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Emergency Medical Technicians Regulation


Published: 2007

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AR 48/93 EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS REGULATION (Consolidated up to 75/2007)
ALBERTA REGULATION 48/93
Health Disciplines Act
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS REGULATION
Table of Contents
                1       Definitions
                2       Emergency Medical Technicians
                3       Registration                 4       Temporary registration
                5       Annual renewal
                6       Powers of Registration Committee
                7       Renewal date
                8       Register
         9, 9.1       Emergency Medical Responder
    10, 10.1       Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance
              11       Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic
              12       Registration Committee approval
              13       Duties of registered members
              14       Change in name, etc.
              15       Use of title
              16       Board of Governors
              17       Registration Committee
              18       Conduct and Competency Committee
              19       Annual report
              20       Repeal
              21       Coming into force
Definitions
1   In this Regulation,
                                 (a)    “Act” means the Health Disciplines Act;
                                 (b)    repealed AR 37/2000 s2;
                                 (c)    “Board” means the Health Disciplines Board established under section 3 of the Act;
                              (c.1)    “College” means the Alberta College of Paramedics;
                                 (d)    “Emergency Medical Responder” means a registered member who is registered in the Emergency Medical Responder area of practice;
                                 (e)    “Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance” means a registered member who is registered in the Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance area of practice;
                                  (f)    “Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic” means a registered member who is registered in the Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic area of practice;
                                 (g)    “employed” means engaged to provide services whether on a full-time or part-time basis and whether as a paid or unpaid employee or volunteer;
                              (g.1)    “employer” means
                                           (i)    an operator as defined in the Ambulance Services Act, or
                                          (ii)    any person who engages a registered member to provide services;
                                 (h)    “medical audit” means an assessment by the medical director of the health services provided by a registered member and the protocols under which the registered member operates;
                                  (i)    “medical control” means orders within the registered member’s scope of practice that define patient management and are issued by the medical director or a person designated by the medical director
                                           (i)    prospectively through the development of protocols,
                                          (ii)    directly by oral or written orders, or
                                         (iii)    retrospectively by medical audits;
                                  (j)    “medical director” means a physician who is designated by an employer to provide medical control to registered members;
                                 (k)    repealed AR 229/95 s2;
                                  (l)    “registered member” means a person who is registered as a member of the designated health discipline of Emergency Medical Technicians;
                                (m)    “registrar” means the registrar appointed under section 15(1) of the Act.
AR 48/93 s1;229/95;37/2000;251/2001
Emergency Medical Technicians
2   The designated health discipline of Emergency Medical Technicians is divided into the following areas of practice:
                                 (a)    Emergency Medical Responder;
                                 (b)    Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance;
                                 (c)    Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic.
Registration
3   In accordance with section 22 of the Act, the Registrar shall register a person as an Emergency Medical Responder, an Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance or an Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic, as the case may be, if, with respect to an area of practice,
                                 (a)    the person has satisfactorily completed a program of study
                                           (i)    that is approved by the Board, or
                                          (ii)    that is substantially equivalent to a program approved under subclause (i),
                                 (b)    the person has satisfactorily completed an examination approved by the Board,
                                 (c)    the person has,
                                           (i)    within the 2 years immediately preceding the date of application, been employed in a manner that indicates that the person is competent to act as an Emergency Medical Responder, Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance or Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic, as the case may be,
                                          (ii)    within one year immediately preceding the date of application, met the requirements of clause (a), or
                                         (iii)    within one year immediately preceding the date of the application, satisfactorily completed a refresher program approved by the Board,
                                 (d)    the person has completed and submitted to the Registrar the applicable forms prescribed by the Minister, and
                                 (e)    the person has paid the fee prescribed in the by-laws.
AR 48/93 s3;251/2001
Temporary registration
4(1)  A person is eligible to be temporarily registered as an Emergency Medical Responder, Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance or an Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic if, with respect to the area of practice in which the person is to be registered temporarily, the person has met the requirements of section 3(a), (c), (d) and (e).
(2)  A temporary registration under subsection (1) expires 30 days after an examination, approved by the Board and referred to in section 3(b), is held.
(3)  A temporary registration under subsection (1) may not be renewed.
(4)  A person who is registered temporarily as an Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic may practise only under the supervision of an Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic.
