OEC Professional Standards & Competencies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which organization publishes the National Ski Patrol's OEC curriculum and sets the national standard for OEC practice?
- American Red Cross
- National Ski Patrol (NSP) (Correct answer)
- National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
- Wilderness Medical Society
Correct answer: National Ski Patrol (NSP)
The National Ski Patrol (NSP) owns and publishes the OEC curriculum, establishing national standards for Outdoor Emergency Care practice.
Question 2: An OEC Technician's scope of practice is primarily determined by:
- The technician's personal comfort level with procedures
- State EMS statutes and the patrol's medical director (Correct answer)
- The number of years of experience the technician has
- National OSHA workplace safety regulations
Correct answer: State EMS statutes and the patrol's medical director
Scope of practice for OEC Technicians is defined by state EMS law and authorized through a physician medical director who provides protocols.
Question 3: When a new OEC Technician receives an OEC card, it is valid for how long before recertification is required?
- 1 year
- 2 years
- 3 years (Correct answer)
- 5 years
Correct answer: 3 years
OEC certification is valid for 3 years, after which the technician must complete recertification to maintain active status.
Question 4: During a mass casualty incident at a ski resort, which principle should guide how an OEC Technician allocates limited resources?
- Treat the most severely injured first regardless of survivability
- Provide equal care time to every patient encountered
- Triage to maximize the number of patients who can benefit from available resources (Correct answer)
- Defer all decisions to the resort safety director
Correct answer: Triage to maximize the number of patients who can benefit from available resources
Triage in a mass casualty incident prioritizes using limited resources where they will do the most good — maximizing survivable outcomes overall.
Question 5: A fellow OEC Technician is observed performing a skill that appears to exceed the patrol's authorized protocols. The best immediate action is to:
- Document the incident and report it to the patrol director after the shift
- Intervene immediately if patient safety is at risk and report to the patrol director (Correct answer)
- Say nothing to avoid undermining a colleague in front of patients
- Contact state EMS authorities directly without notifying the patrol
Correct answer: Intervene immediately if patient safety is at risk and report to the patrol director
Patient safety takes priority; intervene if harm is imminent, then report the incident through proper patrol channels.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'standard of care' as it applies to OEC Technicians?
- The minimum level of equipment a patrol must carry
- The level of care a reasonably trained OEC Technician would provide in similar circumstances (Correct answer)
- The highest possible intervention an advanced care provider could perform
- Care based solely on what the patient requests
Correct answer: The level of care a reasonably trained OEC Technician would provide in similar circumstances
Standard of care is defined as what a reasonably trained OEC Technician with similar experience would do under the same conditions.
Question 7: Medical oversight for an OEC patrol program is provided by:
- The NSP national medical advisor only
- A physician medical director who authorizes protocols for the patrol (Correct answer)
- The ski resort's insurance carrier
- The patrol's most senior OEC Technician
Correct answer: A physician medical director who authorizes protocols for the patrol
A physician medical director provides the offline and online medical oversight that legally authorizes OEC Technicians to function within their protocols.
OEC Professional Standards & Competencies 2
Which organization publishes the National Ski Patrol's OEC curriculum and sets the national standard for OEC practice?