Ambulance Standards Indicators/Verifier Findings Compliance Remarks

Service Vehicle Requirements Proofs

1. Personnel  Staffing pattern Nurses X  Valid PRC Ids Attachmen
 Schedule of Ambulance Driver  First Aid t list and
Duties certificate copies of
 Job document
Description
 Notarized
Employment
 TESDA NCII
2. Management Documented Program of proper X Copy of program /
procedures and disinfection
program of Proper
disinfection
Documented Proper waste X Copy of Proper /
procedure for proper disposal of waste and disposal of
disposal of waste toxic products infectious waste
and hazardous
substances
Documented Program Preventive X Copy of the /
for calibration, PM and Maintenance & programs
repair repair of vehicle and
equipment
Contingency plan in Contingency plan on X Copy of /
case of equipment equipment contingency plan
breakdown during breakdown
transport
Documented program Program of X Copy of the /
of temperature management of program
sensitive medication temperature
sensitive medication
3. Ambulance Non-porous partition Ambulance partition X Photo of OR/CR
Vehicle requirement of driver IP ambulance set up under
and ambulance body Tacloban
(Foton donated by Doctors
PCSO)
Hospital
Ambulance railings Railing (overhead X Photos (installed) /
and ceiling)
Inverter power IPS X Photos /
supply installation
4. Drugs and Emergency drugs Emergency Kits X Receipts/Photos /
Medical with emergency
Supplies Braces and other drugs
5. Appliances ortho-transport
instruments
6.
CHECKLIST OF ITEMS FOR COMPLIANCE: AMBULANCE SERVICE VEHICLE
TACLOBAN DOCTORS’ MEDICAL CENTER

Name Designation BLS/ACLS First Aid Job TESDA Notarized Compliance

Certificate Description NCII contract of
Certificate employment
1. Kersha Nurse / / / / See
Cejas Attachment
2. Marian Nurse / / / /
Mahjalin
Penaranda
3. Wendell Nurse / / / /
Escalante
4. Driver / / / /
Schedule of Duties

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

7:00 am - 3:00 pm
3:00 pm – 11:00
pm
11:00 pm- 7:00

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

6.0 Uniforms and Appearance One should place the patient at ease by presenting a reassuring
appearance. The ambulance personnel should wear clothing that is neat and clean, providing a hygienic
as well as professional appearance. Uniforms are to be worn by all on-duty shifts or as approved by the
department head.

UNIFORM AND GROOMING REQUIREMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.1 The new uniforms are to be worn in its entirety during regular shifts while on duty. 1.2 Jeans are not
acceptable in combination with regular uniform while on duty for regular shifts 1.3 The uniform code for
the “piketdienst” is exceptional however a combination should be made for easy identification of an
ambulance staff member. 1.4 Excessive jewelry is discouraged due to the inherent problems associated
with small children and convulsive patients. Wedding bands are acceptable. 1.5 Excessive hair is
discouraged. Men: Above the collar, medium afros are acceptable. Beards and sideburns must be well
trimmed.

Women: Hairstyles are to be neat and clean with little adornment and should be pinned if necessary not
to interfere while carryout work. Needs to ensure that long hair does not become a safety hazard
(entanglement or assault) and that finger nails are kept short.
1.6 Shoes should be black. Steel toes are highly recommended for ambulance teams aboard the
ambulance. Clogs, sandals and athletic shoes are not acceptable. 1.7 Name tags shall be worn over
the left breast pocket. 1.8 All ambulance nurses and assistants are required to carry their own watch
with second hand, as well as a penlight and stethoscope.

6.1 REPORTING FOR DUTY AND SCHEDULING It is most necessary that ambulance nurses/ ambulance
assistants and dispatchers coming on shift are on time so they may orient themselves to the conditions
with which they must work. A minimum of 15 minutes prior to changing of shifts is required and is
acceptable.

Shifts hour are from 07:00 AM to 15:00 PM, 15:00 PM to 23:00 PM and 23:00 PM to 07:00 AM. Once the
ambulance nurses, assistants and dispatchers have reported for duty, he/she may not leave the
department without first notifying the operational leader or ambulance nurse in charge.

The Ambulance teams is not allowed to take a nap (sleep) during the various shifts except for night shifts
however must at all time be ready to respond immediately to any emergency call.

Regular and administrative staff working hours ranges from 08:00 AM – 17:00PM.

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Ambulance Operations Manual | 8/1/2010

Note: No staff member may leave their duty station without appropriate coverage as approved by the
operational manager or department head.

7.7 Use of medication on the Ambulance

I STAKEHOLDERS The stakeholders in this protocol are:

1. The Government of St. Maarten, represented by Ministry of Public Health, Social Development &
Labour 2. The St. Maarten Medical Center Foundation

II OBJECTIVE To administer medication aboard the ambulance by the ambulance nurses according to
fixed protocols under the final supervision by the emergency room physicians of the SMMC.

