Shuffling toward paramedic practitioners in the United States

Abstract

In the United States (U.S.), the Subcommittee on Adaptability and Innovation of the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC) recently recommended that a clinically focused Master of Science in Paramedicine (MSP) be developed as the standard minimum academic degree to meet the educational needs of paramedic practitioners in the U.S. Despite the significance of this initiative and support within EMS agencies and amongst paramedics, the advisory has met with fierce opposition from fire agencies and associations, some employer groups and surprisingly the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.