Announcements!

North Carolina Office of EMS has announced “In order to make sure that NC credentialing exams follow the current standard of care and the American Heart Association 2010 Guidelines, all NC credential level exams have been reviewed. All exams will be adjusted as of November 17, 2011 to be in compliance with the 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines.”

EMS Workforce Supply

Workforce supply is generally defined as the size and composition of the available workforce. In the case of healthcare professions and occupations, supply often refers to those individuals who possess the required training and credentials (i.e., license and certification) for a profession and are thus qualified to work.

Paramedic Accreditation Implementation Policy

Beginning January 1, 2013 all initial Paramedic applicants seeking NREMT’s National EMS Certification at the Paramedic level must have successfully completed education from an accredited program or one that is seeking accreditation sponsored by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

NREMT TRANSITION POLICY

The NREMT Board of Directors is committed to implementation of the EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach. Included within this agenda is the National EMS Scope of Practice Model. Therefore, in order for NREMTs to maintain National EMS Certification, as outlined in the EMS Education Agenda for the Future, all NREMTs must meet the minimum requirements of knowledge and skills outlined in the National EMS Scope of Practice Model. Transition dates and processes which certified EMS providers must follow to obtain National EMS Certification vary according to the level of EMS provider and are outlined as follows:

The North Carolina Office of EMS established a timeline to implement EMS Education Standards including Emergency Medical Responder, EMT, Advanced EMT (Intermediate) and Paramedic.  This process will begin January 1, 2012 and format the standards or outcomes and align learning objectives. A peer review will take place during the process and will have the first draft documents complete by June 30, 2012.  There will be another peer review by stakeholders and final documents will be complete by September 1, 2012 and presented during Emergency Medicine Today 2012.

This effort could not happen without many EMS professionals including educators, training coordinators, administrators, and providers throughout North Carolina.

Listed here are just a few ways the EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach allows for improved efficiency and quality for the national EMS education process:

• Standardization of provider levels
• Uniform state licensure standards
• An established national EMS education system
• Instructor flexibility and ability to adapt to local needs and resources
• Consistent quality of education throughout the country
• Consistent program accreditation standards
• Education based on practice analysis rather than perceived needs
• Ability to make frequent and appropriate updates based on new information and research
• An up-to-date practice analysis and method of identifying entry-level competency
• An EMS education system compatible with an academically-based approach to education

North Carolina Association of EMS Educators and North Carolina Office of EMS is developing a plan for North Carolina EMS education establishing a timeline for EMS education standards including curriculum for classroom, clinical practice and guidelines.

Tuesday August 9, 2011 the North Carolina EMS Advisory Council voted unanimously to accept the NC EMS Education Taskforce recommendations for the four levels of EMS, program accreditation, credentialing and re-credentialing, and EMD.

You can view the full list of recommendations here. (ncdhhs.gov)