NORTH COAST EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES Policy #4702
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Page 1 of 5
Subject: Authorization
Mobile Intensive Care Nurse (MICN) Authorization
Associated Policies: 3602, 3603, 3605, 4004, 4704, 4705
I. Authority and Reference (incorporated herein by reference)
A. Division 2.5 of the Health and Safety Code.
B. North Coast Emergency Medical Services Policies and Procedures.
II. Purpose
To establish a Mobile Intensive Care Nurse (MICN) authorization policy and procedure, including initial authorization, reauthorization, and challenge authorization of MICNs within the North Coast EMS region.
III. Initial Authorization and Challenge Procedure
A. General eligibility criteria:
1. Applicant must be at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of submitting request for MICN authorization.
2. Applicant must document a current California license to practice as a registered nurse.
3. Applicant must document successful completion of an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course within two (2) years prior to applying for MICN authorization.
4. Applicant must document:
a. Previous authorization as a MICN in the State of California; OR
b. Successful completion of a California EMS agency-approved MICN training program within two (2) years prior to applying for MICN authorization.
c. Applicants who have been previously authorized in the State of California as a MICN, but whose authorization card has expired must also complete requirements outlined in Section V. Reinstatement Procedure.
d. Applicants obtaining training outside the North Coast EMS region must also:
(1) Document 500 hours of Emergency Department (ED) experience, as an RN, in the last year (this requirement may be waived for candidates who can document equivalent experience. Written application for exceptions must be made, in writing, to the North Coast EMS Medical Director); AND
(2) Provide evidence of satisfactory completion of ten (10) actual precepted radio and/or telephone calls. Calls will be evaluated by the Prehospital Care Nurse Coordinator (PCNC), utilizing the MICN tape audit form. Simulated calls during the MICN class will not be accepted.
5. Applicant must document a score of 80% or above on the North Coast EMS MICN written and skills authorization examinations within one (1) year prior to applying for MICN authorization.
6. Applicant must submit a completed North Coast EMS MICN authorization application, including signatures of the base hospital Prehospital Care Medical Director (PCMD) and Prehospital Care Nurse Coordinator (PCNC) of all the hospitals where applicant works as a MICN.
7. Applicant must complete a statement that (s)he is not precluded from certification for reasons defined in Section 1798.200 of the Health and Safety Code.
8. Applicant must submit detailed documentation of convictions of any crime other than a minor traffic violation.
9. Applicant must submit payment of the MICN authorization fee.
10. Applicant must document successful completion of new personnel orientation and field patient observations.
B. Authorization as a MICN shall be for a maximum period of two (2) years from the date the applicant satisfactorily completes the North Coast EMS authorization examinations. The effective date of authorization shall be the date applicant satisfactorily completes all authorization requirements, and has applied for authorization. The authorization expiration date will be the final day of the final month of the two (2) year period.
IV. Reauthorization Procedure
A. General eligibility criteria:
1. Applicant must document a current California license to practice as a registered nurse.
2. Applicant must document successful completion of an ACLS course within two (2) years prior to applying for MICN authorization.
3. Applicant must document current North Coast EMS MICN authorization.
4. Applicant must achieve a score of 80% or above on the North Coast EMS MICN written authorization examination once every four (4) years.
5. Applicant must document successful completion of the MICN authorization maintenance requirements as stated in North Coast EMS policies. Only authorization maintenance requirements completed within the last twenty-four (24) months prior to submitting request for MICN reauthorization will be accepted as meeting the maintenance requirements.
6. Applicant must submit a completed North Coast EMS MICN authorization application, including signatures of the base hospital PCMD and PCNC of all hospitals where applicant works as a MICN.
7. Applicant must complete a statement that (s)he is not precluded from certification for reasons defined in Section 1798.200 of the Health and Safety Code.
8. Applicant must submit detailed documentation of convictions of any crime other than a minor traffic violation.
9. Applicant must submit payment of the MICN reauthorization fee.
B. To avoid a lapse in MICN authorization, all documents must be received at North Coast EMS no less than one (1) month prior to current authorization expiration (allowing time for North Coast EMS to conduct the audit prior to MICN authorization expiration). Late submittal of documentation may cause temporary suspension of MICN authorization.
C. Authorization as a MICN shall be for a maximum of two (2) years. If reauthorization requirements are met within six (6) months prior to the expiration date of applicant’s current MICN authorization card, the effective date of reauthorization will be the expiration date of the current certificate. The authorization expiration date will be the final day of the final month of the two (2) year period.
