Abstract
This position statement was approved by the NAEMSP Board of Directors on 8/24/21.
The National Association of EMS Physicians believes that:
The medical direction of EMS Systems must always be physician-led.
Within physician-led EMS systems, EMS Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners can provide added support to the medical director’s functions.
EMS PAs and NPs providing prehospital clinical care shall have additional clinical training over and above that required of the standard PA or NP education to achieve pre-hospital competency at a level designated by the EMS physician medical director and as allowed by applicable regulations/statute.
Under the direction of, and at the discretion of, the Physician Medical Director, individual PA/NP’s may be capable of performing functions such as:
Assist with protocol development
Quality Assurance & Quality Improvement
Education & training
Research
Field Response (direct patient care) including low and high acuity patients (critical, emergent, non-emergent, and interfacility transport)
Consults for EMS crews
Participate in and assist with coordination of community paramedicine/alternative destination/MIH programs
Assist with other day-to-day functions as delegated by medical director
Liaison duties between the EMS system and hospitals