Over the years, we’ve received many questions from students working towards the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam who are unsure how to maintain their certification once they’ve passed.
This guide is a complete walkthrough of everything you need to know in one place. We’ve broken down what you need to do, one step at a time, the options for recertification at all levels–including EMR, EMT, AEMT, and paramedic–and answered all the most common questions.
Is It Worth Applying for NREMT Recertification?
First and foremost, recertification shouldn’t be seen as optional or something worth doing only if you have time. Instead, it’s pivotal if you’re working in the field, hold national certification, and want to protect your career for the future. Keeping your NREMT status current is relevant, no matter where you work or whether you need to renew state licensure.
This is because having a valid certification from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) is essential if you might apply for a new job at some point, move states, or want the peace of mind that your certified status is safe.
What Does Recertifying With the National Registry Involve?
Let’s have a quick look at the basics:
- You need to recertify every two years at any certification level, which applies to EMRs, EMTs, AEMTs, and paramedics.
- Candidates have two options: retaking the NREMT written exam and passing or completing continued education that meets a minimum number of hours.
- If you opt for continued education, as most do, the program or course you follow must be either State EMS Office approved or CAPCE accredited.
- We’ve outlined the exact breakdowns of study hours below, but the more advanced your certification level, the more continuing education hours you’ll need to complete.
This may seem fairly straightforward, but the complication applicants become stuck on is that those hours cannot be random. You need to complete study hours split correctly between national, individual, and local components.
The great news is that, as a fully CAPCE-accredited tuition provider and home to the Video Vault (the go-to resource for NREMT test prep), we’ve launched a complete range of recertification programs. This means you can tackle recertification quickly, easily, and 100% online with accurate, compliant content that covers all the mandatory components.
How Do the National Registry Recertification Requirements Change Between Certification Levels?
All of the above applies to every level of NREMT certification, but there is one difference: the study hours you need to complete. Here’s what you’ll need in terms of total continuing education hours:
- EMR: Sixteen hours
- EMT: Forty hours
- AEMT: Fifty hours
- Paramedic: Sixty hours
In every scenario, continuing education must be split between 50% national, 25% local, and 25% individual content components. We have taken care of this to ensure you can breeze through recertification anywhere, anytime, knowing that you will tick every box.
Do I Need NREMT Recertification if I’m Not Treating Patients in the Field?
Yes! The National Registry accepts recertification applications from both active and inactive professionals. ‘Inactive’ simply means you’re not currently seeing patients, but that doesn’t imply you should let your certification lapse.
You won’t need to verify your skills if you’re not affiliated with an agency and aren’t seeing patients. However, keeping your certification current means you’re just as qualified as any other emergency medical practitioner.
What Is the Easiest Way to Meet Every NREMT Recertification Requirement?
As you now know, you have two options for recertification: retaking the NREMT examination or completing the hours of continued education required at your certification level. Of course, the choice is yours, but most emergency medical professionals choose the latter, given the pressure linked with the written test and the costs of redoing the exam process over again.
Why is continued education a preferred route to recertification? It’s often far more manageable to fit in digital studying alongside working hours with engaging, easy-to-navigate videos that provide real value, knowledge, and fresh comprehension.
All content components and requirements have been handled for you, so it’s as straightforward as choosing your recertification level, watching the videos, answering the knowledge-check quiz questions, and completing the questionnaire at the end of the program. We’ll send your recertification confirmation straight to your inbox, giving you peace of mind that your national certification is secure, up-to-date, and fully compliant!
