Learn the importance of developing and scaling your training program to your service area and scope of practice.
As you read in the previous post, your Quality Management (QM) program is very closely tied to your Education and Training (E&T) program. To your frontline clinical staff, it is either a welcomed benefit as a team member or just something they have to do in order to maintain an active status.
At a minimum, your E&T should include the typical certifications (BLS, ACLS, PALS, etc.), based on your program’s scope of practice. Additional features of your E&T program can include clinical information that is pertinent to the populations that you serve. For example, if your program performs ALS cardiac cath lab interfacility transfers, E&T on sheath/invasive line maintenance, advanced cardiac A&P, pathophysiology and pharmacology is an excellent way to develop your clinical staff.
A more robust E&T program will provide both didactic and hands-on or clinical learning opportunities that support your transport program’s scope of practice and mission statement. The more advanced your scope of practice, the more advanced your E&T program MUST be in order to develop your clinical staff. Hands-on learning may include skills like needle decompression, chest tube insertion, advanced airway management techniques including cricothyroidotomy, suturing, etc. Accrediting bodies, your scope of practice, and ultimately your medical director, will guide the frequency of E&T, as well as the skills to be introduced.
If your program is seeking or maintaining accreditation, the standards will dictate what your E&T program must provide at a minimum.
The saying is, “If it can be tracked, it can be improved.” This proves especially true when tying your QM and E&T programs together. They work hand in hand to support evidence-based medicine, improve the quality of care delivered, demonstrate program defined performance indicators, and ultimately patient outcomes. This is accomplished by identifying metrics through your QM program that can be improved.
When effectively using a E&T program, the upcoming months and quarters of chart reviews will transform outcomes towards your program’s self-defined goals.
Whether your E&T program is in place as a result of accreditation or agency defined standards, compliance is vital.
Frequently Asked Questions
What education and training requirements do CAMTS and NAAMTA require for air medical crews?
CAMTS and NAAMTA require initial orientation, ongoing continuing education, competency verification, and specialty-specific training for clinical crew. All accreditation standards emphasize that education must be documented, current, and matched to the clinical needs of the patient population served.
Why is continuing education in air medical transport about more than just meeting accreditation requirements?
Continuing education drives genuine clinical improvement, keeps crews current with evolving medical evidence and technology, and builds the professional culture that sustains accreditation compliance over time. Programs that treat education as a compliance checkbox miss its most important benefit: better patient outcomes.
What types of training are required for air medical transport accreditation?
Required training typically includes transport physiology, aircraft safety and survival, crew resource management, specialty certifications such as CFRN or FP-C, equipment operation, pediatric and neonatal transport if applicable, and scenario-based competency validation.
How do simulation and competency evaluations factor into accreditation education requirements?
Simulation-based training and structured competency evaluations are increasingly expected by accreditation bodies as evidence that education translates into actual clinical capability. Programs that rely solely on lecture or online content without skills verification may face deficiencies during surveys.
How does Med-TAC help programs build accreditation-compliant education programs?
Med-TAC helps programs develop education plans that meet accreditation requirements while building genuine clinical competence, including competency checklists, training calendars, documentation templates, and guidance on selecting or building appropriate simulation experiences.