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EMS field skills

How to splint a dislocated joint

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.

EMS (NREMT)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

In the field, splint a dislocation as found unless protocol says otherwise.

Step by step

  1. Check

    Pulse, movement and sensation beyond the joint. [1]

  2. As found

    Do not force it back. [1]

  3. Pad

    Fill gaps for support. [1]

  4. Immobilize

    Bones above and below the joint. [1]

  5. Recheck

    Circulation and sensation. [1]

  6. No pulse

    Contact medical control. [1]

Common errors

Practice it in Making Synapses

In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

Making Synapses cases that train this skill

Sources

  1. NREMT psychomotor skill sheets (EMT and Paramedic)
  2. National EMS Education Standards (2021)

Facts and steps follow NREMT psychomotor skill sheets (EMT and Paramedic); National EMS Education Standards (2021). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.