(5)  A person who is registered temporarily as an Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance may practise only under the supervision of an Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic or an Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance.
(6)  A person who is registered temporarily as an Emergency Medical Responder may practise only under the supervision of an Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic, an Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance or an Emergency Medical Responder.
Annual renewal
5   In accordance with section 24 of the Act, the Registrar shall annually renew the registration of a registered member if, with respect to an area of practice,
                                 (a)    the registered member has,
                                           (i)    in the case of an Emergency Medical Responder or an Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance, within the 2 years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application for renewal of registration,
                                                 (A)    satisfactorily completed basic life support-basic rescuer certification,
                                                  (B)    been employed in a manner that indicates the person is competent to provide Emergency Medical Responder or basic life support health services, as the case may be, and
                                                  (C)    obtained 120 educational credits as determined by the College and approved by the Board,
                                             or
                                          (ii)    in the case of an Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic,
                                                 (A)    within the 4 years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application for renewal of registration, satisfactorily completed an advanced life support re-certification examination prescribed by the Board,
                                                  (B)    within the 2 years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application for renewal of registration, been employed in a manner that indicates the person is competent to provide advanced life support health services, and
                                                  (C)    within the 2 years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application for renewal of registration, obtained 120 educational credits as determined by the College and approved by the Board,
                                 (b)    the registered member has completed and submitted the applicable forms prescribed by the Minister, and
                                 (c)    the registered member has paid the renewal of registration fee prescribed in the by-laws.
AR 48/93 s5;37/2000;251/2001
Powers of Registration Committee
6   For the purposes of section 24(7) of the Act, the programs and examinations that the Registration Committee may order are
                                 (a)    any or all of the programs of study referred to in section 3(a),
                                 (b)    an examination approved by the Board and referred to in section 3(b), and
                                 (c)    a refresher program referred to in section 3(c)(iii).
AR 48/93 s6;251/2001
Renewal date
7   For the purposes of section 24 of the Act, the date of submission of an application for renewal of registration is December 31 of the year immediately before the year in which the renewal of the registration is to be effective.
AR 48/93 s7;251/2001
Register
8   The Registrar shall enter in the Register the names, places of employment, registration numbers and areas of practice of persons to be registered as registered members and, pursuant to section 24 of the Act, shall issue to each registered member an annual certificate stating the area of practice in which the member has been registered and the expiry date.
AR 48/93 s8;251/2001
Emergency Medical Responder
9(1)  An Emergency Medical Responder may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the following health services:
                                 (a)    conduct primary and secondary surveys, including scene assessments;
                                 (b)    use basic methods of managing medical, traumatic and obstetrical emergencies;
                                 (c)    use airway management techniques, including oropharyngeal airways, oral suction devices and oxygen‑supplemented mask devices to assist ventilation;
                                 (d)    administer oxygen using basic delivery devices including masks and nasal canula;
                                 (e)    bandaging;
                                  (f)    cardiopulmonary resuscitation;
                                 (g)    patient extrication;
                                 (h)    use splinting techniques, including spinal motion restriction devices;
                                  (i)    automated and semi‑automated defibrillation.
(2)  An Emergency Medical Responder who
                                 (a)    satisfactorily completed a program approved by the Board before January 1, 2004 and who, on or after January 1, 2004, satisfactorily completed the gap training approved by the Board, or
                                 (b)    satisfactorily completed a program approved by the Board on or after January 1, 2004
may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the following additional health services:
                                 (c)    airway management using nasopharyngeal airways;
                                 (d)    patient ventilation using a bag‑valve mask device;
                                 (e)    oral administration of ASA;
                                  (f)    patient‑assist administration of the patient’s pre‑prescribed salbutamol, ipratropium bromide or epinephrine;
                                 (g)    glucometric testing and oral administration of glucose;
                                 (h)    apply and use traction splints;
                                  (i)    oximetry testing.
AR 48/93 s9;229/95;75/2007
Emergency Medical Responder
9.1   An Emergency Medical Responder may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the health services referred to in sections 10 and 12(1) while engaged
                                 (a)    in an ambulance practicum as part of a program approved under section 3, and while under the direct supervision of a registered Emergency Medical Technician‑Ambulance or a registered Emergency Medical Technologist‑Paramedic, or
                                 (b)    in a hospital practicum as part of a program approved under section 3, and while under the direct supervision of a physician or a registered nurse.
