Sec. 773.0496. SCOPE OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN-PARAMEDIC AND LICENSED PARAMEDIC DUTIES. (a) In this section:

(1) "Advanced life support" means health care provided to sustain life in an emergency, life-threatening situation. The term includes the initiation of intravenous therapy, endotracheal or esophageal intubation, electrical cardiac defibrillation or cardioversion, and drug therapy procedures.

(2) "Direct supervision" means supervision of an emergency medical technician-paramedic or licensed paramedic by a licensed physician who is present in the same area or an area adjacent to the area where an emergency medical technician-paramedic or licensed paramedic performs a procedure and who is immediately available to provide assistance and direction during the performance of the procedure.

(b) Notwithstanding other law, a person who is certified under this chapter as an emergency medical technician-paramedic or a licensed paramedic, is acting under the delegation and direct supervision of a licensed physician, and is authorized to provide advanced life support by a health care facility may in accordance with department rules provide advanced life support in the facility's emergency or urgent care clinical setting, including a hospital emergency room and a freestanding emergency medical care facility.

Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1054 (H.B. 2020), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2015.

Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1226 (S.B. 1899), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2015.