The emergency room physician will also conduct case management and carry out workshops with the
ambulance teams in order to improve pre-hospital care on St. Maarten.
III PHASE 1 Only medications mentioned in the intervention protocols of SOSA-trained ambulance –
nurses will be placed on the ambulance. For the first three months only the cardiac-arrest protocol will
be applied and therefore in that period, the available medications are:

• Atropine

• Epinephrine

These medications will be administered according to the SOSA protocol manual to patients who are in
cardiac arrest without prior consultation with the emergency room physician.

The ambulance nurse must contact the emergency room physician for approval when attending to a
patient who is not in cardiac arrest but with life threatening arrhythmias. The ambulance nurse must
submit at all times a copy of the run form (“rittenformulier”) to the emergency room physician for
review after administering above listed medication. Thereafter, the administering of other necessary
medication will be considered.

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Ambulance Operations Manual | 8/1/2010

IV PHASE 2

After the three months period, it will be decided to expand the medication on the ambulance according
to the skills of the ambulance-staff. To improve the skills the nurses will receive at least an additional
400 hours per year of continuous education including additional classes by the staff of the ambulance
department at the emergency room and the intensive care unit of SMMC. (For specifications see
appendix “Clinical Program”)

V MANAGEMENT OF MEDICATION SUPPLY The Head of the Ambulance Department will be responsible
for the selection and purchase of the medication, once authorized by an appointed doctor. The
medication will be purchased from the pharmacist of SMMC, who will monitor the storage and
distribution of the medication by the Ambulance Department.
VI STORAGE The medicine will be stored in medicine storage cases in the advance life support kits on
the ambulances. The ambulance nurses will be responsible for daily inspections of the medicines for
expiration dates and replacement making use of a log book.

7.6 Maintenance of Patient Care Equipment The proper operation of all patient care equipment is
essential to the provision of EMS care as a whole. It is of the utmost importance that all equipment be
maintained appropriately.

All on-duty Ambulance personnel are to complete ambulance check-lists at the beginning of their shifts.
Any equipment that isn’t in proper working order must be taken out of service immediately and
replaced with spare equipment from the storage room. An equipment failure report must also be
completed and handed over to the operational leader/supervisor or placed in mailbox.

Job Description

Ambulance Driver Job Description

Ambulance drivers are most often among the first to reach a scene where people
requires medical attention. The job of an ambulance driver is to drive vehicles that
carry ailing people and victims of accidents to hospitals. They may also work for
private ambulance services that provide invalid carrier service. The latter services
include bring home a recovering patient from the hospital. In many cases, the
ambulance drivers may be trained personnel doubling up to give basic life support to
very ill or injured people.

Ambulance drivers normally work about forty hours per week. They work very
irregular hours and also on holidays. This profession can be a high pressure one as
most ambulance calls normally mean life and death. The work requires a high degree
of commitment due to the high pressure, irregular working hours and physically
strenuous nature of the work.

Once you have completed the required education and training, you can apply for
entry-level jobs in the medical field. Many companies offer on the job training by
providing internship programs. Even if you are not able to get entry level jobs as an
ambulance driver, you can start with other positions like volunteer fire fighter and
emergency services telephone dispatcher etc. and after gaining sufficient experience,
attempt the ambulance driver’s job again. Although it is one of the most humble of
professions, it is also the noblest.
Duties and Responsibilities
 Complete a mechanical checklist prior to each shift to ensure ambulance is in working order and ready
to transport patients to and from required locations, and report any mechanical issues to appropriate
service personnel
 Ensure ambulance is clean and stocked properly with first aid and medical supplies prior to each shift
and between patient transports throughout the day
 Accept patient transport assignments daily and drive ambulance with any necessary medical personnel
to patient location
 Help patients onto ambulance gurney and load them into the ambulance, assisted by partner or other
medical personnel
 Transport patient to assigned medical facility, unload patient and take patient inside facility and to
where directed by medical personnel
 Accompany EMTs and paramedics on emergency calls to transport patients to hospitals when assigned
to do so
 Report accident or other emergency facts to medical personnel and/or law enforcement when necessary
 Complete appropriate trip sheets as required by employer to record officially each transport

he responsibilities of an ambulance driver include driving an ambulance to ferry sick,

injured or convalescent people. They also help in placing the patient on the stretcher
and helping to load the stretcher into the ambulance, helped by the ambulance
attendant. The ambulance driver drives the patient to the hospital or drives a
convalescent patient to his destination. The ambulance driver needs to be a skillful
driver who drives carefully avoiding any sudden motion and jerks which may be
detrimental to the patient in the vehicle. His job may also include changing soiled
linen on the stretcher. If at all first aid is required and there are no paramedics in the
team, the ambulance driver will administer first aid for which he is already trained.
This may involve bandaging, splinting and administering oxygen. If the need arises,
he may have to shackle violent patients. The ambulance drivers are often trained as
EMTs or Emergency Medical Technicians.

