EMS Curriculum Should Educate Beyond a Technical Scope of Practice: Position Statement and Resource Document.

Leggio, William J; Grawey, Tom; Stilley, Joshua; Dorsett, Maia

EMS curricula have historically focused on a technical scope of practice designed to meet the traditional out-of-hospital "emergency response" function during 9-1-1 response and transport. However, EMS has served an increasingly broad clinical role to meet the health care and public health needs of communities, a role solidified by the events of 2020, from the COVID-19 pandemic to civil unrest in response to systemic inequities. The requisite knowledge, awareness, and competencies to adequately prepare EMS clinicians to meet these dynamic roles remains absent from the technician-focused EMS curricula. Graduates of EMS programs must now meet the rigors of EMS practice as clinicians, being prepared for higher order thinking and lifelong learning. As one of the stakeholders in EMS education, the NAEMSP® believes that: Clinical decision making grounded in higher order thinking skills and evidence-based practice is fundamental to the provision of optimal patient care in the out-of-hospital environment.EMS curricula must expand beyond core content required for the scope of practice at each level for technical skills and focus on developing a competency framework aligned with the role and need for EMS medicine as a versatile community health care resource. A comprehensive curriculum for EMS clinicians should align with the vision outlined by EMS Agenda 2050 by addressing the following areas:Public health & epidemiologySocial determinants of healthSocial equity and biasMental & behavioral healthCulture of safety and human factors scienceQuality improvementHealth care business & financeLeadership and change managementEvidence-based practiceEffective communication skillsThe depth and breadth of the additional content should increase along each level of licensure, which supports the formation and maturation of a clinician. At the paramedic level, this supports an academic and interprofessional approach in forming the degreed paramedic clinician.