EMT scope of practice?

[beaucait]

I have a friend who was a camp counselor..... Long story short the camp she used to work at was looking for "a medic" to administer medication to children at a summer camp. I know I'm not a medic, but she seemed adamant that I would be able to do the job, you know, being a "boo-boo bandit".

My question is, would an EMT be able to give out prescribed medication to children or would that not be in the scope of practice?
I don't want to say yes and have my license revoked because I gave hyper Harry his ADHD medication one day at summer camp.

 

[STXmedic]

It would partly depend on your state and your medical director. You'd have to have a medical director approve you to be able to hand out those meds, and the state would have to be able to allow him to make that approval. Some states have a state scope that a medical director can't go beyond. Without a medical director, you'd only be able to provide basic first aid under your cert.

 

[beaucait]

Without a medical director, you'd only be able to provide basic first aid under your cert.

That was my assumption, was that if I had permission from "med control" that I would be able to help administer medication. Just like if a patient has Albuterol as a prescription, I am allowed to help administer, but not actually determine for myself how many puffs etc.

 

[conemt]

Side question, but aren't EMTs supposed to contact medical control before administering/assisting with anything?

 

[TransportJockey]

Side question, but aren't EMTs supposed to contact medical control before administering/assisting with anything?

No. In nm and tx emts have a list of meds they can administer under standing orders. Its state and medical director dependent

 

[beaucait]

No.

I can do aspirin, oxygen, and oral glucose by myself basically that's it....

 

[conemt]

What state are you in Caitlin?

 

[beaucait]

Maine. I can do a few other drugs but for most of them I have to call for med control.

 

[johnrsemt]

Where I used to work I spent 2 summers working as the Health Director at a Boy Scout Camp, with 1000+ Scouts/leaders and 150+ staff members.
The Council had a medical director, and he authorized us to give the participants there medications (they turned Prescription meds into us, and got them as needed, and we kept a log of it) Royal pain, but it gave us a tracking system to protect us and the Scouts.
OTC meds, we had authorization to give out about 30-40 medications: and a few prescription meds: O2, Albuterol (Xoponex), Epi 1:1,000, etc.

I checked with my medical director of where I worked before I took the summer leave of absence to work at camp, he thought it was a great idea, and told me as long as the medical director for the council was cool with it, the state didn't care, and neither did he; since I wouldn't be working for him. He let me shadow him in the ED for a couple days a week for a few weeks, mainly to learn to judge who needs sutures, who doesn't; and to evaluate better who has fractures and who has sprains. (Camp was 45 minutes to a hospital, and 35 minutes from a transporting ambulance and 40 minutes from an Urgent care).

It will be different if you work in a State, where it is State wide protocols, but check with your medical directors. They are the best source of info for these questions.

If anyone goes to work in a camp like this (Boy or Girl Scouts, YMCA, Church Camps): check with the local (closest) Urgent/Immediate Care and find out what they do and don't do there. No reason to send a Scout who needs 15 sutures in their head, if the Urgent Care won't do head sutures. Send them direct to the ED.
Also remember very few patients from camps need an ambulance.

 

[BassoonEMT]

It's best to find out some details from the administrators of the camp. I've done a few different camps and have never had any legal issues. I'm sure they've had some sort of medical personnel in the past so they may have these issues sorted already. They may say that you're the "medic" (medic or emt, either way it's a different than normal scope), but on paper, legally, you may be "medical staff", "health officer" or some other title. Being an EMT may have given you experience needed and base qualifications for the job, but you may not be part of a traditional agency with a medical director, so you're not functioning as an EMT.

It all varies by state. An established camp or association should know what the requirements are for them in terms of treatments and medications allowed. Assisting in kids taking their own prescribed medications, or giving OTC meds (usually needs written approval from parents). It could be that, as an EMT you're trained in administering/assisting PO medications, and with that you're able to distribute/manage these other meds. If a kid gives himself insulin injections, you would be responsible for storing and "guarding" the medication, but it's self administered. Whether or not you're "assisting" with the administration is another story.

Again, all depends on the state and the camp, but I highly doubt that unless you do anything horribly invasive that you would have any issues with your card.

Find out from the camp, they should be used to this.

 

[beaucait]

So basically it's up to the medical director of the summer camp? That makes more sense

 

[DesertMedic66]

Unless it is a very large summer camp I highly doubt they will have a medical director (an actual Doctor)

 

[BassoonEMT]

Right, they probably wont have a medical director. At least not in the EMS sense of the term.

You can probably look up online the laws about camps and medicine for your state. There's a whole specific set of laws usually just for camps and that should answer everything in addition to whoever is your boss.

But EMTs at camps is not a new concept, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

 

[NomadicMedic]

But EMTs at camps is not a new concept, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

I drive over the speed limit all time time, and I've NEVER gotten a ticket, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about if you speed.

Your logical fallacy is anecdotal.

 

[BassoonEMT]

I drive over the speed limit all time time, and I've NEVER gotten a ticket, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about if you speed.

Your logical fallacy is anecdotal.

Except to make your analogy actually make sense, it should read
"I always drive 65 in a 65, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about if you go 65 in a 65"
"Except there's no speed limit sign so I'm not sure"
"So ask the sheriff, he'll tell you what the speed limit is"

 

[beaucait]

My main concern is having my license revoked if I don't do all my research, and doing something wrong. Considering I just got my license that would be terrible, and being so new to EMS I dont really know all the rules and how lenient the state is.

 

[Inspir]

We have the ability of to 'delegate' our scope to a lower level registered EMS provider. For example, a AEMT could delegate a EMTB to start an IV or insert a King LT, etc. Or a Paramedic could delegate a AEMT to administer narcotics or insert a chest tube, etc. This is under the complete discretion of the higher scope EMS provider and must be under DIRECT supervision and guidance. You can only delegate to a person one level lower than you. For example a Paramedic could delegate to a AEMT but not to a EMTB.

Some will do it some will not. It depends on your working relationship with your partner and if you prove you can perform and know your stuff. Afterall, it will also be their license on the line if you screw it up.

 

[TransportJockey]

We have the ability of to 'delegate' our scope to a lower level registered EMS provider. For example, a AEMT could delegate a EMTB to start an IV or insert a King LT, etc. Or a Paramedic could delegate a AEMT to administer narcotics or insert a chest tube, etc. This is under the complete discretion of the higher scope EMS provider and must be under DIRECT supervision and guidance. You can only delegate to a person one level lower than you. For example a Paramedic could delegate to a AEMT but not to a EMTB.

Some will do it some will not. It depends on your working relationship with your partner and if you prove you can perform and know your stuff. Afterall, it will also be their license on the line if you screw it up.

What? I'm not entirely sure that's how it works. What state are you in?

 

[ERDoc]

Agreed, that seems weird or misunderstood. So an AEMT can delegate to an EMT but a paramedic can't? That seems bass ackwards to me. If an EMT has not been taught how to start an IV or put in a King tube and someone is telling them to, that is some scary stuff. What medical director in their right mind would develop those protocols? I can see the medic/AEMT thing, "Hey Bob, while I get the airway can you push meds?"

 

[Tony Ippolito]

I worked in a alcohol/drug detox. It's technically a loophole they are using. The trick is that you don't open or touch the medication or bottle, and just hand it to them. You never actually Adminster the medication, you just observe it being taken.