The first session is a meeting of the Centre, entitled “Developing an Education Strategy for Disaster Healthcare Professionals”.

See information poster with details HERE

Later in the day, Prof. Kevin Davies will run an interactive workshop on collaborative responses to disasters, involving a disaster scenario where participants will make decisions based on geographic, socio-economic and disease profiles of a hypothetical country.

See information poster with details HERE

Please RSVP to these sessions via email to: sonminspiration@flinders.edu.au

- Wednesday 4^th April, 2012
- Wednesday 6^th June, 2012
- Wednesday 1^st August, 2012 – Annual Chapter Meeting
- Wednesday 3^rd October, 2012
- Wednesday 5^th December, 2012

Meetings are held at 1900 on the 1st Wednesday bi-monthly at Eastwood.

If you have skills in web page management, organising conferences and presentations, marketing, graphic design, minute taking or any other skills youd like to offer, we’d love to hear from you.

If you would like to attend, please email chapter Secretary James Pearce at james.pearce@paramedics.org.au at least 1 week prior to the meeting so visitors passes and catering can be arranged.

Dave Tingey’s career with the ambulance service started 20 years ago. He has had a major influence in particular on the development of the rescue paramedic role in South Australia.

He commenced his career as a student in 1992 and qualified as a paramedic in 1995. He was soon accepted as a reserve member of the developing Special Operations Team (SOT). In 1997 he was awarded the position of Team Leader for the SOT. In this role he developed and implemented innovative standards for SOT selection, training, response equipment and vehicle selection. In addition, he established the role of the Rescue Paramedic in SA for multi-agency response to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) incidents, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and Multi Agency Response Teams (MART) for explosive devices/CBRN incidents.

Under Dave’s leadership, specialist skills, equipment and vehicles were researched and developed in order to support the role of the rescue paramedic.

Dave played a key role in the development of MedSTAR, South Australia’s, state-wide emergency medical retrieval service, with his leadership, support and involvement in the project where he was an inaugural member of key strategic development committees. Dave has also been selected as the first of only two Retrieval Practitioner candidates in training supported by SAAS/MedSTAR.

PA would also like to congratulate Malcolm Hancock who is a dedicated South Australian volunteer ambulance officer. Malcolm has been a VAO for over 36 years since beginning at Clare in 1974. Malcolm has also had a major impact on OH&S issues for volunteers, and has been part of many committees during his time with the ambulance service, all while running a family and farm.

Well done Dave and Malcolm!

Applications will close on Friday, 24th February, 2012. 

Further details for applicants can be found HERE and the application form is HERE.

“Post-Graduate Study Options for Paramedics”

on Thursday 9th Febuary, 2012.

This session will be most beneficial for:

- Paramedics interested in studying the new Grad Dip ICP at Flinders (come and have all your questions answered!)

- Degree graduates who are not working in the industry and want to further develop their future job prospects

- Experienced IC paramedics and ECPs looking to further develop advanced skills

- All paramedics interested in developing paramedic research

Click HERE for the advertising poster with further details.

Below is a map with directions to the Flinders University Sturt Campus staff room, where the session will be held.

Register via email to: james.pearce@paramedics.org.au

To access the information, click on the ‘SA Members Only‘ page, and Log In using your PA username and password. Your username is the first letter of your first name, followed by your last name, all in lowercase (e.g. Fred Bloggs would be fbloggs). If you dont know your PA password, then use the ‘Password Reset‘ form. Still no luck? Then use the ‘Contact Us‘ form the email the SA Secretary who will assist you.

In July I applied for a funding opportunity from Paramedics Australasia (SA) to attend the PA national conference in Sydney, and was successful. I had an excellent time, learned heaps, and I encourage everyone to go to Hobart next November!

Should we give oxygen to stroke patients?  Why are the military using tourniquets on the battlefield when we don’t in the pre-hospital field? Snow, nuclear exposure, and separation from the team – was it too much to risk for the outcomes achieved by the NSW USAR Japanese deployment team? These were just some of the questions asked at an outstanding conference.

The keynote speaker was Lt. Col. Dr. John Crozier who reminded us how patient care under fire is so different to tactical field care.  Consider the lack of equipment, working under return fire, trying to take cover…haemorrhage control is paramount.

Invited speaker Dr. Ric Bouvier delighted us with his enthusiasm and wisdom. He reminded us that research is not just for those doing a PhD, simply “observe and question”. This is how he himself changed seat belt laws forever.

Prof. Hugh Grantham and Graeme McCarthy elaborated with Dr. Bouvier on the history of paramedic education; we have come a long way from having a first aid certificate and a driver’s licence as pre-requisites to work in this field.

Gary Wingrove described the inception of the community paramedic in Iowa.  This is very different to our ECPs in SA, and has far reaching implications already being implemented in other Australian states.  See: internationalparamedic.org, ircp.info &  communityparamedic.org

Prof. Cobie J. Rudd surprised us with her inspiring work on creating the ultimate learning platform for undergraduates in WA.  Including state of the art simulation studios involving actors where students observe and critically review each scenario.  The facilities are shared between different professions, improving interprofessional relationships.

Other speakers included Dr. Ken Harrison who challenged us to “not like me very much” when he went on to suggest that intubation was not the first thing to consider in traumatic brain injury; Paul Holman described the disasters of the Victorian bush fires; and Maj. Brendan Wood (a definite crowd favourite) took us into the heart of the Christchurch earthquake, where his home is still not repaired.

Bronwyn Tunnage described the ambulance workload during early recovery periods from the Christchurch earthquake, and Eamonn Purcell shocked us with his description of one disaster after another which challenged the NSW USAR team during their deployment to Japan after the tsunami.

