Perceptions of ethical dilemmas in Australian paramedicine

Background: Paramedics experience a range of ethical dilemmas in the course of their work. To date, ethical dilemmas by Australian paramedics have not been documented. With the scope of practice becoming increasingly complex, paramedic education may not have evolved to meet holistic professional demands. Aim: To describe the ethical dilemmas experienced by contemporary Australian paramedics. Methods: An online survey, based on a previous instrument, was used to explore a range of ethical dilemmas. Findings: Paramedics face a range of ethical dilemmas in their everyday practice. While several demographic variables were associated with different perceptions, the results of this study highlight that a paramedic's years of experience is most consistently associated with their perception of ethical dilemmas. Conclusion: Australian paramedics experience a range of ethical dilemmas consistent with previous international findings. Years of experience in the profession features heavily and is relied upon more so than education, suggesting that educational approaches to ethics education in paramedicine need to be reconsidered.

The role of educational theory in the future development of paramedicine as a profession: An integrative review

Introduction Paramedicine is at a critical juncture in its history as a healthcare profession. The evolution of paramedic practice in Australia over recent decades has culminated in its inclusion as a nationally registered, accredited, healthcare profession, while similar development is also occurring worldwide. Although paramedic education has developed over time, it is now the moment to determine whether existing educational approaches can adequately support its ongoing evolution as a profession. This article shares findings of a systematic, integrative review of characteristics of professions, allied health education and paramedic education literature. Methods Due to too little current research on approaches to paramedic education, the review aimed to distil essential requirements of professional education in general, and paramedic education in particular. This distillation served as an initial point of comparison with existing educational approaches in paramedicine. Literature was iteratively searched using PubMed, ScienceDirect and EBSCOhost megafile ultimate search engines, and was complemented with manual searches via professional networks, reference searches and Google Scholar. Results The literature review highlighted consistent themes relevant to paramedic education such as, the socio-political definition of a profession, methods for the identification of a profession, paramedicine as a distinct healthcare profession and the contemporary paramedic education framework. Conclusion Based on findings from this integrative review, we conclude that there is a potential misalignment between existing paramedic curricula and the educational scaffolding required to develop practicing paramedic professionals. We recommend further investigation of this potential misalignment as part of conceptualising an effective, quality, educational framework that is fit-for-purpose.

Escape rooms in paramedic education

Introduction Even with paramedicine's evolution, clinical decision-making will always be a crucial learning and teaching requirement. As part of their learning, paramedic students need to develop critical thinking and collaborative approaches with others. The aim was to review the literature around escape room activity as a pedagogical approach for paramedic education. The intent is to contribute to the discussion around authentic and engaging approaches to teaching clinical thinking and decision making in paramedicine. Methods A systematic review was undertaken to review existing literature on using this approach in higher education. EBSCO, Medline, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, ProQuest and PubMed were used to review paramedic and health education strategies using a list of keywords. Results There were 23 scholarly papers examining the use of escape rooms in an educational context found. There was no reference to using this teaching methodology in paramedicine, but some health contexts were identified for nursing, pharmacy, radiology and medicine. Conclusion With an instructional design that addresses logistical requirements, educational escape rooms can be used effectively in paramedic higher education. This review highlights a longitudinal study is needed to assess an educational escape room's implementation into the paramedic higher education curriculum. A longitudinal, multi-university study can further explore the feasibility of using a blended online/offline escape room activity in large enrolment paramedic programs.

Perceptions of ethical dilemmas in Australian paramedicine

Background: Paramedics experience a range of ethical dilemmas in the course of their work. To date, ethical dilemmas by Australian paramedics have not been documented. With the scope of practice becoming increasingly complex, paramedic education may not have evolved to meet holistic professional demands. Aim: To describe the ethical dilemmas experienced by contemporary Australian paramedics. Methods: An online survey, based on a previous instrument, was used to explore a range of ethical dilemmas. Findings: Paramedics face a range of ethical dilemmas in their everyday practice. While several demographic variables were associated with different perceptions, the results of this study highlight that a paramedic's years of experience is most consistently associated with their perception of ethical dilemmas. Conclusion: Australian paramedics experience a range of ethical dilemmas consistent with previous international findings. Years of experience in the profession features heavily and is relied upon more so than education, suggesting that educational approaches to ethics education in paramedicine need to be reconsidered.

The current state on the use of simulation in paramedic education

This article presents the current state of the literature regarding the use of simulation in the field of paramedicine. It provides the reader with an overview on the current knowledge with the view to inform and foster innovation and development around simulation in paramedic education. We hope that other researchers will use this work to further inform and develop their simulations, not only for the purposes of assessment but also for learning and teaching in paramedicine.

European paramedic curriculum—a call for unity in paramedic education on a European level

Background There have been major developments in healthcare services as well as changes in demographics in recent years, and this has, among other things, led to increased demand for ambulance services. In general, this has also led to calls for more highly educated paramedics. Main body Erasmus + provided a grant for three universities and one public service provider in four Nordic countries to work on a harmonised model curriculum for a bachelor’s degree in paramedic education. The project group has now completed the first phase of the project, which was to examine what paramedic education is available in the participating countries and what laws and regulations affect both the operation of ambulance services and the education of paramedics. At the end of the project, a harmonised exemplary curriculum will be available to anyone interested in educating paramedics at the university level. Conclusions The growing need for highly educated paramedics should be addressed by offering a bachelor’s degree university education with an exemplary curriculum and coordinating it within Europe. The added value of a harmonised education programme within Europe would thus enable further and deeper collaboration.

The use of simulation as a teaching modality for paramedic education: a scoping review

<sec id="s1">Background: Simulation is a broad concept used as an education pedagogy for a wide range of disciplines. The use of simulation to educate paramedics is a frequently used but untested modality to teach psycho-motor skills, acquire new knowledge and gain competence in practice. This review identifies how simulation is currently being used for the education of paramedics, and establish the context for future application. </sec> <sec id="s2">Methods: A scoping review of the literature was undertaken following the PRISMA systematic approach. Flexible inclusion criteria were used to capture research and non-research articles that would contribute to the synthesis of literature with a specific knowledge base pertaining to simulation use for paramedic education. </sec> <sec id="s3">Results: Initial searching yielded 1388 records, of which 22 remained after initial title and abstract reading. Following secondary full-text screening, 18 articles were deemed appropriate for final inclusion: eight are research, two literature reviews and eight non-research. Across all the literature, a range of concepts are discussed: Skill vs Scenario, Virtual Learning, Inter-Professional Learning, Fidelity, Cost, Equipment, Improvement of Competency, Patient Safety, Perception of Simulation. </sec> <sec id="s4">Conclusion: It is evident that simulation is a primary teaching modality, consistently used to educate and train paramedics. Simulation is inherently effective at teaching clinical skills and building student competence in particular areas. Similarly, simulation is effective at providing paramedics with experiences and opportunities to learn in varied environments using differing techniques. This allows students to apply the relevant skills and knowledge when faced with real patients. </sec>

The importance of non-clinical skills

In the final year of her paramedic education, Ellie Daubney builds upon her clinical skills with new non-clinical or ‘soft’ skills, and discovers how to use these in tandem to become the most effective paramedic she can be once she embarks on her career