The Future Role and Education of Paramedic Ambulance Service Personnel (Emerging Concepts)
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6. An
Outline Model for the Education
of PEC's
6.1 Having regard to the
principles outlined above, we suggest the following model for a three year
PEC University course.
6.2 Year 1. This will be integrated into the new core education for the nursing
profession (currently 18 months, but likely to be reduced to 12 months).
It will provide underpinning knowledge that is needed by entrants into the
nursing and paramedical professions and will be delivered predominantly by
members of the nursing profession.
6.3 Years 2 & 3. These will be directed primarily towards pre-hospital care, but will be
modular, with some modules having wider applicability. The modules should
include
- Continued theoretical
learning with medical, nursing, managerial, and ethical components as
well as background knowledge of the history, ethos, and aspirations of
all the emergency services;
- Practical training and hospital experience (as appropriate) in
Accident and Emergency Units, Intensive Care Units, Cardiac care Units,
Paediatric Intensive Care Units, Anaesthetic and recovery Rooms, other
High Dependency areas and Obstetric Units;
- Brief observational experience in operating theatres and other
relevant specialist units;
- Observational and practical experience within primary care, in liaison
with general practitioner units, midwives, health visitors, and the
psychiatric and general social services;
- Practical training and experience within the ambulance service, with
all the components (including driving, radio, and telemetry skills) that
will be appropriate for the future needs of PEC's.
6.4 Appropriate assessment
methods and arrangements will be developed to ensure the participation of
assessors from the medical, nursing and ambulance professions.
6.5 Registration will occur
after the satisfactory completion of year 3, but Practitioners will still
lack experience. An additional probationary period is therefore
recommended in which clinical and ambulance experience will be broadened
but some hospital contact maintained.
6.6 PEC's will enjoy
flexibility within their own profession, with employment opportunities in
the ambulance services, within some hospital areas, and in some community
based posts. The new pattern of education and raining will also permit
wider flexibility. The first "core-studies" year will be common
to several health related professions, including nursing. The second and
third years will be modular with credits apportioned to each module. This
approach will provide for the ability of staff educated and trained under
these arrangements to acquire academic credits for their previous
education, providing the potential for movement into other professions
through the accreditation of prior learning arrangements (APL).
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