Paramedic judgment and decision-making, not unlike much of ambulance practice, have not been the subject of systematic, sustained research. There exists a paucity of research or inquiry that examines the mechanics of human error in paramedic practice, ambulance or pre-hospital settings. Little is known of how paramedics make judgments and decisions, and how paramedics deal with risk and uncerta...

EMS EDUCATION IN THE EARLY 1970S WAS like a ship without a captain. Programs throughout the country developed their own paramedic training curriculum and used nursing and medical books and articles. In 1979, the paramedic education process found direction with a novel textbook, Emergency Care in the Streets. Authored by Nancy L. Caroline, MD, this landmark EMS text finally gave paramedic instru...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Establishment of stroke centers, combined with accurate paramedic diagnosis and rapid transport, is essential to deliver acute stroke therapy. We wanted to measure and improve paramedic and hospital performance through implementation of the Brain Attack Coalition and American Stroke Association guidelines. METHODS Pre-intervention and active-intervention phases with par...

BACKGROUND Non-clinical attributes are increasingly emphasised as an important factor in paramedic practice. However, the assessment of these attributes often lacks the evidence base to support it. Exploring the relationship between non-clinical attributes and clinical skills is also of theoretical and practical importance. OBJECTIVE To first seek evidence of reliability and validity for the ...

OBJECTIVES It is hypothesized that student and program characteristics will influence the probability of passing the national paramedic certification exam. The objective of this study was to utilize student and program characteristics to build a statistical model to determine the probability of success on the cognitive portion of the national paramedic certification exam. METHODS The study po...

BACKGROUND Paramedic trainees in developing countries face complex and chaotic clinical environments that demand effective leadership, communication, and teamwork. Providers must rely on non-technical skills (NTS) to manage bystanders and attendees, collaborate with other emergency professionals, and safely and appropriately treat patients. The authors designed a NTS curriculum for paramedic tr...

Paramedic judgment and decision-making, not unlike much of ambulance practice, have not been the subject of systematic, sustained research. There exists a paucity of research or inquiry that examines the mechanics of human error in paramedic practice, ambulance or pre-hospital settings. Little is known of how paramedics make judgments and decisions, and how paramedics deal with risk and uncerta...

PARAMEDICS AND ED PERSONNEL FACE similar risks for blood exposures. They are both confronted by the unpredictability of the patient’s condition, and must perform a daunting variety of tasks under intense pressure. I experienced those risks firsthand as a paramedic in rural West Virginia for four years. My interest in becoming a paramedic started as a concern for my youngest daughter, who seemed...

BACKGROUND Ambulance paramedics play a critical role expediting patient access to emergency treatments. Standardised handover communication frameworks have led to improvements in accuracy and speed of information transfer but their impact upon time-critical scenarios is unclear. Patient outcomes might be improved by paramedics staying for a limited time after handover to assist with shared pati...