Foundations to future: Advancing paramedicine

This session aims to highlight identification of the deteriorating patient, key clinical indicators, decision-making under pressure, and practical strategies to support early recognition.

This session will utilise a cased based approach to explore key concepts in respiratory physiology. From gas law to the oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve, participants can expect to be guided through the concepts that underpin ‘why we do what we do’ to correct derangements in oxygenation and ventilation. This session is suitable to paramedic students of all levels as either a review of important concepts heading into exams or as a deep dive into the new and exciting world of physiology for earlier level students.

This session focuses on essential assessment and management skills to help build student confidence in recognising wound types, applying effective first-line treatments, and understanding practical techniques to improve patient outcomes in pre-hospital settings.

• Haemorrhage control - CAT tourniquet, haemostatic dressings etc
  • Presented by: Dr Tim Makrides PhD
  •  Delve into the principles of major haemorrhage management and explore practical techniques for effective bleeding control. This workshop will cover the use of CAT tourniquets, haemostatic agents, and other critical interventions in high-stakes trauma scenarios. 
• Needle thoracentesis
  • Presented by: Mat Cook
  •  Build your understanding of tension pneumothorax recognition and sharpen your skills in managing chest trauma. This session focuses on the practical application of needle thoracentesis in the dynamic prehospital environment. 
• Traction splinting/splinting/slings
  • Presented by: Steph Nixon
  •  Gain hands-on experience in applying traction splints, slings, and other immobilisation techniques. This workshop focuses on effective strategies to reduce pain, stabilise injuries, and support safe patient transport in the prehospital setting. 
• Airway skills
  • Presented by: Prue Snedden
  •  Enhance your airway management capabilities through practical skill development across a variety of clinical scenarios. This session covers the use of basic airway adjuncts through to more advanced devices, with a focus on effective, hands-on application in the prehospital environment. 

This panel discussion will highlight post-university graduation pathways into the profession, including what to do while waiting for a graduate position. Panellists will explore postgraduate courses, alternative careers outside the state system, and practical ways to stay engaged and grow through CPD. The discussion will help students stay motivated, build skills, and discover new pathways while they wait for their ideal role.

The aim of this session is to focus on practical strategies to recognise and manage workplace fatigue and stress. The session aims to equip students with tools to maintain wellbeing and sustain a long, rewarding paramedic career.

This session will focus on the recognition and management of patients presenting with heat and cold related illnesses. Participants will be guided through a series of case-based talk through scenarios that highlight the physiology of human response to extremes of temperature, the clinical management of affected patients and the necessary steps required for paramedics to operate safely in these environments. This session is suitable to paramedic students of all levels who have an interest in the effect of our environment on patient presentations.

Patients who utilise ambulance services on a frequent bases can be challenging to manage within the context of what is available within the clinical role you are working under. This session looks to discuss avenues for referral pathways, optimising the patient experience and looking at how our own implicit bias can impact on a patient’s trajectory/outcome. This session will also incorporate coronial learnings and deidentified patient cases.

This is an interactive and engaging workshop that introduces participants to the basics of peer review in scientific publishing. Participants will learn the peer review process, collaboratively conduct a preliminary review of a paper, and explore the fundamentals of ethical peer review. The workshop is aimed at those wishing to dip their toe into scientific peer review for the first time, but also for those already involved in peer review who are seeking to further develop themselves and reflect on their current process. The workshop will require participants to do some brief pre-workshop activities, designed to enhance interactivity in the workshop itself.

This workshop will explore the power of POCUS in improving first-pass cannulation success, reducing patient discomfort, and enabling vascular access in patients with challenging anatomy or clinical complexity. Participants will engage in hands-on scanning, image interpretation, and real-time needle guidance techniques, with content tailored to suit both novice and intermediate users.

This engaging and hands-on workshop will focus on the foundations of airway and breathing management, aiming to support attendees in achieving excellence in their own clinical practice.

More information coming soon.

Join us for an interactive 2-hour workshop, "Rethinking Pain Management," Dive into practical skills that empower you to manage acute pain in diverse patient populations, from neurodiverse individuals to older adults and pediatric patients. Enhance your confidence in selecting effective pain therapies by exploring the therapeutic application of Penthrox (methoxyflurane) while engaging in open discussions aimed at challenging myths and misconceptions. Don't miss this opportunity to strengthen your foundational skills and embrace the evolving landscape of patient-centred care!

This session will explore diverse funding sources relevant to paramedicine research, including competitive grants, philanthropic avenues, and internal seed funding. Participants will be guided in developing a preliminary funding strategy for a research idea, aligning funding opportunities with project scope, impact, and personal track record. Please note that attendees will have varying levels of experience, so content should be tailored to suit a broad audience.

An introduction to the application of pre-hospital focused abdominal sonography in trauma (FAST). The workshop will cover some basic discussions of the patient populations and diagnostic indications for ultrasound usage in the pre-hospital arena. There will also be a practical component where candidates can apply their learnings and develop their skills.

Circulation management can have profound effects on morbidity and mortality. For paramedics and emergency health professionals, having a solid understanding of primary foundational interventions and their importance is crucial to be able to then build upon and supplement them with secondary management and critical care.

