New EMS Nurse Practitioner subspecialty Cizik School of Nursing offers first EMSNP track in U.S.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) increasingly play important roles within emergency medical service (EMS) organizations, and a new subspecialty track at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston will prepare students to provide care and leadership in the prehospital setting.
Beginning with the Summer 2026 semester, Emergency Medical Services Nurse Practitioner (EMSNP) courses will be offered as an advanced option within the Emergency/Trauma Care track of the school’s post-graduate completion program.
“Cizik School of Nursing has long been a pioneer in emergency nursing education, and the new EMSNP curriculum is the first of its kind in the United States,” said Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Susan Ruppert PhD, APRN, FNP-C, ANP-BC, FCCM, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN.
The EMSNP subspecialty is open to students who have completed a post-master’s emergency nurse practitioner (ENP) program and/or hold current certification as an ENP through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB). Current ENP students at Cizik School of Nursing may apply in their last semester. Students who successfully complete the EMSNP program will be awarded a certificate of completion.
“The role of ENPs within emergency medical services is gaining national recognition from professional organizations such as the National Association of EMS Physicians and American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners,” said Janice Lee, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, track coordinator for emergency/trauma care. “This subspecialty addresses a growing need for a formal EMSNP educational pathway.”
The EMSNP track consists of a didactic course and a clinical course worth three credit hours each. The didactic course focuses on EMS operations, clinical management, quality improvement, research, disaster management, and the advanced practice provider’s role within EMS systems. The clinical course consists of 180 supervised clinical hours in approved EMS environments, including residential and business properties, health care facilities, outdoor and inclement settings, and emergency vehicles. Students gain direct experience managing nonurgent, urgent, and critical conditions across acute and chronic care presentations in the prehospital setting.
Cizik School of Nursing alumnus Chivas Guillote, DNP, ENP-C, FNP-C, AGACNP-BC, LP, CCRN, CFRN, FAEMS, is leading the curriculum development for the program and will be teaching the associated courses. In addition to his academic contributions, he serves full-time as the vice president of clinical services for Harris County Emergency Corps.
“ENPs serve in a variety of capacities within EMS organizations. For example, they may support the local medical director, lead staff education and training, or take on research or quality improvement projects,” he said. “This subspecialty will prepare students to succeed in this evolving field.”
Development of the EMSNP subspecialty was funded by a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Learn more about the EMSNP subspecialty, and apply for the Summer 2026 semester by March 15.
Sherri Deatherage Green
