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TITLE 25HEALTH SERVICES
PART 1DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
CHAPTER 157EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE
SUBCHAPTER CEMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TRAINING AND COURSE APPROVAL
RULE §157.32Emergency Medical Services Education Program and Course Approval

(a) Emergency medical services (EMS) Education Program Standards. An EMS Education Program shall meet national education training standards that address at least the following areas:

  (1) program sponsorship;

  (2) program direction and administration;

  (3) medical direction;

  (4) instructor personnel;

  (5) financial resources;

  (6) physical resources, including classroom and laboratory facilities, equipment and supplies, and learning resources;

  (7) clinical and field internship resources;

  (8) academic and administrative policies, procedures and records requirements;

  (9) program evaluation;

  (10) curriculum; and

  (11) delivery of instruction by distance learning technology.

(b) Consideration of training standards. The department shall base the education and training standards on applicable national standards and guidelines for evaluation and approval of EMS education programs adopted by national accrediting organizations.

(c) Curriculum

  (1) Emergency Care Attendant (ECA).

    (A) The minimum curriculum shall include all content required by the current national Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) educational standards and competencies as defined in the National EMS Education Standards by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT).

    (B) In addition to the minimum curriculum in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the curriculum shall include the following subjects:

      (i) recognition and identification of hazardous materials as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency curriculum, "Recognizing and Identifying Hazardous Materials";

      (ii) airway/ventilation adjuncts; to include use of the bag-valve mask, oxygen administration and oral suctioning;

      (iii) measurement of baseline vital signs to include pulse, respiration and blood pressure by palpation and auscultation;

      (iv) spinal motion restriction, to include sizing and application of cervical collars and short/long spinal motion restriction devices to supine, seated, and standing patients;

      (v) patient assessment;

      (vi) bandaging, splinting, and traction splinting;

      (vii) cardiac arrest management, including use of the semi-automatic external defibrillator;

      (viii) equipment used to lift and move patients;

      (ix) communications and documentation; and

      (x) ambulance operations, to include emergency vehicle laws.

    (C) The course shall include a minimum of 60 clock hours of classroom and laboratory instruction in the approved curriculum.

  (2) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

    (A) The minimum curriculum shall include all content required by the current national EMT educational standards and competencies as defined in the National EMS Education Standards by DOT.

    (B) The course shall include a minimum of 150 clock hours of classroom, laboratory, clinical, and field instruction which shall include supervised experiences in the emergency department and with a licensed EMS provider and in other settings as needed to develop the competencies defined in the minimum curriculum.

  (3) Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT).

    (A) The minimum curriculum shall include all content required by the current national Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) standards and competencies as defined in the National EMS Education Standards by DOT. The following areas must be addressed as outlined in the AEMT national educational standards and the Health and Safety Code, §773.048:

      (i) roles and responsibilities of the paramedic;

      (ii) well being of the paramedic;

      (iii) illness and injury prevention;

      (iv) medical/legal issues;

      (v) ethics;

      (vi) general principles of pathophysiology;

      (vii) pharmacology;

      (viii) venous access and medication administration;

      (ix) therapeutic communications;

      (x) life span development;

      (xi) patient assessment;

      (xii) airway management and ventilation, including endotracheal intubation; and

      (xiii) trauma.

    (B) The course shall include a minimum of 250 clock hours of classroom, laboratory, clinical, and field instruction which shall include supervised experiences in the emergency department and with a licensed EMS provider and in other settings as needed to develop the competencies defined in the AEMT national educational standards.

    (C) A student shall have a current EMT certification from the department or National Registry prior to beginning and throughout field and clinical rotations in an AEMT course.

  (4) Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P).

    (A) The minimum curriculum shall include all content required by the current national paramedic education standards and competencies in the National EMS Education Standards as defined by DOT.

    (B) The course shall include a minimum of 1000 clock hours of classroom, laboratory, clinical and field instruction which shall include supervised experiences in the emergency department and with a licensed EMS provider and in other settings as needed to develop the competencies defined in the minimum curriculum.

    (C) A student shall have a current EMT or AEMT certification from the department or current EMT, EMT-I or AEMT certification from the National Registry prior to beginning and throughout field and clinical rotations in an EMT-P course.

(d) Sponsorship.

  (1) EMS Education programs shall be sponsored by organizations or individuals with adequate resources and dedication to carry out successful educational endeavors.

  (2) Program sponsors shall provide appropriate oversight and supervision to ensure that programs:

    (A) are educationally and fiscally sound;

    (B) meet the responsibilities listed in subsection (o) of this section; and

    (C) has the required equipment and resources to conduct the program.

(e) Levels of program approval.

  (1) A program may be approved as a basic EMS training program or an advanced training program.

  (2) ECA and EMT training shall be conducted by a basic program and may be conducted by an advanced program.

  (3) AEMT and EMT-P training shall be conducted by an advanced program.

  (4) An advanced program shall be considered to have met the requirements for approval as a basic program.

  (5) The education programs must have the authority or ownership to provide the program.

  (6) Approval of a program by the department is not transferable.

(f) Currently approved programs. Programs that have obtained approval as of the effective date of this rule shall be considered to have met the requirements of subsections (g) or (h) of this section appropriate to their current level of approval. Paramedic programs must provide proof of accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)/Committee on Accreditation of Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP), or a national accrediting organization recognized by the department. Alternatively, the program may provide a letter of review from CAAHEP/CoAEMSP or a national accrediting organization recognized by the department stating the education program has submitted the appropriate documentation that indicates it being in pursuit of accreditation as defined by that organization.

(g) Basic approval requirements. To receive approval for a basic program, an applicant shall:

  (1) submit a letter of sponsorship;

  (2) submit letters of intent from qualified providers of clinical and field internship experience appropriate to the level of training;

  (3) have at least one course coordinator certified as an EMT or higher;

  (4) have a program director who contributes an adequate amount of time to assure the success of the program. In addition to other responsibilities, the program director shall be responsible for the development, organization, administration, periodic review and effectiveness of the program. In addition to other duties, the program director may function as a course coordinator if appropriately certified; and shall:

    (A) routinely review student performance to assure adequate progress toward completion of the program;

    (B) review and supervise the quality of instruction provided by the program; and

Cont'd...

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