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EMS certification requirements for flight nurses.

Michael A Frakes·Wendy R Lord
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Emergency medical technician (EMT) or paramedic (EMTP) certification requirements for flight nurses (FNs) providing on-scene patient care vary. We surveyed those requirements and evaluated the relationships between flight team composition or program location and FN EMS certification. METHODS: Telephone survey of all 184 rotor-wing programs responding with a nurse to scenes RESULTS: The overall EMS training requirement for FNs was: none-57.6%, EMT-21.7%, EMTP-14.7%, local credential (not EMT or EMTP)-6.0%. Second team members were EMTP, RN, physician, or respiratory therapist (RRT). Overall, team configuration related significantly to FN EMS certification (P =.01). FN/EMTP and FN/RRT teams were individually significant (P <.01), with FN/EMTP teams tending not to require certification and all FN/RRT teams tending toward a certification requirement. Neither FN/FN nor FN/physician pairings related significantly with FN EMS certification requirements. Regional patterns emerged to both crew configuration and FN EMS certification requirements. CONCLUSION: Most flight programs do not require FN EMT/EMTP certification. Team configuration and geography are related to those requirements.

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Air AmbulancesCertificationEmergency Medical TechniciansEmergency NursingHumansPatient Care TeamProgram EvaluationSpecialty BoardsSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited StatesJournal Article

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Michael A Frakes, Wendy R Lord. EMS certification requirements for flight nurses.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amj.2004.06.003

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