What is the Capstone Field Internship?

What is the Capstone Field Internship?

The Capstone Field Internship, often referred to as “Leads" or "Capstones", is the final stage of a Paramedic student’s training. It provides students with the opportunity to function as the lead paramedic on a working 911/emergency ambulance. During Capstones, students continue practicing patient assessments, interventions, and forming differential diagnoses. However, unlike earlier clinical or field shifts, students are expected to take full leadership of the call. The student will need to lead the patient interview, complete the physical assessment, and create a treatment plan with no intervention from the Preceptor. Failure to do so will result in the student not being awarded the patient as a “Team Lead” —this phase is about demonstrating independent decision-making and leadership in the field.

The Capstone Field Internship includes 120 hours at an approved EMS service. Students must also achieve 20 qualifying patient encounters in a 911 setting. These patients can be of any age or condition but must meet specific criteria. Refusals do not count toward the required encounters. Transfers may count only if they involve a higher level of care, such as a ventilator-dependent patient being transferred to a specialty facility. Dead on arrival (DOA) patients generally do not count unless a full resuscitation (code) is worked and properly documented. All other patient encounters must be 911 system-initiated transports. These patients can be BLS or ALS. 

If a student fails a team lead attempt, they are still required to document the patient and mark the lead as “Unsuccessful” in FISDAP. This helps ensure accurate tracking of successful versus unsuccessful lead encounters.

Capstone shifts must be completed with approved Capstone preceptors. These are specific individuals at each site who have completed Axon’s Capstone Preceptor Training. Students cannot attend Capstone shifts with unapproved preceptors. If a student would like to work with a specific preceptor at a site, they may request this, and Axon will make an effort to get that preceptor approved. Throughout the internship, the preceptor will continuously evaluate the student’s performance. The Capstone is not considered complete until the preceptor confirms the student is ready to function as an independent lead provider in the field. Once all Capstone requirements are successfully completed, the student will be eligible to submit for course completion.