Scopes of practice

Each level of emergency medical services professional has a scope of practice that includes the scopes of practice of all subordinate emergency medical services professionals and the scopes of all emergency medical services providers listed in chapter 33-36-03. The hierarchy of emergency medical services professionals is listed sequentially in this section. 1. Emergency medical technician. a. Scope. The emergency medical technician's core scope of practice includes basic, noninvasive interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with acute out-of-hospital medical and traumatic emergencies. Emergency care is based on assessment findings. An emergency medical technician is not prepared to make decisions independently regarding the appropriate disposition of patients. The emergency medical technician may make destination decisions in collaboration with medical oversight. The principal disposition of the patient encounter will result in the direct delivery of the patient to an acute care facility. The primary differences between an advanced first-aid ambulance attendant and emergency medical technician are the educational and testing requirements required for licensure as an emergency medical technician. b. Curriculum. The educational requirements include successful completion of a state-authorized emergency medical technician training program and continued educational requirements as defined in chapter 33-36-01. c. Scope enhancements. Emergency medical technicians may provide enhanced treatments beyond the core scope if they have completed training as defined in section 33-36-01-04 and have authorization to perform those skills from their medical director. d. Skills. Specific skills for the emergency medical technician are defined by the department. Local medical directors may limit the specific skills that an emergency medical technician may provide and they may not exceed those specific skills defined by the department. e. Occupational setting. Emergency medical technicians may participate in the emergency medical services system as a sole responder in a quick response unit, as the primary care provider of a basic life support air or ground ambulance service, or as part of the crew of an advanced life support air or ground ambulance service. Emergency medical technicians may also provide services to a private company or organization as part of a response team that is not offered to the general public. f. Medical oversight. An emergency medical technician provides medical care with physician oversight. A physician credentials the emergency medical technician and establishes patient care standards through protocol. g. Supervision. An emergency medical technician may be the highest trained person on a quick response unit and as the primary care provider may supervise other emergency medical technicians, emergency medical responders, or drivers. As part of a basic life support ambulance crew, an emergency medical technician may supervise subordinate emergency medical services personnel. As part of an advanced life support ambulance service, an emergency medical technician is supervised by a paramedic. 2. Emergency medical technician-intermediate/85. a. Scope. The scope of practice of an emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 includes basic, limited advanced interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with acute out-of-hospital medical and traumatic emergencies. Emergency care is based on assessment findings. An emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 is not prepared to make decisions independently regarding the appropriate disposition of patients. The emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 may make destination decisions in collaboration with medical oversight. The principal disposition of the patient encounter will result in the direct delivery of the patient to an acute care facility. The primary differences between an emergency medical technician and emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 are the basic, limited advanced interventions that an emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 may provide. b. Curriculum. The core educational requirements include successful completion of a state-authorized emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 training program and continued educational requirements as defined in chapter 33-36-01. c. Scope enhancements. Emergency medical technicians-intermediate/85 may provide enhanced treatments beyond the core scope if they have completed training as defined in section 33-36-01-04 and have the authorization to perform those skills from their medical director. d. Skills. Specific skills for the emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 are defined by department policy. Local medical directors, or hospitals if working in the hospital setting may limit the specific skills that an emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 may provide. They may not exceed those specific skills defined by department policy. e. Occupational setting. Emergency medical technicians-intermediate/85 may participate in the emergency medical services system as a sole responder in a quick response unit, as the primary care provider of a basic life support air or ground ambulance service, or as part of the crew of an advanced life support air or ground ambulance service. Emergency medical technicians-intermediate/85 may work for a hospital in a nonemergency setting or provide services to a private company or organization as part of a response team that is not offered to the general public. f. Medical oversight. An emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 working in a prehospital setting provides medical care with physician oversight. In this circumstance a physician credentials the emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 and establishes patient care standards through protocol. An emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 working in a hospital setting is credentialed by the hospital. g. Supervision. An emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 may be the highest trained person on a quick response unit and as the primary care provider may supervise other emergency medical technicians-intermediate/85, emergency medical technicians, first responders, or drivers. As part of a basic life support ambulance crew, an emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 may supervise subordinate emergency medical services personnel. As part of an advanced life support ambulance service an emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 is supervised by a paramedic. Emergency medical technicians-intermediate/85 working in a hospital setting are supervised by nursing staff. 3. Advanced emergency medical technician. a. Scope. The advanced emergency medical technician's scope of practice includes basic, limited advanced interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with acute out-of-hospital medical and traumatic emergencies. Emergency care is based on assessment findings. An advanced emergency medical technician is not prepared to make decisions independently regarding the appropriate disposition of patients. The advanced emergency medical technician may make destination decisions in collaboration with medical oversight. The principal disposition of the patient encounter will result in the direct delivery of the patient to an acute care facility. The primary differences between an emergency medical technician and advanced emergency medical technician are the basic, limited advanced interventions that an advanced emergency medical technician may provide. b. Curriculum. The core educational requirements include successful completion of a state-authorized advanced emergency medical technician training program and continued educational requirements as defined in chapter 33-36-01. c. Skills. Specific skills for the advanced emergency medical technician are defined by department