NREMT new certification levels

[Asysin2leads]

The NREMT has decided to kick things up a notch and redo everyone's certification levels. Basically, the new levels will be as such: Current Level New Level NREMT First Responder Emergency Medical Responder (NREMR) NREMT-Basic (NREMT- Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) NREMT-Intermediate/85 (NREMT-I/85) Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (NRAEMT) NREMT-Intermediate/99 (NREMT-I/99)

Paramedic (NRP)

NREMT-Paramedic (NREMT-P)

What I think is interesting is that basically, now, the levels of certification are nearly identical to the ones in British Columbia and other parts of Canada, FR (NREMR), EMR (NREMT), PCP (NRAMET), and ACP (NRP). I think some conservative pundits will be unamused.

What it means is I'll have to scrape together some dough to do a 48 hour transition course to keep my paramedic certification. I'm not sure what this means for Intermediate-99's, though.

Actually, I think these changes are a step in the right direction. Even though it may only be semantic, the changes to the paramedic level look like a step away from technician and towards recognized health care provider. Plus I can now shut those annoying BLS before ALS guys up who use to say stuff about the EMT being the most part of EMT-P. Not any more!

I'm interested to see what they have planned for the transition course.

[Ridryder 911]

Actually, it was NOT the NREMT but many of us educators and a whole new idea of curriculum and methodology of educating (not training EMS) as this is the new standard and wording of NHTSA. The wording is not really the whole point as there will be a required transition course for each level. The Intermediate level will be abolished (replaced by Advanced EMT) and one will notice the wording of EMT totally removed from the Paramedic level ( Yea!!) as this puts stigma on professional level as a technician and not practitioner level.

No more objective based teaching but rather traditional methods of teaching. Allowing instructors to teach more in-depth but requiring lesson plans and follow up as professional educators should.

This is also in allowance with the requirements of acreditation of Paramedic Education facililty (those taking NREMT exam).

These changes have been introduced and hashed about for the past 5-10 years, so many of us; this is not really new changes....lol

R/r 911

[chbare]

These are in response to the National SOP implementation and as Rid stated, this has been in the works for quite a while. Unfortunately, it is pretty much more of the same. You will see a few hours added here and there, but significant changes that I have pushed for and continue to advocate as an EMS educator still have not been implemented. We still are not even on par with any of the Associate degree allied health professions or nursing in terms of pre-requisite educational requirements.

[DwayneEMTP]

I guess I don't understand the transition part...

From EMTP to NRP, what is the transition? Not that I'm worried, as I've not found the NR to be seriously challenging in the past, but am curious if I'm missing something here...

Dwayne

[Bieber]

I was surprised to find that there are going to be transition courses for paramedics. Not quite sure what it will entail, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Haven't heard yet when there's going to be some transition courses.

[Kiwiology]

These changes have been coming since the early 1990s (I think 1994) when the NREMT bought out the Practice Blueprint which led to the development of the Education Agenda.

While very good, substantive change has not occured nor is it likely to occur (in my view) within the next decade.

Substantive change is going to require further increases in education standards, the mandating two year degree for Paramedics as well as sensible increases in scope of practice for EMT (eg LMA, GTN, glucagon, salbutamol, entonox) because that is what is going to have the greatest benefit.

[firemedic37]

The transition course are not that difficult. They are going to be implemented into your 24 and 48 hour refreshers. Instead of the old standard refreshers we all have had to set through numerous times this will be a title different. They may bring you some new skills or medications but mostly for me at least very little is going to change. It will be easy for EMT-Basics and Paramedics. But the EMT-Intermediates out there, now its going to be more work and more testing for them.

[jscop21]

Transition courses won't just be phased into refreshers. If 2012 is not your refresher year you'll have to take an independent transition course. The course is needed because there is a slight change in scope of practice, there are new things to cover education wise and some things are being removed. Also if your lucky enough to be taking one of the nationally recognized critical care courses such as UMBC's CCEMT-P or Creighton Universities program those will count towards your transition course as the material they present meets and far exceeds that needed by national registry to transition into the new role.

[ORmedic65]

Huh, I remember seeing something about this on the NREMT's website the other day, but I wasn't real sure what it was talking about. I would really love to find some more detail on what the transition courses will entail.

EDIT: If anyone is interested, I found this video that gives a little detail about what some of the changes for the different levels will be. Click

Edited October 7, 2011 by ORmedic65

[Rural Medik]

From what the NR stated, Intermediate 85's and 99's will either become Paramedics or AEMT's, depending on which way they want to go. Obviously, Paramedic will require them to return to school, while AEMT only requires them to do nothing, and allow their scope of practice to be reduced.