This year, as we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Journal of Paramedic Practice (JPP), both the JPP and its international counterpart, International Paramedic Practice (IPP), have introduced some changes to remain ahead of the fast-moving wave that is paramedicine.
In the UK, the paramedic profession has gone from being what many would have described simply as ‘ambulance drivers’, to an independent, highly-skilled and educated group of professional practitioners, with varying roles, continually expanding skill sets, and a value to health care and the public that is growing so fast, it's immeasurable.
In light of the complexity and multifaceted nature of the role of the paramedic, we have shifted our content to align with the Four Pillars of Practice introduced by the National Health Service in Wales and adopted by the UK professional body, the College of Paramedics, into its postgraduate career framework in 2014. The four pillars are: Clinical Practice; Education; Leadership and Management; and Research.
In the current issue of IPP, our two feature articles both describe qualitative research studies focused on education in the Asian continent. However, one discusses the effects on clinical professional development of an educational programme (in Penang, Malaysia), while the other explores the quality of an educational programme as determined by the clinical practice setting within which it is delivered (Cebu, Philippines). I have therefore placed the former under the Clinical Practice pillar, and the latter under the Education pillar.
These articles presented together demonstrate not only the relationship between these two ‘pillars’ in paramedicine, but also how reciprocal this relationship truly is. In our Clinical Practice article, Perry et al found that the quality of patient care was viewed by their participants as equating with the quality of education and training provided. Equally, in our Education article, Delisle and Ebbs demonstrate that while the overseas placement programme offered by their University provided a rich cultural experience, its clinical quality was suboptimal, as the level of professional practice in the host country was perceived to fall below the standard of student practice in the students' home country. Therefore, the quality of education and training impacts upon clinical paramedic practice as would be expected. Interestingly, though, the quality of clinical practice also affects the quality of education.
To further complement this interplay between practice and education in paramedicine, we have also provided you with open-ended continuing professional development (CPD) reflection questions at the end of these articles, designed to encourage reflection, learning and development within your own practice. This is a resource that we will continue to deliver for the main features of each issue of IPP going forward.
We would love to hear what you think about these changes and, more importantly, about the many developments taking place in paramedic practice, education, management and research around the world. Email aysha.mendes@markallengroup.com and share your insights, opinions and perspectives.