National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) is a national Emergency medical services professional association representing all EMTs and Paramedics.

Founded in 1975 and today more than 32,000 members strong, NAEMT is the nation’s only professional association representing all EMS practitioners, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, first responders and other professionals working in pre-hospital emergency medicine. NAEMT members work in all sectors of EMS, including government service agencies, fire departments, hospital-based ambulance services, private companies, industrial and special operations settings, and in the military.

The focus of NAEMT is membership, national EMS advocacy, and EMS continuing education.

For more information: http://www.naemt.org

Membership: How to Become a Member

Membership in NAEMT is open to all EMS practitioners and other involved in prehospital emergency care. Membership helps EMS practitioners have a national voice and enjoy many value-added benefits.

For more information: http://www.naemt.org/become_a_member/member_home.aspx

Advocacy: EMS on the Hill Day

Founded in 2009, EMS on the Hill Day is hosted by NAEMT and is the most important direct advocacy event of the year for EMS professionals. EMS on the Hill Day provides participants with the opportunity to join with other EMS professionals from across the nation and meet with congressional leaders on Capitol Hill to advocate for the passage of key EMS legislation. The event includes representation from all sectors of the EMS community, sends a consistent message to our elected leaders on the important issues facing EMS in the U.S., and builds and strengthens EMS relationships with Senate and House leaders and their staff.

For more information: http://www.naemt.org/advocacy/emsonthehillday/EMSontheHillDay.aspx

Education course: Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS)

NAEMT's Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) course is endorsed by the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) and is the first EMS continuing education program that fully addresses how to rapidly best assess and manage the most common medical crises in patients, offering a “think outside the box” methodology. The newly updated course features interactive additions, including a newly designed AMLS assessment pathway, new book chapters, and new content, including Master Level scenarios. This course is based on the new AMLS first edition textbook and instructor resources recently published (2011).

All NAEMT continuing education courses are accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS) and are recognized for recertification requirements by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT).

For more information: http://www.naemt.org/education/amls_a/amls_a.aspx

Education course: Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS)

NAEMT's Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) is recognized around the world as the leading continuing education program for prehospital emergency trauma care. PHTLS promotes excellence in trauma patient management by educating all providers involved in the delivery of prehospital care. PHTLS is developed by NAEMT in cooperation with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.

PHTLS courses aim to improve the quality of trauma care across the world and decrease mortality. The program is based on a prehospital trauma care philosophy, stressing the treatment of the multi-system trauma patient as a unique entity with specific needs. This may require an approach to the trauma patient that varies from traditional treatment modalities. PHTLS promotes critical thinking as the foundation for providing quality care. It is based on the belief that, given a good fund of knowledge and key principles, EMS practitioners are capable of making reasoned decisions regarding patient care. The PHTLS course is continuously updated and revised to keep up with the advances in the field.

PHTLS is developed from the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Program, a course for physicians developed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. They follow the principles of trauma care developed by the Committee on Trauma. The Committee provides the medical direction and content oversight for the PHTLS program.

Although PHTLS originated in the United States, it has evolved and now serves as an international education program available to EMS providers in more than 30 countries.

All NAEMT continuing education courses are accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS) and are recognized for recertification requirements by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT).

For more information: http://www.naemt.org/education/PHTLS/phtls_a.aspx

Education course: Emergency Pediatric Care (EPC)

NAEMT's Emergency Pediatric Care (EPC) course focuses on the care of sick and injured children, addressing a full spectrum of emergency illnesses, injuries and scenarios that an EMS practitioner might encounter. EPC is different from any other EMS continuing education course in that it provides an in-depth understanding of the pathophysiology of the most common pediatric emergency issues, and stresses critical thinking skills to help practitioners make the best decisions for their patients.

EPC provides a unique approach to pediatric emergency care, using the Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) to help determine "How sick? How quick?" The course helps EMS practitioners rapidly and accurately assess pediatric patients to determine which situations may be life threatening and require immediate intervention, while also addressing more common but less serious complaints. In addition to providing current knowledge and training in proper treatment modalities, the course incorporates family centered care throughout all scenarios.

All NAEMT continuing education courses are accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS) and are recognized for recertification requirements by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT).

For more information: http://www.naemt.org/education/epc_a.aspx

Education course: EMS Safety

NAEMT's EMS Safety course aims to promote a culture of EMS safety and to help reduce the number and intensity of injuries incurred by EMS practitioners in carrying out their work. It helps increase students’ awareness and understanding of EMS safety standards and practices and develop their ability to effectively implement them. EMS Safety is the first national and most comprehensive education program of its kind that teaches techniques on how to best achieve safety on the job.

EMS Safety covers safety in emergency vehicles, at the operational scene and while handling patients, as well as patient, practitioner and bystander safety and personal health.

The course offers an overview of current issues surrounding safety in EMS, presents and discusses case studies, builds risk assessment and decision-making skills and provides an opportunity for participants to relate their own experiences with EMS safety issues. EMS Safety is for all EMS practitioners, other medical professionals providing prehospital patient care, EMS supervisors and administrators concerned with safety.

All NAEMT continuing education courses are accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS) and are recognized for recertification requirements by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT).

For more information: http://www.naemt.org/education/EMSSafety.aspx

References

http://www.naemt.org/default.aspx

External links

• Official website
• National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
• NHTSA Emergency Medical Services National Page