Excellence in Staff Development Post-Employment Tertiary Pathway

NSW Ambulance

Team: Mike Richer

Health services have faced challenges in maintaining their clinical workforce in the face of challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, government responses to health service challenges can result in workforce enhancement requiring fulfilment within defined timelines. The ability to facilitate a short-term surge in the clinical workforce, while maintaining a high standard of foundation education and not adversely impacting standard supply pathways, requires an innovative approach. The NSW Ambulance Post-Employment Tertiary Pathway is an innovative solution to workforce surge challenges addressing these elements.

NSW Ambulance, in collaboration with University of Tasmania and Charles Sturt University developed a professional paramedicine employment pathway to compliment the Graduate Paramedic and Credentialling or Qualified Paramedic employment pathways. This program has an emphasis on progression and development of the clinician in the clinical and operational environment utilising an employment pathway.

After consultation and analysis with tertiary partners, there were two post-employment tertiary pathways established and a further sub pathway to increase the accessibility to the program and career pathway in paramedicine. The two core pathways are standard arm and nursing arm. It was recognised that there is an experiential difference between a registered nurse and other occupations with respect to a transition to paramedicine and therefore, an identified need to ensure we met the learning needs of both these pathways.

This program has been achieved by detailed planning, mapping and collaboration and is a true reflection on how public sector and tertiary education sectors can partner to deliver a world class program that provides an opportunity for career development and professional levels of care to the community of NSW.