In a position statement,
published in this month's issue of Prehospital and Emergency Care,
the National Association of EMS Educators and other national organizations
proposed that as EMS agencies move into the year 2020 they consider the minimum
required training for new paramedics to be an associates degree and
certification as a paramedic. The authors site evidence for other heath care
professions and paramedic training in other countries as evidence that a formal
degree program (associates or bachelors degree) is likely to improve long term
provider job satisfaction and performance.
The position paper goes on to state
that for sub-specialty EMS providers (critical care paramedics, community
paramedics, etc.) additional training through a 4 year bachelors degree program
should become the standard. While acknowledging that economic limitations are a
significant consideration and any new requirements should only be applied to new
paramedics, the authors state that "Higher
education institutions should be encouraged to experiment with bachelors and/or
masters level programs such as those currently being developed
internationally.”
You can learn more about on the new
University of Arizona Bachelors of Science program in EMS here
