Position Statement on The Role of Paramedicine Students in Supporting The Covid-19 Health Workforce
The COVID-19 viral pandemic continues to have an unprecedented impact on health care provision in Australia and internationally. The Australian health workforce are under critical pressure as they continue to function in a highly stressful, resource-challenged environment. The Australasian Council of Paramedicine Deans (‘The Council’) recognises that incredible efforts of the Australian health workforce in such difficult times.
Ambulance services in Australia are under significant pressure to cope with the increased workload associated with the pandemic. Paramedics are challenged by attending cases to which they have no prior knowledge of a patient’s history or presentation until they are on scene and in close proximity to them. Paramedics are at high risk of infection due to the context of the work they do in unstable, dynamic, and unpredictable circumstances. Should the trajectory of the pandemic continue, ambulance services could be faced with critical depletions in workforce due to paramedics having either contracted COVID-19 or being in quarantine due to exposure to a person infected with COVID-19.
Paramedicine students represent a readily available workforce who could provide invaluable support as part of a ‘surge’ capacity. Students in the latter stages of their degree have high utility, and under appropriate deployment models, could be provide great support not only to paramedics in ambulance services, but in other healthcare areas including aged care, emergency departments, and primary and community healthcare. Given all areas of healthcare are under pressure, creative deployment of paramedicine students could offer system-wide value in conjunction with similar initiatives across many health and medical disciplines.
The Council also recognises the major disruption to education provision secondary to COVID-19. The inability to engage in on-campus practical skill and simulation workshops, coupled with widespread cancellation of workplace learning opportunities will have a profound impact on the student learning and academic progression. Engagement in the healthcare workforce as part of a ‘surge’ capacity may provide important clinical and reflective learning opportunities in a situation where such opportunities have been severely depleted.
The Council supports the use of paramedicine students in supportive roles in ambulance services and other healthcare areas providing such use is governed by an appropriate model that ensures the safety of the students, their supervisors, and patients. The Council proposes the following principles to guide creation of initiatives designed to embed paramedicine students into the health workforce.
Safety
Roles and tasks assigned to paramedicine students must be safe for patients and students; neither patients nor students should be unduly exposed to the virus, which may mean that paramedicine students support regular healthcare operations so qualified staff can be released to support front-line COVID-19 response. Students should have appropriate training in, and access to, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the same capacity as a qualified health care provider. Students must have appropriate education in personal protection and infection Australasian Council of Paramedicine Deans | Role of Paramedicine Students in a COVID-19 Surge Workforce | April 2020 | Page 2 of 2 control principles to COVID-19, including how to document exposure.
Role clarity and indemnity
It needs to be clear what is in and out of scope of the role, to ensure that the student and the whole healthcare team have a clear and common understanding. Roles may vary according across ambulance and health services based on organisational need. All paramedicine students participating as part of the health workforce response must have full indemnity insurance for the roles and tasks they are asked to complete. If working in the capacity of a student of a university, that coverage must be from that institution. If working as a casual employee of an ambulance or health service, that coverage must come from that Service.
Competency
Roles assigned to students must be within their level of competence as deemed appropriate by the healthcare service provider, commensurate to the level of study at university. The healthcare service provider should be responsible for ensuring students receive appropriate orientation and induction into that service and the role to be fulfilled. Supervision There must be an appropriate level of supervision as suited to the specific activity and the student’s experience and competence. The scope of practice within which a student can function must be made clear to the supervisor prior to the student commencing practice.
Student choice and equity
It must be the student’s choice to undertake and continue with a particular role or activity within the health workforce. Students who decline to participate must not suffer any disadvantage regarding current university education or future employment opportunities. Students who participate must receive support to ensure they can continue to concurrently complete their university study requirements.
Monitoring and support
The students’ roles should be monitored at regular intervals to assess whether they should continue, considering the changing needs relating to students’ progression and of the health service. This includes the need for appropriate support to be in place to ensure paramedicine students can balance their learning needs, service provision, and their own physical and mental health and wellbeing. Regardless of them participating as a student or employee, this support must be a shared responsibility between health care provider and the education provider.
Remuneration and educational recognition
If students are engaged in the workforce as casual or short-term employees, they should be remunerated appropriately for the role they perform. These roles will inherently provide valuable clinical and reflective learning opportunities, and these should where appropriate be recognised as workplace learning by education providers.
Endorsed by Australasian Council of Paramedicine Deans on 7th April 2020.