The research poster presentations were very impressive, but unfortunately none were from SA; a fact which the SA contingent commented that we would like to see this changed in one years time.

Next year’s conference is to be held in Tasmania on the 2-3 November 2012.  It is well worth the trip; keep an eye out for the SAAS and PA funding opportunities to attend!

Tracy Callanan

Paramedic and Fellow of Paramedics Australasia

Paramedics Australasia (SA) Urban Search and Rescue Course

On Friday 2^nd December, Paramedics Australasia SA Chapter members were invited to attend a nationally accredited Category 1 course in Urban Search and Rescue (USAR). Thanks to a mutually beneficial relationship forged by SA committee members with the SA State Emergency Service, the 23 PA members who were quick enough to register had a very rewarding (and exhausting!) day covering the basics of USAR.

Testament to the expanding relevance of Paramedics Australasia, the members comprised of SA Ambulance Service PTS staff, Paramedics and ICPs, as well as Flinders University Paramedical Science students, First Care Medical Paramedics, Sitemed Rescue Paramedics, a Beverley mine site Industrial Medic, an SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre Lifeguard, an Australian Defence Force Army Medic and a Women’s and Children’s Hospital Nurse.

Beginning the day with the history of USAR gave participants an understanding of how the London Blitz of WWII formed our original USAR techniques. SES Commander Trevor Arnold explained how, despite modern advances USAR has not change much over the years. A thorough presentation of theories on building collapse, the organisation of a USAR taskforce, structural collapse marking systems and some experiences of recent USAR deployments gave participants a good grounding before commencing on the rubble pile!

Purpose built for USAR training, the rubble pile provided an excellent training ground to develop participants’ skills in various search methods such as ‘line and hail’. The teams even successfully located a (mock!) survivor trapped in a void, and worked together to extricate live victims in order to safely remove them from the hazards of the rubble pile.

At the end of the day, all participants felt they had learned very worthwhile new skills, and had plenty of fun in the process! SA SES Commander Trevor Arnold was presented with a certificate of appreciation on behalf of PA members, and was also offered a 12 month complimentary associate membership to Paramedics Australasia in appreciation of his time and effort. Participants were given a Paramedics Australasia Certificate of Attendance worth 1 CPD point, and a Certificate of Attainment from the SA SES, and will now be entered on a national registry of USAR responders.

Due to the overwhelming response to the Paramedics Australasia/ SA SES nationally accredited Category 1 Urban Search and Rescue course ran on December 2, 2011,  we hope to run another course in 2012. If you would like to register your interest , please email Paramedics Australasia (SA Chapter) Secretary, James Pearce at james.pearce@paramedics.org.au

Please see the ‘USAR POSTER HERE‘ for more information from the December, 2011 course.

Paramedics Australasia members were invited to attend a presentation by Paramedics Australasia Member and PhD candidate Louise Roberts entitled ”A cultural search in the pre-hospital world: An ethnographic study exploring the how and why of paramedic actions when attending psychiatric presentations” on 13 December, 2011 at Flinders University. The session was well attended by Flinders University staff, and a number of Paramedics Australasia members were also present to support Louise.

Louise’s study was conducted in 2009-2010 and involved observation of a tertiary hospital emergency department and the ambulance arrival area (the ramp) over an 11 month period. Twenty unstructured interviews, informal conversations with paramedics and analysis of the patient care record allowed paramedics to openly communicate how they viewed their practice and actions with patients they considered psychiatric presentations.

The study identified seven major themes which are:

1.) The role: Traditional role versus the changing scope of practice,

2.) “Need to know” versus “Nice to know”,

3.) Education

4.) Legitimate needs for emergency care vs. illegitimate need for care: “Are they genuine”,

5.) Physical Environment & Patient Presentation,

6.) Compliance & non-compliance, and

7.) Caution, Safety & Risk.

Louise concluded that understanding the organisational, social and contextual nature of paramedic work with patients suffering a mental illness will assist future developments in education, policy and service provision by paramedics.

For more information contact Louise Roberts at louise.roberts@flinders.edu.au

For more information regarding post-graduate study options for paramedics, contact PA (SA) Research Support Coordinator Tim Pointon at timothy.pointon@flinders.edu.au

View the research presentation poster: HERE

Congratulations to PA member and Paramedic, Anthony Mason, who is the owner of a brand new iPod Shuffle.

Members are still welcome to complete the survey online at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L7BQYMR.

The development of Health Workforce Australia’s Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform (RRHWIR) Strategy will provide national guidance on future needs, reforms and initiatives to improve the health care services of those in rural and remote communities.

A significant proportion of the paramedic workforce is and will be located in the rural and remote environment.  The more paramedics and paramedic students contribute to these consultation sessions the more effective our voice will be in seeking changes that will enhance patient care. It’s a great opportunity to make a difference.

Consultation sessions are still to be held in various locations in NSW, VIC, TAS, WA, NT, QLD.  To see the schedule and to register see the HWA webpage – please also notify PA if you will be attending a session to secretary@paramedics.org.au.

Our new name is Paramedics Australasia.

The motion was put to the membership following a unanimous board recommendation. At the specially convened EGM a secret ballot was conducted allowing the maximal representation of the membership by proxy voting. 79.23% of eligible votes were in favour of the motion and as such it was carried.

Paramedics Australasia will migrate progressively to the new name including website, stationary, and logo over the coming months.

The board is grateful to all members who attended the EGM, submitted proxy votes, and  have participated in this significant event in our history.