V. Reinstatement Procedure (when MICN authorization has lapsed)
A. If MICN authorization has lapsed less than two years, applicant shall be eligible for reauthorization when the reauthorization requirements are met and applicant achieve’s a score of 80% or above on the North Coast EMS MICN written and skills authorization examinations.
B. If MICN authorization has lapsed two (2) years or more, individual shall be eligible for reauthorization when the following requirements are met:
1. Applicant must document a current California license to practice as a registered nurse.
2. Applicant must document successful completion of an ACLS course within two (2) years prior to applying for MICN authorization .
3. Applicant must document expired MICN authorization no longer than four (4) years prior to applying for MICN authorization.
4. Applicant must achieve a score of 80% or above on the North Coast EMS MICN written and skills authorization examinations.
5. Applicant must document successful completion of the authorization maintenance requirements as stated in North Coast EMS policies.
6. Applicant must document evidence of a minimum of twenty (20) evaluated radio and/or telephone calls (ten [10] calls evaluated by the base hospital PCNC), utilizing the MICN tape audit form.
7. Applicant must complete the new personnel orientation and field patient observation, as described in New Personnel Orientation Policy.
8. Applicant must successfully complete any additional training evaluation required by the North Coast EMS Medical Director.
9. Applicant must submit a completed North Coast EMS MICN authorization application, including signatures the base hospital PCMD and PCNC of all hospitals whre the applicant works as a MICN..
10. Applicant must complete a statement that (s)he is not precluded from certification for reasons defined in Section 1798.200 of the Health and Safety Code.
11. Applicant must submit detailed documentation of convictions of any crime other than a minor traffic violation.
12. Applicant must submit payment of the MICN reauthorization, and any testing fees.
C. Only MICN authorization maintenance requirements completed within the last twenty-four (24) months prior to submitting the application for MICN authorization will be accepted.
D. As an alternative to the requirements of Section V. A. 5. and V. B. 5. applicant may successfully complete an entire MICN training program.
E. Authorization as a MICN shall be for a maximum period of two (2) years from the date that applicant satisfactorily completes the North Coast EMS authorization examinations. The effective date of authorization shall be the date applicant satisfactorily completes all authorization requirements has applied for authorization. The authorization expiration date will be the final day of the final month of the two (2) year period.
VI. Responsibilities
A. The MICN applicant is responsible to submit to North Coast EMS all relevant authorization/reauthorization documents.
B. The MICN applicant will keep original FCA and CE attendance documentation for a period no less than four (4) years.
C. The MICN applicant will document completion of new personnel orientation by a form provided by North Coast EMS and signed by base hospital PCNC.
D. At the time of reauthorizing, the MICN applicant will document required continuing education and field care audits on a form provided by North Coast EMS.
E. At the time of reauthorizing, the MICN applicant will document ambulance field observation on a form provided by North Coast EMS and signed by EMT-II or EMT-P in attendance.
F. If audited, the MICN applicant must submit to North Coast EMS copies of the Course Completion Records for all continuing education and field care audit attendance, and/or radio and/or telephone calls, within twenty (20) days of request.
G. If MICN applicant cannot produce requested documentation to North Coast EMS within twenty (20) days of request, MICN applicant will be suspended immediately until the successful completion of Section V.A. above (Reinstatement) requirements are met.
H. By the PCNC signature on the MICN application (s)he is assuring that if that MICN applicant has completed a training program outside the North Coast EMS region, the MICN applicant has successfully completed ten (10) precepted radio and/or telephone calls.
I. By the PCNC signature on the MICN application (s)he is assuring that if the MICN applicant is reauthorizing, the applicant has successfully completed twenty (20) precepted radio and/or telephone calls (ten [10] calls evaluated by the PCNC).
J. North Coast EMS will randomly audit 10% of the MICN reauthorization applicants.
1. Applicant will be notified of audit by certified mail.
2. Letter will include deadline date for all requested documentation.
3. North Coast may request to see the course completion records documenting FCA attendance, CE requirements, and radio and/or telephone calls (including evaluated calls).
PLEASE NOTE - AN INDIVIDUAL IS NOT ALLOWED TO FUNCTION AS A MICN IN THE NORTH COAST EMS REGION UNLESS (S)HE HOLDS A CURRENT AND VALID NORTH COAST EMS-ISSUED MICN AUTHORIZATION CARD. AN EXPIRED CERTIFICATE IS NOT CURRENT NOR VALID. FUNCTIONING WITHOUT A CURRENT AND VALID CERTIFICATE IS GROUNDS FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND IS A VIOLATION OF 1797.177 OF THE CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.
Approved: Date:
Approved As To Form: Date: