Bill Text: NJ S318 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Temporarily waives certain basic life support services crewmember requirements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-11 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S318 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S318-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Temporarily waives certain basic life support services crewmember requirements.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning basic life support services.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
"ACLS certification" means valid certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support as issued by the American Heart Association.
"Advanced life support" means an advanced level of pre-hospital, inter-hospital, and emergency service care which includes basic life support functions, cardiac monitoring, cardiac defibrillation, telemetered electrocardiography, administration of anti-arrhythmic agents, intravenous therapy, administration of specific medications, drugs and solutions, use of adjunctive ventilation devices, trauma care and other techniques and procedures authorized in writing by the Commissioner of Health.
"Basic life support" means a basic level of pre-hospital care which includes patient stabilization, airway clearance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hemorrhage control, initial wound care and fracture stabilization, and other techniques and procedures authorized by the Commissioner of Health.
"Emergency medical technician-paramedic" means a person trained in advanced life support services and certified by the Commissioner of Health to render advanced life support services as part of a mobile intensive care unit.
"First responder" means a police officer, firefighter, or other person who has been trained to provide emergency medical first response services in a program recognized by the Commissioner of Health.
"ITLS certification" means valid certification in International Trauma Life Support as issued by the American College of Emergency Physicians.
"Mobile intensive care nurse" means a registered nurse who: has completed at least one year of full-time nursing care performing advanced clinical skills in the critical care unit or emergency department of an acute care hospital; possesses Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and ACLS certifications; possesses PALS or Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals-Advanced certification or has successfully completed the Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course to the standards of the Emergency Nurses Association; possesses either PHTLS or ITLS certification; has successfully completed at least a mobile intensive care unit field internship consisting of at least 100 hours, has successfully intubated at least five patients and has demonstrated proficiency in pre-hospital advanced life support treatment to the satisfaction of the nurse's mobile intensive care program's medical director; is physically capable of performing the duties of a mobile intensive care nurse; and is endorsed by the medical director of a mobile intensive care program.
"Mobile intensive care unit" means a specialized emergency medical service vehicle operated for the provision of advanced life support services under the direction of an authorized hospital.
"PALS certification" means valid certification in Pediatric Advanced Life Support as issued by the American Heart Association.
"PHTLS certification" means valid certification in Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support as issued by the National Association of EMTs.
"Specialty care transport nurse" means a registered nurse who has: completed at least one year of full time nursing care performing advanced clinical skills in an acute care hospital's critical care unit or emergency department and possesses valid certification as either a critical care registered nurse or a certified emergency nurse; holds certifications in CPR and ACLS; holds certification in PALS or has successfully completed the Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course to the standards of the Emergency Nurses Association; has additional training in endotrachael intubation and has been deemed competent by the medical director; and has documented completion of competencies for advanced life support equipment, including, but not limited to, cardiac monitor/defibrillator, external pacemaker, IV pump, ventilator, intra-aortic balloon pump, specialized respirators, and incubators.
"Specialty care transport unit" means a specialized transport medical service vehicle that is validly licensed by the department and operated in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the department.
b. (1) Until January 1, 2023, a basic life support services vehicle other than a basic life support services vehicle described in subsection d. of this section, when in service, shall be staffed by a minimum of two emergency medical technicians or by a minimum of one emergency medical technician and one first responder. Any individual staffing a basic life support vehicle as provided in this paragraph shall be authorized to render care within that individual's scope of practice. In the case of a vehicle staffed by one emergency medical technician and one first responder, the emergency medical technician shall be present in the patient compartment of the vehicle at all times when a patient is present in the vehicle.
(2) Until January 1, 2023, a mobile intensive care unit, when in service, shall be staffed by a minimum of two persons, which two persons may be two emergency medical technician-paramedics, two mobile intensive care nurses, one emergency medical technician-paramedic and one mobile intensive care nurse, or one emergency medical technician and one emergency medical technician-paramedic or mobile intensive care nurse. Any individual staffing a mobile intensive care unit as provided in this paragraph shall be authorized to render care within that individual's scope of practice. In the case of a mobile intensive care unit staffed by one emergency medical technician and one emergency medical technician-paramedic or mobile intensive care nurse, the emergency medical technician-paramedic or mobile intensive care nurse shall provide primary patient care.
