NRS450B.160. Licensing of attendants and firefighters; regulations; certification of physicians, nurses and physician assistants serving as attendants. [Effective January 1, 2014.]

      1.  The health authority may issue licenses to attendants and to firefighters employed by or serving as volunteers with a fire-fighting agency.

      2.  Each license must be evidenced by a card issued to the holder of the license, is valid for a period not to exceed 2 years and is renewable.

      3.  An applicant for a license must file with the health authority:

      (a) A current, valid certificate evidencing the applicant’s successful completion of a program of training as an emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic, if the applicant is applying for a license as an attendant, or, if a volunteer attendant, at a level of skill determined by the board.

      (b) A current valid certificate evidencing the applicant’s successful completion of a program of training as an emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic, if the applicant is applying for a license as a firefighter with a fire-fighting agency.

      (c) A signed statement showing:

             (1) The name and address of the applicant;

             (2) The name and address of the employer of the applicant; and

             (3) A description of the applicant’s duties.

      (d) Such other certificates for training and such other items as the board may specify.

      4.  The board shall adopt such regulations as it determines are necessary for the issuance, suspension, revocation and renewal of licenses.

      5.  Each operator of an ambulance or air ambulance and each fire-fighting agency shall annually file with the health authority a complete list of the licensed persons in its service.

      6.  Licensed physicians, registered nurses and licensed physician assistants may serve as attendants without being licensed under the provisions of this section. A registered nurse who performs emergency care in an ambulance or air ambulance shall perform the care in accordance with the regulations of the State Board of Nursing. A licensed physician assistant who performs emergency care in an ambulance or air ambulance shall perform the care in accordance with the regulations of the Board of Medical Examiners.

      7.  Each licensed physician, registered nurse and licensed physician assistant who serves as an attendant must have current certification of completion of training in:

      (a) Advanced life-support procedures for patients who require cardiac care;

      (b) Life-support procedures for pediatric patients who require cardiac care; or

      (c) Life-support procedures for patients with trauma that are administered before the arrival of those patients at a hospital.

Ê The certification must be issued by the Board of Medical Examiners for a physician or licensed physician assistant or by the State Board of Nursing for a registered nurse.

      8.  The Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Nursing shall issue a certificate pursuant to subsection 7 if the licensed physician, licensed physician assistant or registered nurse attends:

      (a) A course offered by a national organization which is nationally recognized for issuing such certification;

      (b) Training conducted by the operator of an ambulance or air ambulance; or

      (c) Any other course or training,

Ê approved by the Board of Medical Examiners or the State Board of Nursing, whichever is issuing the certification. The Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Nursing may require certification of training in all three areas set forth in subsection 7 for a licensed physician, licensed physician assistant or registered nurse who primarily serves as an attendant in a county whose population is 700,000 or more.

      (Added to NRS by 1973, 1142; A 1977, 962; 1979, 70; 1981, 278, 1554; 1985, 1694, 2118; 1987, 2207; 1993, 317, 2830; 1995, 725; 1997, 690; 2001, 782; 2005, 331; 2011, 1269; 2013, 939, effective January 1, 2014)