paramedic essay

Paramedics work as independent and autonomous semi health care professionals within the Australian health care system, both within the rural and urban environments. Firstly with the ever evolving and expanding health care environment there has been a need to move from vocational training within ambulance centers to a university based undergraduate education system. Secondly, with the changing nature of a paramedics role and expectations from the community, paramedics are quickly being considered and developed into a health care professional. Thirdly paramedics who continue to train and engage in professional development while studying and on the job will have a direct and positive impact on patient outcomes. Furthermore having the ability to work independently and autonomously will allow for the continued development of the paramedic well into and beyond the 21st century. As a result, the use of undergraduate training, continued professional development and the move towards independent and autonomous work, paramedics of the 21st century will be soon considered health care professionals.

The education and training of paramedics has been developing at an extremely fast pace over the last ten years. Paramedics have been transformed from simple drivers and first aiders in its humble beginnings, to highly respected emergency health care workers (O’ Meara and Grbich 2009). With the move from ambulance based state education to independent higher education institutions, there has been a tremendous impact on the education of paramedics (Foster 2008). In the past when paramedics were trained through state run ambulance centers there was no external accreditation system or national guidelines of assessment, which are now offered within the higher education system. However, now with the move to higher education training centers and external evaluation of paramedic programs the standard and consistency within the institutions has helped