It is not quite that easy. If you were to administer some type of aid and later on the individual decided to sue you for whatever reason, the lack of the certification, etc. could be more problematic then having the certification. The certification tells the world that you have met some type of standard, i.e., you have been trained, tested and found to meet the at least the minimum standard for the organization or agency that is issuing the certificate. Examples are Red Cross- CPR, First Aid, Life Guard, AHA- CPR, and FEMA- CERT. Depending upon state law such “certified” individual may or may not have certain “rights and privileges” and responsibilities under the law.

However, even the “certification” is not always looked at legally with equal status as being licensed. The problem is many of the organizations that issue “certifications”, really do not have a legal standing per say. They are generally recognized as legitimate organizations, but the issuance of “certification” has often led to the erroneous notion that the individual has some “rights and privileges” associated with the certification. Some of these include “Wilderness First Aid/EMT, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS),

Many organizations are no longer “issuing” a certificate of competency, but are issuing a certificate of completion or attendance to avoid the impression that the individual can now perform some type of medical intervention. An example would be endotracheal intubation as offered under the ACLS program. Physicians, nurses and paramedics all take the same identical class, however (this may vary by state) only physicians and paramedics may intubate. That is why on an ALS transport of an ICU patient both a nurse and a paramedic must accompany the patient.

A license can only be issued by a government agency, local, state or federal. The license does denote certain “rights and privileges” and responsibilities under the law. The confusion arises in that a government agency can also issue a certification with certain “rights and privileges” and responsibilities under the law, and an organization can issue a “certification” that does not conferee certain “rights and privileges” and responsibilities.

Pete