NORTH COAST EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES Policy # 3703
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Page 1 of 4
Subject: Training
Continuing Education Procedure
Associated Policies: 3702
I. Authority and Reference (incorporated herein by reference)
A. Division 2.5 of the Health and Safety Code.
B. California Code of Regulations, Title 22.
C. North Coast Emergency Medical Services Policies and Procedures.
D. Guidelines for Prehospital Continuing Education EMSA #127
II. Purpose
To provide a system for prehospital personnel to receive continuing education (CE) credit for recertification, reauthorization, reaccreditation or relicensure purposes, consistent with California state law.
III. Procedure for CE Provider Approval
A. Prehospital care CE may be offered in periodic training sessions, structured clinical experience, and/or organized field care audits of patient care records.
B. All prehospital CE providers issuing CE credit for recertification or relicensure purposes within the region must be pre-approved by North Coast EMS.
C. North Coast EMS CE provider approval shall be for a period of four (4) years, unless withdrawn, suspended, or revoked by one of the parties.
D. North Coast EMS-approved CE providers shall follow the EMS Authority’s Prehospital CE Guidelines, California state laws and regulations, and North Coast EMS policies and procedures.
E. CE must directly or indirectly be related to the patient care level of the licensed or certified attendee.
F. North Coast EMS-approved CE providers shall distribute course completion records to all participants attending periodic training sessions, structured clinical experience and/or field care audits.
G. North Coast EMS-approved CE providers shall notify North Coast EMS of any CE and/or field care audits that are presented within the region, and send North Coast EMS a copy of all advertisements of CE and/or field care audits disseminated to the public.
H. CE providers from outside the North Coast EMS region will notify North Coast EMS of any CE session presented within the region, and send North Coast EMS a copy of all advertisements of CE disseminated to the public regarding CE offered within the region.
I. Certified or licensed participants shall maintain course completion records verifying attendance at EMS approved continuing education courses and field care audits for a minimum of four (4) years.
J. Certified EMT-I and EMT-IIs must submit copies of the course completion records at the time of recertification.
K. Authorized MICNs may document CE requirements with either prehospital care CE or Board of Registered Nurses (BRN) CE.
L. CE course completion records may be audited for cause, or by a random auditing system, by North Coast EMS or the State EMS Authority.
IV. CE Credit Limitations
A. CE credit for structured clinical experience may not exceed eight (8) hours in a licensure or certification cycle.
B. CE credit may not exceed eight (8) hours total in a licensure or certification cycle from courses involving continuous quality improvement, grief support, critical incident stress debriefing/management, medical management of hazardous materials, emergency vehicle operations, dispatch or rescue techniques.
C. CE courses on advanced topics outside the MICN, paramedic, EMT-II or EMT-I scope of practice but directly relevant to emergency medical care may not exceed eight (8) hours in a licensure or certification cycle.
D. CE obtained for media based productions (films, videos, audiotape programs, magazine articles offered for CE, home study, computer simulations, interactive computer modules, etc.) may not exceed eight (8) hours in a licensure or certification cycle.
E. CE credit for precepting paramedic or EMT-II students may not exceed eight (8) hours in a licensure or certification cycle.
F. CE credit for prehospital care course instruction may not exceed eight (8) hours in a licensure or certification cycle.
G. CE credit for the same CE course may be received no more than two (2) times in a licensure or certification cycle.
H. For CE credit to satisfy the requirements for certification, authorization, reaccreditation or license renewal, CE attendance shall be completed during the current licensure or certification cycle and shall be submitted with the application for recertification or relicensure.
I. Only CE attendance completed within the last twenty-four (24) months prior to application for recertification, reauthorization or reaccreditation shall be allowed for credit toward certificate renewal.
V. CE Courses Which Are Not Acceptable For Recertification Or Relicensure Purposes
A. Courses that focus upon self-improvement (personal growth, changes in attitude, self-therapy, self-awareness, weight loss, yoga, etc.).
B. Economic courses for financial gain.
C. Parenting, Lamaze or other courses designed for the lay public.
D. Liberal arts courses (music, art, philosophy, etc.).
E. Workplace orientation (e.g., specific employer orientation).
F. Writing a journal article or conducting emergency medical services research.
G. Fire science courses.
VI. Procedure for CE Provider Investigation
A. Written documentation with a detailed description of the problem or complaint (etc.) will be submitted to North Coast EMS and copied to all relevant individuals and CE provider.
B. After reviewing/investigating the problem and/or complaint North Coast EMS will take appropriate steps.
VII.Possible CE Provider Approval Violations
North Coast EMS will investigate program complaints received, including, but not limited to:
A. Holding a prehospital care CE session prior to receiving program approval from North Coast EMS.
B. Classroom instruction outside the California scope of practice.
C. Classroom instruction that contradicts Division 2.5 of the Health and Safety Code, Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, California Highway Patrol Ambulance Driver’s Handbook or North Coast EMS Policies and Procedures.
D. Non-compliance with required North Coast EMS CE provider approval documentation and/or requirements.
E. Loss of current prehospital or hospital care California license or certification by CE Provider’s staff.
F. CE provider staff’s performance while certified, accredited, licensed or authorized.
G. CE provider staff’s record of remediation, suspension or decertifications.
H. Unfavorable evaluations from students.
I. Written complaints received by North Coast EMS concerning CE instruction.
J. Non-compliance with North Coast EMS policies, procedures, rules and requirements by CE provider staff.
VIII.Consideration Factors When Reviewing Complaints or Incidences
When determining violations reported, the following factors may be considered.
A. Nature and severity of the act(s), offenses(s) or crime(s) under consideration.
B. Prior disciplinary record of CE provider staff.
C. Prior warning or remediation record specific to CE provider approval.
D. Prior remediation of CE provider staff.
E. Number and/or variety of violations.
F. Mitigating evidence.
G. Time elapsed since the act(s), offense(s), or crime(s) occurred.
IX. Possible Violation Outcomes
A. Disapprove a CE provider approval request.
B. Continuing education coursework.
C. Quarterly report requirements.
D. Scheduled meetings or CE site visits.
E. Remediation.
F. Probation of CE provider or CE provider staff.
G. Suspension of CE provider or CE provider staff.
H. Revocation of CE provider or CE provider staff.
X. Reconsideration Process
A. If CE Provider or CE Provider Staff approval is denied, probated, suspended, revoked or requirements are imposed by the North Coast EMS Medical Director for any reason, CE provider may request reconsideration of that decision, in writing, to the North Coast EMS Executive Director.
B. If after the Executive Director makes a decision, further reconsideration is requested, the CE provider may appeal, in writing, to the North Coast EMS Joint Powers Governing Board.
C. If necessary, CE Provider Staff who requests reconsideration of a prior decision may need to appear and testify in person to either the Executive Director and/or the Joint Powers Governing Board.
Approved: Date:
Approved As To Form: Date: