Paramedics as Special Health Care Professionals - Essay Example

Paramedics By: + Introduction Paramedics are special health care professionals who attend to medical and trauma emergency situations that occur away from the hospital setting (Avraham et al. 2014). Their work is to give first aid services to victims or road carnages, contagious diseases and domestic accidents. The main purpose is to stabilize the causalities and help them return to the normal functioning state before and while on transit to a medical institution for further check-up and specialized treatment. Furthermore, a paramedic can also work in inter-facility patient ambulance services whereby he or she is responsible for continued patient medical care as the patient is transferred from one facility to another. Paramedical practice requires an environment rich in experience, support, inter-professional association and learning. Some of the key environmental factors are discussed in this piece of writing. They include paramedics support and interaction with learners to enhance better learning as well as practice. How work place avails opportunities for working and collaboration with and learning from non-paramedics, organization of work place to support and value learning environment and the physical resources that work place provides. Interpersonal Learning Environment Interaction with Learners Paramedics will always interact with students who come to learn and gain field experience. Interaction between a qualified paramedic and a paramedical student can result into fruitful learning session in both theoretical and practical skills (Taghavi et al. 2012). There are various ways in which students interact with paramedics and any encounter presents a chance for learning. Due to the nature of work, paramedics are always in constant oscillation between health facilities and places of emergency. This implies that learners have to follow the paramedics’ team to interact with them in either of the places. While in the emergency areas, paramedics are more involved in saving live, reducing the number of casualties and stabilizing those who are severely ill or injured. Interaction here is by active participation of students, with the guidance of qualified paramedics. Procedures and lifesaving skills are taught by experience and observation. On the other hand, paramedics located in health institutions interact with learners variously; those performing certain procedures engage students either through observation, asking of question related to the procedure at hand or carry out demonstrations for learners (Halpern et al. 2012). Hospital transfers of patients that require accompaniment by a paramedic also present another learning environment for paramedic students. While the patient is transferred to another facility for further management, continuous medical care is provided, a learner who is with the paramedic has a chance to observe the whole process of care and ask relevant question. Also he or she actively participates in providing care under supervision. Supporting Learners Paramedical learners require a healthy and supportive learning environment to acquire necessary skills and knowledge to become competent practitioners (Newman & Peile 2002). Qualified paramedics are the best people to provide this educational environment by showing willingness and right attitude to learners. Support range from providing useful information, readiness in conducting educative procedures and availing necessary materials. All activities that facilitate learning are viewed as relevant in supporting learners. Paramedics are capable of setting up special scenes for learning for example conduction emergency simulations for students. Besides introducing learners to the real paramedical experience, paramedics also impart professional knowledge and skills in learners by allowing them to participate (Newman and Peile 2002). Evaluation done at the end of each simulation is useful in identifying areas of strength and weaknesses. Learners are further advised on how to work on their limitations and focus on building on their strengths in terms of knowledge and skills acquisition. Paramedics have a special art of communicating with their clients, learners must also master these special communication skills to effectively interact with clients and obtain necessary information useful in planning for their care as well as for evaluation. As qualified paramedics work side by side with learners, they directly and indirectly introduce learners to effective communication skills (Hutchings et al. 2005). This acts as another way of supporting learners to become confident and comprehensible while talking to clients. Basic communication mechanisms that apply in emergency situations are also passed to learners. Clarifying of concepts and procedures to learners is another way that a paramedic provides a supportive learning environment. For instance clearly explaining advanced planning to learners will help them become distinguished planners. Details on planning such as sharpening of expectations, identifying roles, responsibilities, assigning time for instructions and provision of feedback help learners to become better (Hutchings et al. 2005). Interacting and supporting learners is meant to enhance cognitive, psychomotor and affective competencies. Inter-professional Learning Paramedics work together with doctors, nurses and pharmacists exchanging different professional skills and knowledge regarding patient care. A cordial relationship among these professionals result suitable learning environment for both qualified staff and learners (Greenfield