policy. Local medical directors, or hospitals if working in the hospital setting, may limit the specific skills that an advanced emergency medical technician may provide. They may not exceed those specific skills defined by department policy. d. Occupational setting. Advanced emergency medical technicians may participate in the emergency medical services system as a sole responder in a quick response unit, as the primary care provider of a basic life support air or ground ambulance service, or as part of the crew of an advanced life support air or ground ambulance service. Advanced emergency medical technicians may work for a hospital in a nonemergency setting or provide services to a private company or organization as part of a response team that is not offered to the general public. e. Medical oversight. An advanced emergency medical technician working in a prehospital setting provides medical care with physician oversight. In this circumstance, a physician credentials the advanced emergency medical technician and establishes patient care standards through protocol. An advanced emergency medical technician working in a hospital setting is credentialed by the hospital. f. Supervision. An advanced emergency medical technician may be the highest trained person on a quick response unit and as the primary care provider may supervise other advanced emergency medical technicians, emergency medical technicians, first responders, or drivers. As part of a basic life support ambulance crew, an advanced emergency medical technician may supervise subordinate emergency medical services personnel. As part of an advanced life support ambulance service an advanced emergency medical technician is supervised by a paramedic. Emergency medical technicians working in a hospital setting are supervised by nursing staff. 4. Emergency medical technician-intermediate/99. a. Scope. The scope of practice of an emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 includes basic, limited advanced and pharmacological interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with acute out-of-hospital medical and traumatic emergencies. Emergency care is based on assessment findings. An emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 is not prepared to make decisions independently regarding the appropriate disposition of patients. The emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 may make destination decisions in collaboration with medical oversight. The principal disposition of the patient encounter will result in the direct delivery of the patient to an acute care facility. The primary differences between an emergency medical technician-intermediate/85 and emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 are the limited pharmacological interventions that an emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 may provide. b. Curriculum. The core educational requirements include successful completion of a state-authorized emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 training program and continued educational requirements as defined in chapter 33-36-01. c. Scope enhancements. Emergency medical technicians-intermediate/99 may provide enhanced treatments beyond the core scope if they have completed training as defined in section 33-36-01-04 and have the authorization to perform those skills from their medical director. d. Skills. Specific skills for the emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 are defined by department policy. Local medical directors, or hospitals if working in the hospital setting, may limit the specific skills that an emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 may provide. They may not exceed those specific skills defined by department policy. e. Occupational setting. Emergency medical technicians-intermediate/99 may participate in the emergency medical services system as a sole responder in a quick response unit, as the primary care provider of a basic life support air or ground ambulance service, or as part of the crew of an advanced life support air or ground ambulance service. Emergency medical technicians-intermediate/99 may work for a hospital in a nonemergency setting or provide services to a private company or organization as part of a response team that is not offered to the general public. f. Medical oversight. An emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 working in a prehospital setting provides medical care with physician oversight. In this circumstance a physician credentials the emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 and establishes patient care standards through protocol. An emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 working in a hospital setting is credentialed by the hospital. g. Supervision. An emergency medical technician-intermediate '99 may be the highest trained person on a quick response unit and as the primary care provider may supervise other emergency medical technicians-intermediate/99, emergency medical technicians-intermediate/85, emergency medical technicians, emergency medical responders, or drivers. As part of a basic life support ambulance crew, an emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 may supervise subordinate emergency medical services personnel. As part of an advanced life support ambulance service an emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 is supervised by a paramedic. Emergency medical technicians-intermediate/99 working in a hospital setting are supervised by nursing staff. 5. Paramedic. a. Scope. The paramedic's scope of practice includes invasive and pharmacological interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with acute out-of-hospital medical and traumatic emergencies. Emergency care is based on an advanced assessment and the formulation of a field impression. The paramedic may make destination decisions in collaboration with medical oversight. The principal disposition of the patient encounter will result in the direct delivery of the patient to an acute care facility. The major difference between the paramedic and the emergency medical technician-intermediate/99 is the ability to perform a broader range of advanced skills. These skills carry a greater risk for the patient if improperly or inappropriately performed, are more difficult to attain and maintain competency in, and require significant background knowledge in basic and applied sciences. b. Curriculum. The core educational requirements include successful completion of a state-authorized paramedic training program and continued educational requirements as defined in chapter 33-36-01. c. Skills. Specific skills for the paramedic are defined by department policy. Local medical directors, or hospitals if working in the hospital setting, may limit the specific skills that a paramedic may provide and they may not exceed those specific skills defined by department policy. d. Occupational setting. Paramedics may participate in the emergency medical services system as a sole responder in a quick response unit, as the primary care provider of a basic life support air or ground ambulance service, as the primary care provider of an advanced life support air or ground ambulance service, or as the primary care provider of a critical care air ambulance service. Paramedics may work for a hospital in an emergency or nonemergency setting or provide services to a private company or organization as part of a response team that is not offered to the general public. e. Medical oversight. A paramedic working in a prehospital setting provides medical care with physician oversight. In this circumstance a physician credentials the paramedic and establishes patient care standards through protocol. A paramedic employed by and working in a hospital setting is credentialed by the hospital. f. Supervision. A paramedic may supervise all subordinate levels of emergency medical services personnel. Paramedics working in a hospital setting are supervised by the hospital's nurse executive.