Among his other duties, an ambulance driver may need to report facts to law
enforcement officials concerning the accident site or the state of the person when he
went to take him to the hospital. Another responsibility of the Ambulance driver is
replace all supplies and disposable items on ambulances and to ensure that the vehicle
is fully stocked and is ready to attend an emergency call.
The ambulance driver needs to assess a situation quickly and act accordingly. He
should be knowledgeable in customer and personal service. The ambulance driver also
should be well-versed in the knowledge of equipment, policies and procedures to
effectively help any kind of local or state operation for the purpose of protection of
people.

Ambulance Driver Training and Education

Requirements
Anybody aspiring to be an ambulance driver must be at least eighteen years old and
hold a license to drive a bus and have a good driving or road history. An ambulance
driver can also undergo training to become a paramedic in which case he must
complete a formal training program and become certified. They then need to get
recertified every two years. Some ambulance drivers have a Red Cross First-aid
certification.

Ambulance drivers must have completed high school diploma or its equivalent which
is the GED (General Educational Development) Test. A college degree is not
essential. The candidate should be physically active and fit to perform the various
functions of an ambulance driver.

Ambulance Driver Salary and Wages

The average salary expected by an ambulance driver in the United States is around
$27,820 per annum. Benefits normally include paid holidays, health insurance and
retirement plans.*

*According to the BLS, http://www.bls.gov/oco/

Ambulance Driver Certifications

Ambulance driver’s certifications depend from state to state and country to country.
Some countries like the US require the candidate to complete an Emergency Vehicle
Operators course. Other short courses related to health care, community services and
reading comprehension are very desirable. A certified course in cardiopulmonary
resuscitation is very useful for an Ambulance driver. A course in first aid and
lifesaving from any local agency or recreation center adds further value to the
candidature.

Ambulance Driver Professional Associations

National association of Emergency Medical Technicians and American Ambulance
Association are some of well-k

Ambulance Driver Job Description

Ambulance drivers are dispatched to homes and other locations to transport seriously ill or injured persons to
the hospital for medical attention. They may also provide transportation for convalescent residents of nursing
homes. Due to the nature of their work, ambulance drivers must have a valid driver’s license and a good
driving record. The position requires evening, weekend, and holiday work hours, and rotating shifts may
include 12 or more hours a day. Because they deal with emergency and life or death situations, prospective
ambulance drivers must thrive under pressure. They must also be able to remain calm and composed and have
the ability to put frightened and agitated patients at ease.

Ambulance Drivers Duties and Responsibilities

An ambulance driver’s duties may vary based on their seniority, whether they hold EMT certification, and the
level of certification they hold. However, there are several core tasks that are common to all ambulance
drivers, such as:

Drive Passenger Vehicle

Safely driving an ambulance to transport patients as quickly as possible to medical facilities for care is a
primary part of an ambulance driver’s job.

Provide Assistance

In situations where the patient requires some level of care before reaching the hospital, such as instances of
heavy bleeding or respiratory distress, the ambulance driver provides first aid or administers oxygen.
Clean Vehicle

To keep the ambulance sanitary and germ-free, ambulance drivers thoroughly sanitize the vehicle and remove
soiled linens and contaminated supplies.

Maintain Records

Ambulance drivers make daily entries into a driving log. This information includes patients’ names and
addresses, trip times, mileage, and services performed.

Ensure Vehicle Safety

They inspect the ambulance and report any deficiencies for repair. Fuel, oil, transmission fluid, coolant, and
wiper fluid levels are checked and topped off if necessary.

What is an Emergency Nurse?

Emergency nurses are the health care professionals who take responsibility in caring for patients as
they enter in the emergency room or urgent care facility. Aside from being a registered nurse, they
should be able to handle crisis situations effectively. Nurses who are in this field of specialty are
required to deal with patients efficiently in life threatening events and provide rapid assessments.

Ambulance Nurse job description

Ambulance nurses provide critical care to patients until they reach a hospital. They are often
assisted by paramedics. The work can be physically strenuous and can involve kneeling,
bending, crouching and lifting while caring for patients.
EMT Job Description. EMTs will then take the patient to the hospital via an ambulance while
making sure the patient’s condition is stable during the ride. They do this by using specialized
equipment called backboards, which immobilizes the patient before they are placed on a
stretcher for secure transport.
EMT & Paramedic Job Description
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics are medical professionals
working in the field who provide emergency medical and trauma care that includes
assessment and, when appropriate, measures aimed at stabilizing a patient so that he
or she may be safely transported to a trauma center or hospital, in accordance with
protocols and guidelines established by physician medical directors.

EMTs and Paramedics Job Responsibilities

Specific job responsibilities are determined by the emergency medical service
provider’s certification, which reflects his or her level of training.

EMT & Paramedic Job Description

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics are medical professionals
working in the field who provide emergency medical and trauma care that includes
assessment and, when appropriate, measures aimed at stabilizing a patient so that he
or she may be safely transported to a trauma center or hospital, in accordance with
protocols and guidelines established by physician medical directors.

EMTs and Paramedics Job Responsibilities

Specific job responsibilities are determined by the emergency medical service
provider’s certification, which reflects his or her level of training.