et al. 2011). These professions have unique body of knowledge and codes of ethics but are unified at the common point of providing quality health services. In a normal hospital setting, different professional have to collaborate in providing holistic patient care, this provides a better change of learning. For instance, learners specializing in Intensive Care paramedics can learn so much by working an intensive care nurse, though the professions differ, they share same concepts of patient care. More interprofessional learning in basic life support skills is promoted in interaction in areas such as theatre and intensive care unit (Greenfield et al. 2011). It is a requirement that all health practitioners working in these sections must share knowledge and skills necessary for saving lives such as bagging patients and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Working with surgeons in emergency departments and theatres promote acquisition of knowledge in use of different surgical instruments as well as perfection of psychomotor skills such as accuracy and speed. This type of learning is only favourable in an environment free of interaction and willingness to exchange knowledge (Greenfield et al. 2011). Paramedical students who have clinical rotations in these special units learn a lot not just form qualified paramedics but also from surgeon, nurses and doctors. Organization of Work Place to Support Learning Work place structure plays a pivotal role in determining the course of learning. If effectively planned there is significant gain in paramedical knowledge and skills (Williams 2010). The policy requiring only a manageable number of learners in a clinical experience and in emergency situation provides a suitable learning environment. This ensures that each paramedical learner gets access to useful information and participates in procedures. Drafting comprehensive work place duties and student rotations in all clinical departments equip both qualified and student paramedical with diverse knowledge and skills required to hand various medical and emergency situations. Conducting weekly or monthly continuous medical education that see the convergence of all medical professions promote learning. The events are held in special rooms within the work place. Simulations of medical and emergency situations are done here to promote learning by adding on pre-existing knowledge and correcting common errors skills (Williams 2010). There is routine patient evaluation during which paramedical students can learn on how to manage certain conditions, executing interventions and performing patient physical assessment. Moreover, a requirement to periodically change working environment such as moving to an emergency area and working in a health institution generate a wide range of learning experience. Physical resources such as ambulances, life support machines, demonstration rooms, surgical equipment, portable patient beds and first aid kits are very vital in promoting learning. Technical skills are strengthened when paramedics frequently interact with these equipment. Conclusion To acquire cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills a paramedical practitioner must be exposed to a supportive learning environment. These skills and knowledge are relevant for paramedics to provide lifesaving services in medical and trauma emergencies. A qualified paramedic can interact with learns in an emergency area or a health institution as well as during transfer of patients to another medical institution. During this interaction students learn by observation, supervised involvement and asking of questions. Paramedics can also support learning environment by exhibiting a willingness attitude to teach and demonstrate procedures to learners. Interprofessional association also promotes a learning environment by presenting opportunities for exchanging knowledge of health care concepts. This entails the collaboration of surgeons, doctors, nurses, paramedics and pharmacists health care. Work place organization through drafting of rotation duties, clinical rotations and department transfer expose paramedics to new learning environment. Presence of special emergency equipment and machines such as life support machines, surgical instruments and ambulance generate a favourable learning environment. References Avraham, N., Goldblatt, H. & Yafe, E., 2014. Paramedics’ Experiences and Coping Strategies When Encountering Critical Incidents. Qualitative Health Research, 24(2), pp.194–208. Greenfield, D.R. et al., 2011. Interprofessional learning and practice can make a difference. The Medical journal of Australia, 194(7), pp.364–365. Halpern, J. et al., 2012. Identifying, describing, and expressing emotions after critical incidents in paramedics. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(1), pp.111–114. Hutchings, A., Williamson, G.R. & Humphreys, A., 2005. Supporting learners in clinical practice: Capacity issues. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 14(8 A), pp.945–955. Newman, P. & Peile, E., 2002. Valuing learners’ experience and supporting further growth: educational models to help experienced adult learners in medicine. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 325(7357), pp.200–202. Taghavi, M. et al., 2012. Paramedics experiences and expectations concerning advance directives: A prospective, questionnaire-based, bi-centre study. Palliative Medicine, 26(7), pp.908–916. Williams, C., 2010. Understanding the essential elements of work-based learning and its relevance to everyday clinical practice. Journal of Nursing Management, 18(6), pp.624–632. Read More