Paramedic Jobs

Scientific Agenda

Paramedics Australasia (PA) has for some time supported the development and implementation of a scientific agenda to support the progression of paramedicine as a profession.  Work has recently been done to consider and document both streams of research that PA might consider supporting, and a formalized and documented procedure to consider applications for support.

Various members of PA and the pre-hospital care sector (including many different professions aside from paramedics) were earlier this year invited to attend a pre-hospital research forum that was conducted by academics from Flinders University.  This forum was coordinated by Professor Paul Arbon and sought to investigate the importance, role and support for research in the delivery of out of hospital care.  After considerable discussion the forum identified 4 key areas of research in the out of hospital environment:

  • Preparedness, Management and Recovery from Disasters
  • Education
  • Clinical Efficacy
  • Paramedic Professionalism

Further to this forum a small working group consisting of Ms Mel Alexander, Dr Louise Reynolds and Richard Larsen (Director), in discussions with others, have sought to review these areas with particular interest in providing some advice to the board in relation to which areas it may choose to support.  Upon a review of this work, PA has determined to support research that considers the following:

1. Paramedic Education

This may include the design, delivery and review of all aspects of the development of the paramedic.

Suggestions for investigation:

  • Road Readiness.  How is it achieved? Is it required? How does the graduate transition to a competent paramedic from novice?
  • Simulation. Impact of simulation fidelity? Scenario versus Simulation? Role of simulation in preparing paramedics for practice?
  • Clinical Placements. How are these optimized?  What impact do they have for participants? What impact do they have on participants?  How are student impacts managed e.g. from stress management perspective?  How many placements are required?  Where and how should placements occur?  How is role modeling on placements supported by practitioners to optimize student participation and development?
  • Inter-professional transfer.  Describing and optimizing the transition of registered nurse to paramedic and vice versa.
  • Assessment. How should paramedics be assessed? Do different modalities suit different academic & development levels of the practitioner?
  • On Line Learning.  Does this have a role in paramedic education?
  • Teaching.  What are the characteristics of the optimal educator in paramedicine?  Does this differ from the undergraduate and in-service education roles?  What are the ‘best’ teaching methods for paramedic students?  How does the traditional VET models compare to undergraduate and postgraduate education models?  How much skills practice does it take to develop automaticity in psychomotor skills?  What are the implications and results of paramedic students both studying overseas or coming from overseas to study in Australia?  How do we optimize the development of overseas paramedic students?
  • Social Sciences. What roles dose social sciences have in paramedic development and practice?
  • Volunteers. How is education of volunteers optimized?
  • Health Education.  What is the role of the paramedic practitioner in broader health education?

2. Clinical Efficacy

This may include the evaluation of out of hospital clinical procedures and pharmacology and their impact on patient outcome as a function of engagement in primary health care and avoidance of presentation to ED, length of stay in ED, length of stay in ICU, impact on in-hospital treatment due to out of hospital interventions, survival to discharge, impact on morbidity post discharge, patient experience & satisfaction & impact on other clinical modalities.

Suggestions for investigation:

  • EMS. Why do the community use EMS? Who uses EMS?
  • Clinical Procedures. What is the real impact of basic and advanced clinical procedures on patient outcome? How does the practitioners perspective of patient outcome compare to that described in the clinical literature?
  • Medications. What is the real impact of drug therapy on patient outcome?  How does the practitioners perspective of patient outcomes compare to that described in the clinical literature?
  • Cardiac Arrest. What makes the difference?  Should this area of practice have the focus that it does in paramedic education?  What is done well and what could be improved?  What role could paramedicine have in providing leadership in this area of resuscitation?

3. Professionalism

This may include the consideration of the various issues facing the emergence of the developing professional culture in paramedicine and consider issues such as the challenges and responsibility changes for the practitioner and providers as well as addressing the issues of professional regulation and registration.

Suggestions for investigation:

  • Primary Health Care. What is the role of the paramedic in primary health care?
  • Definition of Scope. What is pre-hospital care?  Who is the primary stakeholder to drive change in this arena?  Traditional versus contemporary evaluation of EMS and pre-hospital care?  Who are the stakeholders in defining scope of practice?  How should the profession engage with all stakeholders and consumers when considering scope of practice?
  • Regulation. Should the industry be regulated?  What role should the practitioner have in determining the regulatory framework?  What role should employers have in determining any regulatory framework?  How will the profession manage the industrial issues that will arise with registration &/or regulation?
  • Cultural Transition. How is the practitioner and profession navigating the transition from a traditional trade/apprenticeship model to an undergraduate professional model?  How does the paramedic journey parallel others who have made this transition?
  • Practice. What is paramedic practice?  Who should determine paramedic practice? Who should be responsible for professional, ethical and clinical standards of practitioners?  What is the effect of hyper-vigilance on paramedic attitudes to patient care?  What are the influences and effects of multiculturalism in practice?  What is Authority to Practice?  What are the local, state, national and international influences both on paramedic practice and profession?  What is work/life balance in paramedicine?  What is the impact of shiftwork on the practitioner in EMS?  What is the impact of a work injury on the practitioner in EMS?
  • Service Delivery. What are sustainable models of service delivery?  How does /should paramedicine engage with special communities?  How does urban v’s rural v’s remote paramedic practice differ?  What are the drivers for this difference?

The above is not by any means meant to be an exhaustive list of points for consideration but is meant to provide a series of descriptive themes as a means to direct or create a means of genesis of ideas for further enquiry.

To facilitate the processing and accountability to the membership of applications for research support from PA, a 4 part process has been developed.

  1. Application – via a proforma (PA Research Support Application Form 180811) which would is sent to PA via the secretary for consideration.  It is proposed that grant applications be considered up to a maximum usual amount of $5K unless agreed otherwise by the board.
  2. Acceptance – this would be conferred via a Terms & Conditions proforma (yet to be developed) that would outline both PA and the requesters obligations in relation to any sponsorship approved.
  3. Progress Reports – via a proforma (yet to be finalised) at intervals as determined, probably minimum 6 monthly.  Short projects would not usually require these.
  4. Closure Report – via a proforma (yet to be finalized)

All documentation associated with this process is being developed to be self explanatory with supporting information to be included on the website.

When they are available the documentation (listed above) will be made available via this website. Until these are available, enquiries about the scientific agenda can be submitted to Richard Larsen (Director) via email at director@sa.acap.org.au