Understanding EMS Standards: National Education & Competency

Emergency Medical Services (EMS), under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), provides a system of medical care delivery to individuals who are in a life-threatening or emergency situations related to injuries or illnesses. EMS publishes the National EMS Education Standards as a framework to ensure preparedness for personnel at the front-lines.

Competency

• EMS defines the levels of emergency personnel and outlines the practices and minimum competencies for each level. These levels have been established as emergency medical responder (EMR), emergency medical technician (EMT), advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT), and paramedic. The learning competencies center on medical, pharmaceutical and public health knowledge.

Clinical Behaviors &Judgments

• This area of standards include learning about ethics, cultural competencies, proper record-keeping, and managing patient assessments. Personnel are required to work within certain hazardous constraints and ensure the safety of all parties at the scene of an emergency.

Training Infrastructure

• EMS also has a role in setting standards to ensure that a consistent training infrastructure is provided at the state and local levels. Their guidelines help with everything from designing courses, managing field experience, ensuring hospital exposure and providing qualified instructors.