AR 37/2000 s4
Emergency Medical Technician‑Ambulance
10(1)  An Emergency Medical Technician‑Ambulance may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the following health services:
                                 (a)    emergency childbirth;
                                 (b)    apply and use traction splints;
                                 (c)    psychological support measures;
                                 (d)    maintain intravenous infusions without medications or blood products;
                                 (e)    glucometric testing and oral administration of glucose;
                                  (f)    patient ventilation using a bag‑valve mask device;
                                 (g)    oximetry testing;
                                 (h)    airway management using nasopharyngeal airways;
                                  (i)    the health services described in section 9(1).
(2)  An Emergency Medical Technician‑Ambulance who
                                 (a)    satisfactorily completed a program approved by the Board before January 1, 2004 and who, on or after January 1, 2004, satisfactorily completed the gap training approved by the Board, or
                                 (b)    satisfactorily completed a program approved by the Board on or after January 1, 2004
may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the following additional health services:
                                 (c)    cardiac monitoring;
                                 (d)    perform peripheral intravenous therapy;
                                 (e)    intermediate airway management using non‑visualized airways;
                                  (f)    administer nitrous oxide and oxygen inhalational analgesia;
                                 (g)    administer nitroglycerine, salbutamol and ipratropium bromide;
                                 (h)    administer D25W and D50W through intravenous route;
                                  (i)    administer glucagon intramuscularly and administer epinephrine intramuscularly or subcutaneously;
                                  (j)    nasopharyngeal suctioning;
                                 (k)    the health services described in section 9(2).
AR 48/93 s10;75/2007
Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance
10.1   An Emergency Medical Technician‑Ambulance may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the health services referred to in sections 11 and 12(2) while engaged
                                 (a)    in an ambulance practicum as part of a program approved under section 3, and while under the direct supervision of a registered Emergency Medical Technologist‑Paramedic, or
                                 (b)    in a hospital practicum as part of a program approved under section 3, and while under the direct supervision of a physician or a registered nurse.
AR 37/2000 s5
Emergency Medical Technologist‑Paramedic
11(1)  An Emergency Medical Technologist‑Paramedic may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the following health services:
                                 (a)    airway management, including
                                           (i)    tracheal suction,
                                          (ii)    deep chest suctioning,
                                         (iii)    endotracheal intubation,
                                         (iv)    percutaneous transtracheal ventilation, and
                                          (v)    emergency cricothyrotomy;
                                 (b)    use of intermittent positive pressure breathing adjuncts;
                                 (c)    cardiac defibrillation, cardioversion, carotid sinus massage and telemetry transmission;
                                 (d)    topical, oral, sublingual, rectal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous, endotracheal or nebulized drug administration;
                                 (e)    needle thoracentesis;
                                  (f)    venipuncture for venous blood specimens;
                                 (g)    insertion of orogastric or nasogastric tubes;
                                 (h)    gastric lavage;
                                  (i)    the health services described in section 10.
(2)  An Emergency Medical Technologist‑Paramedic who
                                 (a)    satisfactorily completed a program approved by the Board before January 1, 2004 and who, on or after January 1, 2004, satisfactorily completed the gap training approved by the Board, or
                                 (b)    satisfactorily completed a program approved by the Board on or after January 1, 2004
may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the following additional health services:
                                 (c)    administer drugs through umbilical, intralingual, intradermal or intraosseous routes;
                                 (d)    initiate, monitor or maintain blood and blood product transfusions;
                                 (e)    obtain arterial blood samples;
                                  (f)    femoral venipuncture;
                                 (g)    perform intraosseous infusions;
                                 (h)    umbilical vein cannulation;
                                  (i)    nasotracheal intubation;
                                  (j)    use pacemakers;
                                 (k)    wound management;
                                  (l)    urinary catheterization;
                                (m)    monitor chest tubes.
AR 48/93 s11;75/2007
Registration Committee approval
12(1)  An Emergency Medical Technician‑Ambulance who has received Registration Committee approval under subsection (4) may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the following health services:
                                 (a)    nasopharyngeal suction;
                                 (b)    cardiac monitoring;
                                 (c)    perform peripheral intravenous therapy;
                                 (d)    administer nitrous oxide and oxygen inhalational analgesia;
                                 (e)    administer D25W and D50W through intravenous route.
