College consultation papers will help guide the future development of paramedicine

By John Bruning, CEO, Australasian College of Paramedicine

The rapid advancements in paramedicine, scopes of practice and specialisations, paramedic education, and professional registration in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in recent decades have fundamentally transformed the profession and are helping to reshape the health landscape to better address public health needs and bridge existing health system gaps.

Once confined to jurisdictional ambulance services, paramedics are now working throughout the health sector and are increasingly taking their place in community and primary health settings as part of multidisciplinary teams delivering responsive, holistic, and accessible healthcare for communities.

As a future-focused organisation and as the peak professional body representing paramedics in Australasia, the College provides a respected voice in determining how changes in health service provision, legislation and clinical practice are shaped and implemented to enhance the quality of patient care.

As such, we have released four consultation papers - covering paramedicine as a standalone profession, the clinical practice framework, professional practice programs, and the paramedic workforce - to help guide and shape the future development of paramedicine.

The consultation papers are aimed at engaging with and soliciting input from College members, paramedics, paramedic students and stakeholders on these key issues. The feedback gathered through the consultation process will be used to support the College in its efforts to advance paramedicine through advocacy with government and key stakeholders. The papers can be read on our website advocacy page.

The “Paramedicine: Recognition as a standalone profession” paper is framed within the context of the health workforce crisis facing both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and the need to look at the critical factors contributing to workforce barriers and consumer access. With the expansion of paramedic roles and capabilities, patients now increasingly receive live-saving treatment and out-of-hospital care from paramedics. The College believes that paramedics’ unique capabilities befit standalone representation and recognition that is separate to medicine to ensure the profession charts its own course and is realising its full potential.

The “Paramedicine: Draft Clinical Practice Framework for Australasia” paper proposes a structure that is designed to support paramedicine’s development and clarify career opportunities and requirements. It captures the full breadth of clinical practice and acknowledges the many contributions paramedics are making, and will continue to make, across the health sector in many different capacities. It utilises a four-level model, with the view to developing a similar model for education, research, and leadership and management.

The “Professional Practice Programs” paper is aimed at providing a structured and recognised experiential program to support paramedics through the first five years of practice, enhancing the clinical capability of all paramedics and supporting specialist practice.

This structured approach will define the learning, teaching and assessment required for each stage of development. The history of the College and our key role in driving training and education improvements see the College as a key partner in driving excellence in paramedicine.