Pennsylvania Code › Title 28 - HEALTH AND SAFETY › Part IV - Health Facilities › Subpart B - General and Special Hospitals › Chapter 117 - EMERGENCY SERVICES › ORGANIZATIONS › Section 117.30 - Emergency paramedic services

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
In hospitals, where paramedics are employed by the
						hospital for treatment of patients in the emergency service area:
(1) The primary responsibility of the
					 paramedic is to respond to emergency situations outside the hospital.
					 Paramedics cannot be utilized as an integral part of the hospital emergency
					 service area staff, that is, as a replacement for licensed health
					 professionals. Paramedics may only be utilized to support and assist licensed
					 health professionals in the care of patients in emergency situations meeting
					 the requirements of paragraph (4).
(2) Paramedics may function in hospitals as
					 paramedics only when the hospitals provide advanced life support services, when
					 the paramedics are employed by an advanced life support service, or when the
					 paramedics are functioning under paragraph (6).
(3) Paramedics may not function as
					 paramedics, except in extraordinary life threatening situations, in an area of
					 the hospital other than the emergency service area except for training and
					 continuing education purposes under paragraph (6).
(4) A paramedic may function as a paramedic
					 only in an emergency situation. In these situations, a paramedic may practice
					 the skills for which the paramedic is certified to perform. The paramedic may
					 only practice as a paramedic in the hospital emergency service area, when under
					 the direct supervision of a physician, who shall be physically present in the
					 emergency service area. An emergency situation is a situation for which an
					 absence of intervention within hours will result in loss of life or significant
					 impairment of body function.
(5)
					 The paramedic's scope of practice shall be in accordance with the limitations
					 imposed by the act of November 30, 1976 (P. L. 1205, No. 264) (35 P. S.
					 §§
												6801-6805) (Repealed) and
					 Chapter 2, Subchapter A (Reserved).
(6) Paramedic students enrolled in a training
					 program approved by the Department, or paramedics enrolled in a continuing
					 education program, may function in a hospital under the direct supervision of
					 licensed or certified personnel, operating within their legal scopes of
					 practice, who have been assigned responsibility for specific components of the
					 training programs. The Department may approve training programs for paramedic
					 students in hospitals without advanced life support units. A continuing
					 education program shall consist of a written program of instruction, designed
					 to enhance the paramedics' skills in accordance with standards mandated by the
					 applicable regional Emergency Health Services Council.
The provisions of this §
													117.30 issued under section
						  2102(g) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. §
														532(g)); and section 803 of
						  the Health Care Facilities Act (35 P. S. §
														448.803).
The section cited in 28 Pa. Code §
													107.62 (relating to oral orders);
						  28 Pa. Code §
													107.64 (relating to administration
						  of drugs); and 28 Pa. Code §
													109.66 (relating to blood
						  transfusions and intravenous
						  medications).