Aligning with the Latest NREMT BLS Practice Analysis: Curriculum Updates and Guidance for Educators

By Sherry Kinnucan &  Tom Maliszewski , Platinum Educational Group

At Platinum Educational Group, we are committed to aligning our educational tools with evolving national standards. In response to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians’ (NREMT) recently released BLS Practice Analysis, our education team conducted a comprehensive review and remapping of our Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) question banks.

The NREMT BLS practice analysis identifies 28 essential job tasks organized into five performance domains: Scene Size-up and Safety, Primary Assessment, Secondary Assessment, Patient Treatment and Transport, and Operations. These domains reflect the expectations for entry-level EMR and EMTs and are based on real-world job performance data.

We meticulously reviewed and aligned each item in our question banks with the corresponding domains and tasks outlined in the analysis. This ensures our assessments remain relevant, focused, and reflective of the core competencies necessary for certification and practice readiness.

However, it’s essential to understand that the BLS Practice Analysis is not a formal curriculum. Instead, it serves as a validated framework to guide the development of certification exams based on actual job functions. As such, not every test item in our bank aligns directly with one of the new domains.

The scope of EMS education extends beyond what the practice analysis defines. Foundational knowledge areas such as preparatory topics, medical/legal concepts, anatomy and physiology, shock, and pathophysiology are vital for developing well-rounded, clinically competent professionals. These areas may not fall within the specific domains of the practice analysis, but they remain essential components of EMS instruction.

We encourage educators to integrate the new BLS domains alongside the National EMS Education Standards and Module-Topic-Objective (MTO) frameworks. Using these resources together will help ensure comprehensive content coverage and support long-term student success.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our education team at education@platinumed.com