Striving for the professionalisation of Australian paramedics
Abstract
For paramedical practitioners to realise their full potential, national registration is an essential component in gaining recognition by the broader healthcare industry. This paper's purpose is to evaluate if the paramedic industry is considered a profession by informed members of the public in isolation from paramedic culture. An altruistic opportunity exists to engage with the consumer and affording them the opportunity to be commensurate of the issues of registration, with the pretence to improve the delivery of paramedical services. The current literature somewhat examines paramedic professionalisation, by identifying the hallmarks of recognised professions and what may be restricting paramedicine from achieving national registration. The research methodology for this study employed focus groups and purposive interviews. The respondents in the research study were 48 first year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Paramedic Practice degree at the University of Tasmania (Rozelle campus, Sydney). The key thematics illuminated in the research were: that the government, paramedics and paramedicine are all accountable for the implementation of national registration. Tertiary education is synergistic to national registration and has the potential to enhance the quality of service delivery. This research is a significant contribution to paramedicine's literature, as its workforce strives for acknowledgement of their unique niche in the healthcare industry.
In Australia, paramedicine is undergoing significant regulatory change. This is a result of the expansion of the scope of practice of paramedics spanning the past ten years. What has ensued is the substantial change to the role of paramedics, from ambulance officers to emergency practitioners performing complex life-saving medical treatments. Paramedicine is self-regulated by each state government's ambulance service; however, this model has produced variances in standard professional care across the nation. Concerns about these variances have procured an intense nationwide debate among industry stakeholders on the registration, regulation and tertiary qualifications of paramedicine. In addition, a new generation of students is enrolled in paramedic degrees across Australia, replacing older style in-house training by ambulance services. The members of this cohort are in the initial stages of their education and remain isolated from existing paramedic culture. However, they provide an exciting opportunity to act as informed members of the public and speak into the debate on national registration. There is a variety of themes illuminated by the research with this cohort, which address the expectations of consumers of paramedical services in relation to registration and regulation. In addition, the perceptions of whether paramedics are registered and regulated in a synonymous manner to the broader health care industry. This paper will discuss the outcomes of this research and propose several unique points that industry stakeholders may wish to consider.
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