NREMT Recertification. License Fees. Ugh. Just the thought of recertifying gives me a headache. But, if your work requires that certification, or if you want to transfer your license to another state easily, it is a necessary evil that occurs every two years at the end of March.
NREMT actually has a pretty good website that walks you through the recertification process. If you go to their main website (https://www.nremt.org), there is a ‘Recert’ header that you can click and be taken to the page on NREMT Recertification. From there, you click on your provider level and follow their instructions. If you want the quick overview, though, read on!
First off, to get recertified, you must be able to be recertified. You must not have criminal convictions or license limitations. Assuming that you have no problems with those requirements, skill verification is required.
Skill competency is verified by either your Training Officer if recertifying as Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Responder (NREMR) or Nationally Registered EMTs (NREMT). For Nationally Registered Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (NRAEMT) and Paramedics (NRP), skill competency is verified by your Physician Medical Director. Skill verification can be through QA/QI programs, direct observations of skills being performed, or through the evaluation of skills such as training, practical testing, and reviews.
The next hurdle is making sure that your continuing education (CE) hours have been completed. NREMT has recertifications for Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) and Paramedic (NRP) level practitioners. As the level of care increases, so do the amount of continuing education hours and types of education. For example, an EMR requires a total of 16 hours of continuing education, 2.5 of which are cardiology based, whereas an NRP will require 60 total hours and needs 8.5 hours of cardiology education. NREMT Continuing education can be completed in a multitude of ways.
NREMT Refresher courses, Grand Rounds, case reviews, standard EMS courses (PALS, ACLS, etc.), teaching, and attending conferences are all excellent ways of obtaining the hours needed for NREMT continuing education. Education submitted for continuing education hours must either be approved by your state’s EMS office or accredited through CAPCE (Commission on Accreditation for Prehospital Continuing Education). Education can also be thought Distributed Education, but not all of it.
Distributed education would be something like listening to a podcast and receiving credit for taking a quiz since you and the educator are not doing the teaching and learning at the same time. A Webinar where you and the host are teaching and learning at the same time, would not be considered distributed education. As you begin to accumulate the CE hours, make sure to keep your NREMT account up to date! If you add the CEs as you go, it’s not as big of a hassle.
Keep a physical copy of your CE certificates for three years, because you can be audited and will need to provide proof of your CEs.
If for some reason, you don’t want to recertify using CEs, you can opt-out of them by passing an exam. After logging into your account, you can submit your application for the exam and pay your fee, which ranges from $75 – $125, depending on your level of certification. Once registered and paid, you will receive an Authorization to Test letter in your account; this will have instructions on how to schedule the exam. You are able to take the exam for one year prior to your certification expiring. Make sure to study, because you have one chance at passing the test. Assuming a passing grade, your account will then have a Cognitive Competency by Exam form, which will need to be filled out and submitted with the proper paperwork.
Finally, after all of that, whether you certify your education through CEs or exam, you are ready to submit your NREMT recertification application, pay your fee, and breathe a sigh of relief that it’s over – for another two years!
Recertification. (n.d.). NREMT. Retrieved August 26, 2020, from https://www.nremt.org/rwd/publ…
Impact EMS offers accredited certification and refresher courses in one trusted location. Fully prepare for certification exams and maintain licensure with skill building credits.
