Re: Licensure Shortfalls

[Guest guest]

Howdy Tom!

I think I'm a little confused. Why would you no longer be able to teach if

you don't become licensed?

You may be thinking about a different issue, that of coordinator

certification, but I still think you may be misinformed. The draft

coordinator rule says that an advanced coordinator must have an associates

degree. If you are already a coordinator, you don't have to have one in

order to continue coordinating or recertify.

In any case, this is really a different issue that licensure. Nothing in the

licensure law or rule will prohibit a paramedic from working.

Maybe I just misunderstood your comments. BTW, I agree about our inherent

rights as paramedics. It just wouldn't be EMS if we were happy about

everything all the time, would it?

Take care,

Jeff

[texasems-L] Licensure Shortfalls

Howdy All:

Jeff, I don't disagree that licensure is a wonderful step forward for the

profession. I do, however disagree that no one is penalized by it. For

example:

I operate an education program through a hospital. My target audience is

primarily first responders and rural volunteer personnel in rural Texas.

The number of personnel that go forward to paid status is minimal, however

still there.

Will these students be able to achieve certification after my program is no

longer viable due to my lack of a degree? Not likely, as area colleges are

reluctant to provide sufficient satellite courses to fulfill these needs.

Volunteer personnel are much less likely to travel 60 or 70 miles to obtain

a certification in the only programs, colleges, that will likely remain

active after a very few years of the current licensure rule. Does this not

penalize the certified paramedic? Does this not penalize the citizen of

rural and frontier areas of the state that rely solely on volunteer medics

for healthcare? I think it does.

I sat quietly by, watching the rules unfold and taking the line of education

with EMSEAT. I did not speak out against licensure by those terms, simply

so as not to upset the apple cart and prevent the forward motion that ALL

paramedics need.

Now, since licensure is in effect, I must voice my concern for my program

and others that will definitely suffer as a result. If licensure is in

effect, I doubt that anything I do will alter that. Licensure came for

other professions which gained well know professional status across the

nation. Texas stands alone in this endeavor, but hopes to lead the way for

many others to join in creating a national standard that will gain US that

same professional status. Even so, we will always be the new kid on the

block, simply because of the attitudes displayed about territory and

ability. Petty jealously in most instances, sometimes provoked in others.

As I stated before, I am FOR LICENSURE. I am for education. I just think

we should take into consideration that many people will suffer until the

forward motion is slowed to a point that everyone that wants to will be able

to catch up with those of you that had the forethought to get the college

degree in advance. Personally, I am working toward a degree in EMS through

ACPM, must to the dislike of many members of EMSEAT. I do not have the

ability to seek a degree in EMS through any other institution, and am

greatly displeased that Regional Accreditation was placed in current

legislation as a need for licensure. I bet that those persons pushing for

that stipulation have never accessed education through those methods made

available by ACPM and other distance education institutions.

I don't intend to start a squabble that will end up with name calling or

hard feelings. Like the majority of people on this list, I only want to

keep up with current discussions, trends, and resources, as well as

occasionally bitch, as is my inherent right as a paramedic.

Thank you very much,

Tom

twright@...

http://www.wf.net/~twright

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