Guideline 1-500 - EMS Education and Competency

CMH EMS & MIH Protocols

Scope:

Guideline:

Each individual following these protocols shall be educated and demonstrate competence.

Purpose:

The purpose of this guideline is to establish a process and standards for responders (non CMH-employees) to aquire education and maintain emergency medical competence.

CMH Pre-Hospital employees are subject to Policy PHS01-37 - Ambulance Education and Competency.

Procedure:

1. General Requirements: Two tables below detail requirements for those responders and staff utilizing these protocols. The first table is for first responders and ambulance staff that are not employees of Citizens Memorial Hospital Pre-Hospital Services. The second table is for staff that are employed by CMH PHS.
2. Required Licenses: Refer to the tables below for the required licenses for each responder level. Each individual is responsible for maintaining licensures as listed.
3. Required Certifications: Refer to the tables below for the required certifications for each responder level. Each individual is responsible for obtaining and maintaining certifications as listed.
4. Required Competence: Each year, a list of competency requirements will be compiled from input from Quality Program, MEDICAL CONTROL, staff, dispatch agencies, and first responder agencies.
1. Required Annual Competence: Life support competency opportunities will be available throughout the year (typically every month on the second Tuesday). Successful completion of the Life Support Competency is equivalent to a refresher certification in AHA BLS, ACLS, and PALS (if the student already possesses an unexpired certificate). New AHA certification cards along with CEU certificates will be issued upon successful completion.
2. Required Triannual Competence: At least three times per year, an educational competency will be held. Competencies will routinely be comprised of different topics offered throughout the year. Additional classroom and/or skill competencies may be required based on community and professional development needs. Competency schedule will be posted and announced at least 30 days ahead. Typically, one competency topic per trimester. Refer to Education Manual Section 2-720 - Generic Education Calendar for schedules and announcement flyers. Agencies may deliver the competency locally with the approval of CMH PHS. CMH PHS will offer each topic at least five times over a two-week period to allow participation. CEU certificates will be issued upon successful completion.
3. Required Monthly Competence: Each month, a protocol quiz is available to familiarize responders and staff with current protocols. Refer to Monthly Protocol Competency Quizzes for the list of links to find all quizzes available for the year. Completion of each month's protocol quiz is only valid if completed within the given month (i.e. after the first day and before the last day of the month). Quizzes are open-book and may be taken as many times as necessary to obtain a passing score of at least 80%. CEU certificates will be issued upon successful completion.
5. Recordkeeping: It is the responsibility of each agency to maintain records demonstrating each responder meets these requirements.

CMH Pre-Hospital Services Mission: "Provide safe, exceptional, and compassionate care to our communities with an emphasis on highly trained and empowered staff."

CMH Mobile Integrated Healthcare Mission: "Provide exceptional, compassionate, and patient-centered care by a mobile collaborative team to improve patient experience, improve quality outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs."

Polk, Hickory, Cedar, & St Clair County EMS Protocols is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.