EMS Biosafety Transport for Operators

The course aims to increase understanding about standard and transmission-based infection control practices and provides education about high consequence infectious diseases like COVID-19, Mpox, Ebola Virus Disease, Smallpox, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome), novel influenza viruses, like H5N1, and seasonal as well as pandemic influenza.

Education about these diseases, specifically the clinical course of the disease, the availability of medical countermeasures and appropriate infection control measures is essential for developing the competencies and the confidence to manage and transport patients suspected or confirmed to be infected with a high consequence infectious disease.

The course also describes operational considerations for management and transport of patients with serious high consequence infectious diseases, to include, selection of PPE, donning and doffing of PPE, modification of the ambulance, destination considerations, decontamination and disinfection of the ambulance and durable medical equipment, waste management and post-mission medical surveillance.

2023-04-13

The estimated time to complete this enduring material is 240 minutes.

At the conclusion of this enduring material, the participants should be better able to:

• Discuss high consequence infectious diseases (smallpox, Mpox, COVID-19, SARS, MERS, Ebola, novel influenza) including standard and transmission-based infection control procedures. 
• Describe the health care team’s roles and responsibilities involving implementation of a hierarchy of controls to prevent inadvertent exposure to infectious bodily fluids through the use of appropriate PPE and implementation of infection prevention guidelines for ambulances. 
• Articulate processes required for safe management of wastes and post-mission health monitoring related to associated risks of exposures.  

CEUs

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center and NETEC. University of Nebraska Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

PHYSICIANS/PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS 

The University of Nebraska Medical Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

NURSES/NURSE PRACTITIONERS

The University of Nebraska Medical Center designates this activity for 4.0 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit for the actual time spent participating in the activity.

EMS 

The University of Nebraska Medical Center, Center for Continuing Education, EMS and Trauma Division approves this educational opportunity for 4.0 hours of Emergency Medical Services Continuing Education. (Deb VonSeggern, NRP, EMSI)

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