Resuscitation Officer (RO)

What is a Resuscitation Officer (RO)?

The Resuscitation Officer is physician extender, capable of extensive, advanced patient care interventions in critical and emergent patients. This individual possesses the complex knowledge and advanced interventional skills necessary to provide physician extension to the patient’s side, allowing their physician medical program director (MPD) the ability to have physician level care extended to a patient in resuscitation or critical condition in any emergency department or rapid response situation, through the hand, eyes, and ears of the RO.  The RO is a top level response, under medical oversight. 

RO's perform interventions and patient care management with the advanced and diagnostic equipment typically found in a Resuscitation Room, Emergency Department, or Critical care transfer unit.

The Resuscitation Officer is a critical element in a systematic approach to the critically ill or injured patient continuum

What is the Scope of Practice of an RO?

An RO may, under the direction of a Medical Director:

1. Perform all procedures that a Paramedic may perform;
2. Initiate, manage, and utilize an orogastric or nasogastric tube;
3. Initiate, manage, and utilize a mechanical ventilator;
4. Initiate, manage, and utilize the following airway management techniques:
   1. Endotracheal intubation, via oral or nasal route, with the use of sedative and paralytic agents;
   2. Video laryngoscopy or bronchoscopy;
   3. Surgical Cricothyrotomy; and
   4. Other airway management techniques as identified by the Medical Program Director
5. Initiate, manage, and utilize simple (open) technique thoracostomy for tension pneumothorax, tension hemothorax, or pneumohemothorax;
6. Initiate, manage, and utilize chest tube thoracostomy;
7. Initiate, manage, and utilize chest drains;
8. Initiate, manage, or utilize all forms of vascular access;
9. With ultrasound guidance, place central vascular access or deep vein cannulation;
10. With ultrasound guidance, perform needle pericardiocentesis;
11. Perform normal and high-risk childbirth;
12. Perform bimanual massage in life threatening postpartum hemorrhage;
13. Perform ultrasound guided nerve block;
14. Perform needle or surgical incision and drainage of fluid filled oral or subcutaneous masses;
15. Initiate placement of, and maintain, a urinary catheter;
16. Prepare, initiate, and/or administer any medications or blood products by any means, under specific written protocols authorized by the Medical Director, or direct orders from a licensed transferring physician.
17. Prepare, initiate, perform, and/or interpret any diagnostic test or utilize any diagnostic device under specific written authorized by the Medical Director, or direct orders from a licensed transferring physician;
18. May carry out other tasks and procedures as authorized by the Medical Director or direct orders from a licensed transferring physician; and
19. Be unrestricted as to the environment of practice or function, may serve as a physician extender for an authorized Medical Director in EMS, aeromedical, rescue, underserved or under staffed hospital emergency departments, and critical care areas.