Scope of Practice

The Scope Of Practice is the provncially and federally governed set of skills that a licensed prationer may perform at their level of expertise. In Alberta, there are 3 levels of prehospital ambulance attendants. They are Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedic (EMT-P or Paramedic). The Parkland Ambulance Authority employs only EMT's and Paramedics. The individual Scopes of Practice are listed below.

*NOTE: The Scope of Practice is currently legislated under the Health Disciplines Act. The Health Professions Act is expected to recieve assent into law in the summer of 2006. The Scope of Practice for all disciplines will advance (upgrade) to the Alberta Occupational Competency Profiles at that time.

Emergency Medical Responder

• Patient assessment
• Orophryngeal airway
• Oropharyngeal suction
• Bag-valve-mask
• Oxygen administration
• Bandaging
• Splinting
• Patient extrication
• Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• Control bleeding
• Oropharyngeal suction
• Spinal motion restriction
• Emergency delivery
• Automated defibrillation

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

All of the skills of an EMR, plus:

• Traction splint
• Glucose testing and glucose administration
• Initiation and maintenance of peripheral intravenous lines
• Nasotracheal suction
• Pneumatic CPR devices
• Application and use of PASG devices
• Nitrous oxide administration
• Automated defibrillation
• Basic cardiac monitoring

Emergency Medical Technologist - Paramedic (EMT-P or Paramedic)

All of the skills of an EMR and EMT, plus:

• Advanced cardiac monitoring and 12-lead ECG interpretation
• Manual defibrillation
• Tracheal suction
• Deep chest suction
• Endotracheal intubation
• Nasotracheal intubation
• Endotracheal Combi-tube insertion
• Crichothyrotomy (surgical airway)
• Intermittant positive pressure breathing adjuncts
• Synchronized cardioversion
• Carotid sinus massage
• Telemetry transmission
• Emergency medication administration
• Needle thoracostomy
• Rotating tourniquets
• External jugular venipuncture
• Insertion of nasogastric tubes
• Drawing arterial blood gas samples
• Femoral venipuncture
• Use of external trancutaneous pacemakers
• Suturing
• Urinary catheterization
• Intraosseous infusions
• Monitoring chest tubes
• Administration of blood and blood products

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