Although its difficult to put a precise count on the number of EMTs and paramedics who are currently serving in the United States, according to 2008 estimates reported by the National Highway and Traffics Safety Association (NHTSA), there are approximately 69,278 licensed EMS providers in 48 states and 4 territories.

It’s incumbent upon every organization to assess the size and severity of its own clinical experience gap, and to devise methods of narrowing and ultimately closing that gap. Although requiring significant creativity on the part of the training officers, the employment of stressful simulation-based training provides a cost-effective method to address this area of growing concern. This type of training can be implemented by departments large and small, and can be scaled and tailored to meet their resources.