(2)  An Emergency Medical Technologist‑Paramedic who has received Registration Committee approval under subsection (4) may, under medical control and with an ongoing medical audit, provide the following health services:
                                 (a)    obtain arterial blood samples;
                                 (b)    femoral venipuncture;
                                 (c)    nasotracheal intubation;
                                 (d)    use pacemakers;
                                 (e)    wound management;
                                  (f)    urinary catheterization;
                                 (g)    perform intraosseous infusions;
                                 (h)    monitor chest tubes;
                                  (i)    monitor and maintain blood and blood product transfusions.
(3)  An application for approval to provide the health services referred to in subsection (1) or (2) shall be made to the Registration Committee by the medical director and the application shall
                                 (a)    name the registered member and the registered member’s place of employment,
                                 (b)    describe the training received by the registered member with respect to the health service for which approval is sought, and
                                 (c)    provide evidence that the registered member has satisfied the medical director as to the registered member’s level of skill with respect to the health service for which approval is sought.
(4)  The Registration Committee may grant approval for a registered member to provide the health services referred to in subsection (1) or (2), but the approval shall be limited to the particular employment situation described in the application submitted under subsection (3).
AR 48/93 s12;229/95;81/98;75/2007
Duties of registered members
13   A registered member shall
                                 (a)    execute duties in a safe and competent manner being guided at all times by the welfare and best interests of the patient;
                                 (b)    work within the scope of practice and the registered member’s ability and within the limitations or conditions placed on the provision of service by the medical director;
                                 (c)    conduct affairs with respect to the discipline so as not to bring discredit to the discipline;
                                 (d)    maintain current knowledge and skill in the practice of emergency care and upgrade knowledge and skill with the development of new procedures and equipment;
                                 (e)    work to promote high standards of research, training and performance for registered members;
                                  (f)    work in co‑operation with colleagues and other health care personnel;
                                 (g)    refer any incompetent, illegal or unethical conduct by colleagues or other health care personnel to the appropriate authorities;
                                 (h)    hold in confidence all information learned in the health care setting respecting the patient unless failure to disclose would endanger the patient or a third party or the disclosure is required by law.
Change in name, etc.
14   A registered member shall forthwith inform the Registrar in writing of a change in name, home address, place of employment or employment status.
Use of title
15(1)  A person who is registered as an Emergency Medical Responder may use the name “Emergency Medical Responder” or the initials “E.M.R.”.
(2)  A person who is registered as an Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance may use the name “Emergency Medical Technician-Ambulance” or “Emergency Medical Technician” or the initials “E.M.T.-A.” or “E.M.T.”.
(3)  A person who is registered as an Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic may use the name “Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic” or the initials “E.M.T.‑P.”.
Board of Governors
16   The governing body of the College shall be a Board of Governors consisting of
                                 (a)    no fewer than 2 Emergency Medical Responders,
                                 (b)    no fewer than 2 Emergency Medical Technicians-Ambulance,
                                 (c)    no fewer than 2 Emergency Medical Technologists-Paramedic, and
                                 (d)    the persons appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under section 14(1) of the Act.
AR 48/93 s16;37/2000;251/2001
Registration Committee
17   The Registration Committee shall consist of
                                 (a)    no fewer than 2 Emergency Medical Responders,
                                 (b)    no fewer than 2 Emergency Medical Technicians-Ambulance, and
                                 (c)    no fewer than 2 Emergency Medical Technologists-Paramedic.
Conduct and Competency Committee
18   The Conduct and Competency Committee shall consist of
                                 (a)    no fewer than 2 Emergency Medical Responders,
                                 (b)    no fewer than 2 Emergency Medical Technicians-Ambulance,
                                 (c)    no fewer than 2 Emergency Medical Technologists-Paramedic, and
                                 (d)    the person appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under section 17(1) of the Act.
AR 48/93 s18;251/2001
Annual report
19   The date on or before which a report under section 18 of the Act must be submitted is March 31.
AR 48/93 s19;251/2001
Repeal
20   The Emergency Medical Technicians Regulation (Alta. Reg. 326/85) is repealed.
Coming into force
21   This Regulation comes into force on March 1, 1993.