The time is right for career ambulance personnel to formally become health professionals.
The Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Standard has now been in place since 1995 and fully complies with the requirements of University College Dublin and the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland for the awarding of a Diploma. This standard exceeds EMT standards that apply in the UK, North America and Australasia. Indeed Irish EMTs are more highly trained than Basic Life Support colleagues in all these jurisdictions. There are currently nearly 2000 EMTs on PHECC’s records that have now met this standard.
EMT – Advanced training has now commenced at the National Ambulance Training School/University College Dublin and will lead to the award of a Higher Diploma.
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council’s Statutory Instrument was amended in October 2004 giving statutory status to a Register. EMTs will be able to join the Register at one of three levels.
The Register will link to amendments to Medicinal Products Regulations which will be in place in the second half of this year and which will enable EMTs and EMT-As who do register to give a much wider range of medications. The Register will also ensure that those who do register maintain their competencies by Continuing Professional Development. It is not clear yet what Continuing Professional Development will be required but cardiac and Clinical Practice Guidelines currency will be mandatory at all levels. Earlier international research commissioned by PHECC suggests that 50 hours (2 weeks) per year on average or 150 hours over three years is the best practice benchmark for Paramedic/Advanced Paramedic levels. |
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The EMT Standard, the EMT-A Standard, the National Examination, Clinical Practice Guidelines - all these initiatives are best practice and all assist in moving away from the ambulance driver concept to that of the pre-hospital emergency care practitioners as health professionals.
Currently doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and opticians have a statutory register in Ireland. Legislation is currently being considered to register 12 further allied health care professions.
Barry O’Sullivan, Deputy Director of PHECC has been allocated the authority to implement and maintain the register as PHECC’s first Registrar.
It is worth repeating that the time is right for career ambulance personnel to formally become health professionals.
The registration process will include signing up to a Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics, and understanding the Fitness to Practice process which are outlined in this newsletter.
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