Skip Kirkwood asks “how do we change it?” in response to my post on the prevailing apathy that is so rampant in EMS. I think a good start is with national recognition, and a national certification.
I have long been a proponent of the National Registry of EMTs. They do a lot more for EMS than most know, and they receive a lot of what I perceive to be unwarranted criticism.
With the incredible disparity in required education from state to state, I think the NREMT would be well positioned to be a leading force in a true National registry. The NREMT is moving in the right direction with their requirements for education from accredited schools to be eligible for their certification.
The NREMT is also moving in the right direction with their obtaining accreditation from The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The NREMT sets standards for their members, and the NCCA ensures that those standards are “credible for ensuring the health, welfare, and safety of the public.”
The NREMT has set a standard, and ensures competency of the EMS personnel who are Nationally Registered.
Nurses are required to be “registered,” why aren’t (or shouldn’t) paramedics be required to be registered as well?
Before being critical of the NREMT, and asking how a test can “ensure competence,” provide another answer. Enlighten me how you would ensure competency of EMS personnel. Should we continue with the disjointed, state-by-state EMS certification/reciprocity process that we have now, or should there be cohesion, and a clear understanding from everyone what it means to call someone a Paramedic?
I think the future of EMS is dependent on a unified vision and understanding of what EMS, who we are, and what we do.