The new ADVANCED EMT: EMS in Indiana and nationally is undergoing a transition from the older National Standard Curriculum to new National Education Standards. These new National Education Standards will give us greater flexibility in EMS education and more universal descriptions of the various EMS levels. Below are descriptions of the new national levels of EMS certification, as published in the National EMS Scope of Practice Model by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, in February 2007. The Indiana EMS Commission may choose to alter these descriptions for Indiana providers. If that occurs, we will note those changes here. Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (Formerly did not exist) The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician’s scope of practice includes basic and limited advanced skills focused on the acute management and transportation of critical and emergent patients. This may occur at an emergency scene until transportation resources arrive, from an emergency scene to a health care facility, between health care facilities, or in other health care settings. For many communities, Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians provide an option to provide high benefit, lower risk advanced skills for systems that cannot support or justify Paramedic level care. This is frequently the case in rural and volunteer systems. In some jurisdictions, Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians are the highest level of out-of-hospital care. In communities which utilize emergency medical dispatch systems, Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians may function as part of a tiered response system. In all cases, Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians work alongside other EMS and health care professionals as an integral part of the emergency care team. The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician’s scope of practice includes basic, limited advanced and pharmacological interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with acute out-of-hospital medical and traumatic emergencies. Emergency care is based on assessment findings. Additionally, Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians provide care to minimize secondary injury and provide comfort to the patient and family while transporting the patient to an emergency care facility. The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician’s knowledge, skills, and abilities are acquired through formal education and training. The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician has the knowledge associated with, and is expected to be competent in, all of the skills of the EMR and EMT. The major difference between the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and the Emergency Medical Technician is the ability to perform limited advanced skills and provide pharmacological interventions to emergency patients. The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician is the minimum licensure level for patients requiring limited advanced care at the scene or during transportation. The scope of practice model is limited to lower risk, high benefit advanced skills that are effective and can be performed safely in an out-of-hospital setting with medical oversight and limited training. The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician transports all emergency patients to an appropriate medical facility. The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician is not prepared to independently make decisions regarding the disposition of patients. The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician serves as part of an EMS response system assuring a progressive increase in the level of assessment and care. The Advanced Emergency Medical Technician may make destination decisions in collaboration with medical oversight. The principal disposition of the patient encounter will result in the direct delivery of the patient to an acute care facility. In addition to emergency response, Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians often perform medical transport services of patients requiring care within their scope of practice. Psychomotor Skills The minimum psychomotor skills include all of the skills for the EMR and EMT, plus: Airway and Breathing - Insertion of airways that are NOT intended to be placed into the trachea - Tracheobronchial suctioning of an already intubated patient Assessment Pharmacological Interventions - Establish and maintain peripheral intravenous access - Establish and maintain intraosseous access in a pediatric patient - Administer (nonmedicated) intravenous fluid therapy - Administer sublingual nitroglycerine to a patient experiencing chest pain of suspected ischemic origin - Administer subcutaneous or intramuscular epinephrine to a patient in anaphylaxis - Administer blucagon to a hypoglycemic patient - Adminster intravenous D50 to a hypoglycemic patient - Administer inhaled beta agonists to a patient experiencing difficulty breathing and wheezing - Administer a narcotic antagonist to a patient suspected of narcotic overdose - Administer nitrous oxide for pain relief
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:45:22 +0000
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