
- Improvisation
- Survival skills
- Rope rescue techniques
- Communication
Course Topics
- Barotrauma and Marine Bites & Stings
- Case Histories and Mock Rescues
- Dehydration
- Frostbite
- Heat Exhaustion
- Heat Stroke
- Hypothermia
- Musculoskeletal Injuries
- North American Bites & Stings
- Principles of Long-Term Patient Care
- Severe Weather, Lightning & Avalanche
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Wilderness Patient Assessment System
What to Expect
This 5-Day course focuses on patient access, assessment, care, and evacuation in remote environments.
Dates
Upcoming Dates
| Dates | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 26-Mar 2, 2025 | Bryson City, NC | |
| Jul 9-13, 2025 | Bryson City, NC | |
| Oct 8-12, 2025 | Bryson City, NC |
Location
Before You Visit
- All course materials
- Professionally trained instructors
You should plan to have clothing appropriate to the season in which you will be taking the class, as you will spend a significant amount of time outside. The following list is to SUPPLEMENT the clothing you will be wearing. If you have trouble locating some of these items please call us as we have a limited amount for loan.
Necessary Items (for All Classes)
- Backpack to put everything in (medium to large)
- Rain gear (tops and bottoms)
- Layers of clothing (for splinting exercises and to keep yourself warm during scenarios)
- Warm hat or sun hat
- Water bottles (at least 1 qt/litre)
- Some snacks
- Pen and notepad
- Wrist Watch (cell phone is not sufficient)
- Footwear appropriate to the terrain (closed toes, no flip flops)
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
Additional Items
(Optional for WFA, Required for AWFA, WFR, WEMT, WEMT Module)
- Old Sleeping bag or blanket
- Footwear you don’t mind getting wet
- Knife
- Plastic tarp or groundsheet (min 6’X6’)
- Headlight
- Sleeping pad (ensolite or thermarest)
- Personal first aid kit (Band-Aids etc)
- Trekking poles (useful but not required)
All participants must be at least 18 years of age. Current EMT license holders qualify as WEMT’s at the conclusion of the course. Other providers earn the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification.
Recommended For: First Responders, Doctors, Nurses, PAs, EMTs, Paramedics
NOC is home to two onsite restaurants, and hours vary seasonally. View hours for River’s End Restaurant and Big Wesser. Snacks are available for purchase at the General Store.
