October 14th, 2011
The biggest news in EMS for a long time is the transition phase currently underway across the United States. The 1994 DOT National Standard Curriculum is out, and the National EMS Education Standards are in. So what do all these new changes in names, and talk of transition courses really mean to you? I won’t even begin to try to do a comprehensive overview of everything, but I will point out a few of the major changes, and also give you guidance on where to get the best answers for your personal situation.
The most obvious changes are the actual names now being used. Probably most of you have gotten multiple emails, letters, and publications talking about it, but for the sake of being repetitive, I’ll go ahead and give them to you one more time.
First Responder is now called Emergency Medical Responder (EMR). Emergency Medical Technician – Basic has lost the basic and is just plain EMT. The Intermediates are both thrown out the window (well they are being carried to the window right now, and will be tossed out over the next couple of years), and the Advanced EMT (AEMT) is the new kid on the block that is destined to replace them. Then the EMT-Paramedic loses the EMT and is just a plain Paramedic. So now we only have to worry about 4 levels, but in actuality we have 9 names to keep straight; 5 old ones, and 4 new ones. It is important to note that each state is still going to have the choice of adopting some, none, part, all, or creating their own levels. States that don’t adopt the 4 standard national levels will probably have their own testing process in place, since the NREMT is only going to be testing over those 4 when the transition is finally complete.
This brings me to the point of telling you where to find out what you need to know. The best route is to contact the actual State EMS office that issued or will issue your license/certificate. Many States have transition information on their websites, but there is going to be confusion and chaos for the next 12 to 24 months as all of this takes affect and is put in place. Don’t become frustrated or upset about the challenges you’ll face. There will be testing at the NREMT level to bring certifications up to the new standards. There will also be transition courses, continuing education, and other ways of delivering the new information to all the EMS providers around the country. If you only hold an NREMT certification, then log on to the NREMT website at www.nremt.org and start reading all the information they have posted there. They are doing a good job of listing what you will need to do to maintain and/or advance your certificate.
Here are the skills associated with the new levels.
Please note: The 2005 National EMS Scope of Practice Model is a foundation for each state to build their own model on. It is intended to illustrate how each EMS level operates and the progression of knowledge from one level to the next. It is NOT inclusive of every skill that a state may allow, and is only designed to be the required minimum. Please check with your individual state about what you will be required to know.
I will be writing more information about how different states are implementing these changes over the next several months. If you are involved with your states transition process and would like us to highlight it here, please send an email to scott@emtfiretraining.com with the subject of “Transition Info.”
Back to October 2011 Newsletter
|
