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10/20/2011

Ohio Transition Plan to Address NREMT State-Approved Transition Course

NREMT TRANSITION POLICY NOTICE

Ohio EMS providers have recently received a notice from the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) regarding a “Transition Plan” to maintain their NREMT certification.  The NREMT Transition Policy, adopted June 8, 2011, requires the current holder of a NREMT certificate to complete a state-approved transition course in order to be eligible for its National EMS Certification.

The NREMT Transition Policy only affects those Ohio EMS providers who wish to maintain their NREMT certification.  The Ohio Revised Code and the Administrative Code do not require EMS providers with current and valid Ohio certificates to practice to also hold a National EMS Certification.  

 

OHIO TRANSITION PLAN

The State EMS Board has adopted the National EMS Education Standards and the National EMS Scope of Practice Model as a minimum guideline for Ohio EMS providers.  The action does not reduce the current Ohio EMS scope of practice, in fact, additional psychomotor skills have been added to the draft Ohio curriculum and scope of practice rules.   The State EMS Board is in the final steps of the rule revision process and expects the new Ohio curriculum, scope of practice and EMS titles rules to become effective by mid-February 2012. 

The draft curriculum rules include refresher programs that will meet the national scope of practice model, the Ohio specialty topic renewal requirements and the NREMT Transition Policy, which requires a state-approved course.  The draft curriculum and refresher rules are based on the national EMS education standards as well as the standards established by the EMS Board.  The Ohio Refresher programs will be the only courses approved by the State Board to meet the NREMT transition criteria. 

The draft rules are currently posted on the EMS website under DRAFT RULES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT - http://www.ems.ohio.gov/ems_laws.stm.  The draft rules are expected to go to the Ohio EMS Board in October for approval, to public hearing in December and to the legislative committee, JCARR, in January 2012.  If this timetable is met, the rules should become effective in February 2012.  Again, these are draft rules and have not been approved.

Please visit the EMS web site for updates www.ems.ohio.gov.

 

 

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