When considering advancement to the Paramedic Scope of Practice, it is essential to review the market of paramedic education programs so that the one best is chosen. One should start with verifying the school’s accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Effective January 1, 2013, Paramedic applicants(for testing and certification with NREMT) must have successfully completed the state-approved and CAAHEP-accredited Paramedic (NRP) program (NREMT, 2016). Programmatic accreditation can be verified online at the following website: http://www.caahep.org/Find-An- Accredited-Program/.

While waiting for its recommendation for CAAHEP accreditation, the MetroAtlanta EMS Academy Consortium (MAEAC) operated under a Letter of Review (LOR) from the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). In March of 2017, CoAEMSP recommended that the Program be awarded CAAHEP accreditation. From inception through 2023, nine cohorts of Paramedic graduates have been produced by the Program.

As a condition for remaining accredited, current and consistent summary information about student/graduate achievement must be available to the public (CAAHEP, p. 10, 2015). Programs are also required to publish a 3-year review window of average results of the outcomes for National Registry written (computer-based tests) and practical (psychomotor skills tests) exams, retention, and positive placement (CoAEMSP, p. 13, 2016). In accordance with CAAHEP and CoAEMSP requirements for maintaining accreditation, a summary of programmatic outcomes is shown below in Table 1; these outcomes are reported by graduation year.

CAAHEP Accredited Paramedic Programs and CoAEMSP Letter of Review (LoR) Programs track and report outcome measures annually to the Committee on Accreditation for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

The most current CoAEMSP Annual Report was for the calendar year 2021. However, MAEAC reporting is current as of December 1, 2023.

The most recent success rate for the National Registry of EMT Paramedic/State Cognitive exam was 100% (2023).

The most recent positive placement rate for graduates was 100%. Positive placement is defined by the CoAEMSP as ‘Employed full or part-time in a related field and/or continuing his/her education and/or serving in the military’. Positive placement is measured at completion of the program.

The most recent retention rate was 89%. Table 1

Upon completion of a curriculum at an accredited program, graduates are accorded three initial attempts to attain National Registry certification successfully. If none of these attempts are successful, the National Registry requires the graduate to attend a remediation course to be eligible for three additional attempts. Should a graduate fail all six attempts, the graduate must re-enroll and repeat an entire paramedic curriculum to qualify for subsequent attempts.

Trends in Georgia and National Testing Outcomes

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Services (NREMT) publishes annual reports of national

outcomes and outcomes by state. Outcomes reported are updated daily by the National Registry on the NREMT Data Dashboard

(NREMT, 2022). Outcomes listed below illustrate the overall rate of achieving Paramedic certification.

Table 2

• 2023 Data Not available at time of publishing.

References

CAAHEP. (2015). Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in the Emergency Medical Services Professions. Retrieved from Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs: https://coaemsp.org/resource-library

CoAEMSP. (2016, April 28). Policies and Procedures. Retrieved from Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions: https://coaemsp.org/policies-procedures

NREMT. (2023). National Registered Paramedics - Certification Process. Retrieved from National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians: https://www.nremt.org/rwd/public/document/paramedic

NREMT. (2023, December 20). NREMT Data Dashboard. Retrieved from National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians:

https://nremt.org/maps

1 NRP CBT = National Registry Paramedic Computer-Based Test

2 NRP PST = National Registry Paramedic Psychomotor Skills Test