Maintenance of Paramedic Certification
The Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards outline the requirements for paramedic annual maintenance of certification in Appendix 6.
In brief, paramedics need 10 patient contacts each year as well as no more than 90 days out of service, Those who have more than 90 days away from practice undergo a Return to Clinical Practice to maintain their Certification.
In addition to the requirements set out in the Patient Care Standards, the RPPEO requires the following each year:
Each Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) must:
- Be employed by a Paramedic Service
- Have participated in Cycle 1 Spring and Cycle 2 Fall CME
- Have 8 hours of an elective from our approved elective calendar, or RPPEO-approved paramedic submitted electives (submit for approval via our Elective CME Pre-approval request form).
Each Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) must:
- Be employed by a Paramedic Service
- Have participated in Cycle 2 CME
The RPPEO Certification Year runs from February 1 through January 31. Each paramedic must complete annual maintenance of certification requirements by the end of the day of January 31 each year.
For more details, see the RPPEO Certification Policy below.
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Paramedic Re-Certification is required each year for continuing practice.
At the RPPEO, the annual certification period begins on February 1 at 00:00hrs.
Paramedics must meet minimum annual requirements, as set out in the Provincial Maintenance of Certification Standards (MoCS) outlined in Appendix 6 of the Ontario Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards (ALS PCS) (see below).
The RPPEO examines each paramedic’s record to be sure that they’ve completed the minimum requirements for re-certification. If minimum requirements are met, the paramedic receives a certification letter on February 1 indicating their authorized scope of practice for the coming certification year.
If the minimum requirements are not met, the paramedic is deactivated and receives such notice. Deactivation for any reason means that the paramedic is not authorized to practice until the issues identified are corrected.
Paramedics who fail to meet the minimum requirements for annual recertification at the end of the annual certification period will be deactivated at the beginning of the next certification period, the 1st of February at 00:00hrs.
Provincial Maintenance of Certification Standards
From Appendix 6 of the Ontario Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards:
- The Paramedic shall demonstrate competency in the performance of Controlled Acts and other advanced medical procedures, compliance with the ALS PCS, and the provision of patient care at the Paramedic’s level of Certification. Competency and compliance shall be determined by the Medical Director and may include chart audits, field evaluations, and RBHP patch communication review.
- The Paramedic shall not have an absence from providing patient care that exceeds ninety (90) consecutive days.
- The Paramedic shall either,
a. provide patient care to a minimum of ten (10) patients per year whose care requires assessment and management at the Paramedic’s level of Certification, or
b. where a Paramedic is unable to assess and manage the minimum of ten (10) patients per year, demonstrate alternate experience, as approved by the Medical Director, that may involve 1 or more of the following:
i. other patient care activities;
ii. additional CME;
iii. simulated patient encounters; and
iv. clinical placements. - The Paramedic shall complete at least 1 evaluation per year at the appropriate level of Certification, which may include: an assessment of knowledge and evaluation of skills; scenarios; and on-line learning and evaluation.
- The Paramedic shall complete a minimum of CME hours per year as follows: eight (8) hours for PCPs, twelve (12) hours for PCP Flight, twenty-four (24) hours for ACPs, and seventy-two (72) hours for ACP Flight and CCP. CME hours include electives from our approved elective calendar, as well as CME hours, include hours completed as part of an evaluation required by paragraph 4.