52 JOURNAL OF EMERGENCY NURSING 27:1 February 2001

E M S

T hrough the years emergency nursing has workeddiligently to develop professional componentssuch as a scope of practice, core curriculum, edu-

cation standards, and national certification. Now the EMScommunity has developed a document to guide the evolu-tion and coordination of a national system for the educa-tion component of their profession.

History

National attempts to standardize EMS training began inthe mid 1950s. Since then, as EMS matured and evolved,so too has the education and training of EMS personnel.In 1996 the EMS Agenda for the Future was published bythe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) and the Health Resources and ServicesAdministration (HRSA) with the intent of creating a com-mon vision for the future of EMS. The Agenda addressedvarious attributes of EMS, including the education system.Later that same year, NHTSA convened an EMSEducation Conference with representatives of more than30 EMS-related organizations to identify the next logicalAgenda implementation steps. Recommendations includ-ed supporting and facilitating the development of nation-al EMS education standards along with periodic revisions.

Current proposal

In 1998 an NHTSA-formed EMS Education Task Forcebegan developing the recently released EMS EducationAgenda for the Future: A Systems Approach (Final Version).This important and long-awaited document proposes a

EMS Education

Agenda for the Future: An Evolution

in Progress

Author: Jeff Michael, EdD, Washington, DC

Section Editors: Connie J. Mattera, MS, RN, EMT-P, andKathy Robinson, RN, CEN, EMT-P

Jeff Michael is Division Chief, Office of Traffic and Injury ControlPrograms, Emergency Medical Services Division, National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC.For reprints, write: Jeff Michael, EdD, NHTSA, Office of Traffic andInjury Control Programs, Emergency Medical Services Division, 400Seventh St, SW (NTS14), Washington, DC 20590; E-mail:jmichael@nhtsa.dot.gov.J Emerg Nurs 2001;27:52-3.Copyright © 2001 by the Emergency Nurses Association.0099-1767/2001 $35.00 + 0 18/9/112983doi:10.1067/men.2001.112983

February 2001 27:1 JOURNAL OF EMERGENCY NURSING 53

EMS/Michael

nationwide, structured EMS education system consistingof the following components:• National EMS Core Content: Provides a comprehensive

list of the skills and knowledge needed for out-of-hospi-tal emergency care; is led by the medical communitywith input from the system regulators, educators, andproviders.

• National EMS Scope of Practice Model: Divides theNational EMS Core Content into levels of practice,defining minimum knowledge and skills for each level;system regulators will head its development.

• EMS Education Standards: Replaces the currentNational Standard Curricula, defines learning objectivesfor each level of practice; led by educators with inputfrom physicians, regulators, administrators, andproviders.

• National EMS Education Program Accreditation:Applies to all nationally recognized provider levels and isuniversal, thus providing a mechanism for verifying edu-cational program quality for the protection of studentsand the public; will also enhance the consistency forevaluating instructional quality.

• National EMS Certification: Requires the developmentof appropriate standards and guidelines for each level ofpractice; in order to be eligible for National EMSCertification, a student must graduate from an accredit-ed program.

It behooves each member of the EMSand emergency care professional com-munity to support this important sys-tem evolution.

Issues resolved

Currently, no formal EMS education system exists to clear-ly define components, articulate interrelationships, andprovide a decision-making process for modifying andimproving the education process. State-by-state variabilityin EMS education and licensing standards exist. No clear-cut future direction is in place. Inconsistencies existbetween various curricula. Even the names of EMSprovider levels vary considerably from state to state.

By coordinating the functions of the National EMSEducation Standards, National EMS Education ProgramAccreditation, and National EMS Certification throughthe proposed Education Agenda, the aforementionedissues will be resolved. In addition, administrative benefitswill result with the changes. Components will have cyclesfor development. A clear and definite method for intro-ducing changes to the system will exist. Medical advances,technology development, and other needs affecting thescope or content of EMS education can be introduced in auniform and timely manner.

Conclusion

As suggested in Accidental Death and Disability: TheNeglected Disease of Modern Society in 1966, “The qualityof prehospital care is an important determinant of survivalfrom sudden injury.” Today, as then, emergency nurses rec-ognize the importance of out-of-hospital care in determin-ing the future course of their patients. As our nationalEMS system continues to develop and mature, an effectiveeducation system to prepare emergency care providersremains paramount. The Education Agenda provides thebasis for developing a nationwide system. It behooves eachmember of the EMS and emergency care professional com-munity to support this important system evolution.

The EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A SystemsApproach (Final Version) is available on the NHTSA Website at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/ems. Hardcopies are also available by faxing a request to the NHTSAEMS Division at (202)366-7721.

Submissions to this column are welcomed and encouraged.Contributions should be sent to one of the following:

Connie J. Mattera, MS, RN, EMT-P6801 N Olcott, Chicago, IL 60631

847 618-4485 • cmattera@nch.org

Kathy Robinson, RN, CEN, EMT-P671 Eyersgrove Rd, Bloomsburg, PA 17815-9752

571 271-7956 • krobin@member.ena.org