(3) Until January 1, 2023, a specialty care transport unit, when in service, shall be staffed by a minimum of one specialty care transport nurse and one emergency medical technician. Any individual staffing a specialty care transport unit as provided in this paragraph shall be authorized to render care within that individual's scope of practice. The specialty care transport nurse shall provide primary patient care.
c. Each individual staffing a basic life support vehicle, a mobile intensive care unit, or a specialty care transport unit pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be at least 18 years of age. In addition, a first responder staffing a basic life support vehicle pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection b. of this section shall:
(1) be certified to administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation;
(2) be able to operate a basic life support vehicle; and
(3) have completed a training program that has been approved by the basic life support agency medical director and that includes, at a minimum: safe vehicle operations; patient lifting and moving; safe use of patient restraints; basic first aid; and documentation.
d. The provisions of subsection b. of this section shall not apply to a basic life support vehicle dispatched in response to a 9-1-1 emergency call, which vehicles, when in service, shall be staffed by a minimum of two emergency medical technicians.
e. Nothing in this section shall be construed to:
(1) revise the requirements for certification, or to practice, as an emergency medical technician, an emergency medical technician-paramedic, a mobile intensive care nurse, or a specialty care transport nurse in New Jersey;
(2) revise the scope of practice authorized for emergency medical technicians, emergency medical technician-paramedics, mobile intensive care nurses, or specialty care transport nurses in New Jersey; or
(3) revise the standards or requirements for equipment for basic life support vehicles, mobile intensive care units, or specialty care transport units.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that, until January 1, 2023, basic life
support services (BLS) vehicles that are not dispatched in response to a 9-1-1
emergency call, when in service, will be staffed by a minimum of two
emergency medical technicians
(EMTs) or by a minimum of one EMT and one first responder. The bill defines
"first responder" to mean a police officer, firefighter, or other person who
has been trained to provide emergency medical first response services. A BLS
vehicle dispatched in response to a 9-1-1 emergency call, when in service, will
be required to be staffed by a minimum of two EMTs.
The bill additionally provides that, until January 1, 2023, mobile intensive care units (MICUs), when in service, will be staffed by a minimum of either: two paramedics; two mobile intensive care nurses; one paramedic and one mobile intensive care nurse; or one EMT and one paramedic or mobile intensive care nurse.
The bill further provides that, until January 1, 2023, specialty care transport units (SCTUs), when in service, will be staffed by a minimum of one specialty care transport nurse and one EMT.
Individuals staffing a MICU, an SCTU, or a non-9-1-1-dispatched BLS vehicle will be authorized to render care within the individual's scope of practice. In the case of a vehicle staffed by a one EMT and one first responder, the EMT will be required to be present in the patient compartment of the vehicle at all times when a patient is present in the vehicle. In the case of a MICU staffed by one EMT and one paramedic or mobile intensive care nurse, the paramedic or mobile intensive care nurse will be required to provide primary patient care. In the case of an SCTU, the specialty care transport nurse will be required to provide primary patient care.
Each person staffing a MICU, a SCTU, or a non-9-1-1-dispatched BLS vehicle under the bill is to be at least 18 years of age. In addition, a first responder staffing a BLS vehicle will be required to:
(1) be certified to administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR);
(2) be able to operate a BLS vehicle; and
(3) have completed a training program that has been approved by the basic life support agency medical director and that includes, at a minimum: safe vehicle operations; patient lifting and moving; safe use of patient restraints; basic first aid; and documentation.
The bill expressly provides that its provisions are not to be construed to revise the requirements for certification or practice for EMTs, paramedics, mobile intensive care nurses, or specialty care transport nurses in New Jersey, or to revise the equipment standards and requirements for BLS vehicles, MICUs, or SCTUs.
This bill effectively extends waivers from vehicle requirements for BLS vehicles, MICU vehicles, and SCTU vehicles that were authorized by the Commissioner of Health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Department of Health regulations ordinarily require that a BLS vehicle be staffed by at least two EMTs, that a MICU be staffed by two paramedics, two mobile intensive care nurses, or one paramedic and one mobile intensive care nurse, and that SCTUs be staffed by a specialty care transport nurse and two EMTS, or one EMT if the specialty care transport nurse is also an EMT.