This interactive session will explore the various management options in circulation management, from big impact interventions that can be done even when you’re off duty, to “high acuity, low occurrence” critical care procedures, and everything in between!

This engaging, hands-on workshop will equip paramedics with contemporary skills in joint assessment, taping, splinting, and strapping techniques relevant to both urban and remote practice settings.

The session will focus on the assessment and functional management of common musculoskeletal injuries, with an emphasis on safe and effective strapping, splinting, and taping techniques. Content will be tailored to suit a range of clinical backgrounds and experience levels, with opportunities for practical application and real-world case discussions.

This session will have an emphasis on the practical approach to assessment.

With the main areas including: 

-          Upper limbs 

-          Lower limbs 

-          The dreaded lower back injury. 

It is hoped that this session will help paramedics understand, develop and add appreciate the subtilties surrounding day-to-day injuries. 

The workshop will be supported by a physiotherapist, offering a multidisciplinary perspective on musculoskeletal injury management, particularly in relation to strapping and taping skills.

This session will delve into the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in systematic reviews, providing a practical overview of when and how to incorporate AI tools into research workflows. We’ll explore real-world applications, discuss the ethical and legal considerations of AI use in evidence synthesis, and examine how to navigate these responsibly.

The workshop includes hands-on activities, so participants are encouraged to bring a laptop and a current or future research idea to begin their own AI-assisted data extraction journey

This hands-on workshop will introduce participants to core POCUS techniques relevant to primary care and paramedicine, including scanning protocols, image interpretation, and clinical integration. The session will accommodate varying levels of experience, offering foundational skills for newcomers and clinical pearls for more experienced users.

While part of a broader series on POCUS—including its use in critical care—this session will specifically highlight the utility of POCUS across the full spectrum of acuity, with a particular focus on lower-acuity and primary care settings.

Explore, Assess, Adapt — A Hands-On Workshop for Paramedics in Every Terrain

Step into the world of Disability and Exposure (D&E) assessment and management like never before! In "D&E in 3D: Disability & Exposure assessment and management for wherever you find yourself" you’ll navigate real-world cases across three dynamic environments. Whether you're stabilizing a patient in the back of an ambulance, managing care in a clinical setting, or improvising in the wild, this interactive 3-hour workshop will sharpen your skills, boost your confidence, and prepare you for anything. Expect hands-on scenarios, practical tips, and plenty of laughs along the way. Come ready to assess, adapt, and take your primary survey game to the next level!

This engaging and practical workshop will equip paramedics with up-to-date knowledge and hands-on skills for assessing and managing complex wounds in the pre-hospital setting.

The session will explore best-practice approaches to wound assessment, with a focus on recognising infection, identifying red flags, and making informed decisions around escalation and management. Case-based discussions and practical demonstrations will be included, with content tailored to a broad range of clinical backgrounds and experience levels.

Join Chief Paramedic Shell Piercy as she shares her inspiring journey from ships medic to a leading voice in paramedicine. Shell will reflect on the pivotal lessons learned throughout her career and how they shape her leadership today. She will touch on her current role and how it is involved in shaping the future of paramedicine by building on the fundamentals of paramedic practice.. This keynote promises valuable insights into resilience, innovation, and the evolving scope of paramedicine.

Pain is a personal, complex and subjective experience, not just a simple physical sign. This session explores practical, non-pharmacological approaches to pain management in the prehospital setting that acknowledge this complexity. Simple tools to treat pain, while encouraging a broader, more patient-centred view of the experience of pain.

In this session, participants will gain an understanding of the concept of mental rehearsal and its benefits for skill application. They will be guided through the process of developing a personalised mental rehearsal script and provided with practical strategies to incorporate this technique into their regular training routines.

The presentation will examine the biopsychosocial nature of persistent pain, highlighting how psychological, emotional, and contextual factors influence pain perception and patient experience. Exploring practical ways that paramedics can recognise and respond to chronic and psychological pain presentations in the field, including communication strategies, empathetic engagement, and appropriate referral pathways.

High-acuity, low-occurrence (HALO) skills present some of the greatest challenges for paramedics, demanding both technical precision and readiness under pressure. This session will explore practical strategies to maintain competence and confidence in rarely performed but critical interventions. Drawing on clinical leadership and frontline experience, we will examine the role of structured simulation, deliberate practice, cognitive walkthroughs, and team-based preparation in building resilience and operational readiness. Participants will gain insights into how individuals and teams can prepare for major incidents and complex procedures, ensuring they are ready to respond effectively when it matters most.

This session aims to discuss the future of pain management in paramedicine by examining innovative strategies, technologies, and systems that can reshape clinical practice. The session will examine emerging approaches to pain management and highlight opportunities to integrate advances in pharmacology, diagnostics, and care coordination into paramedic practice to improve the care of patients experiencing pain.

High acuity, low occurrence (HALO) skills are intended to benefit our most critically unwell patients. However, by their very nature, are risky and, without regular practice or exposure, vulnerable to performance decay–potentially leading to error and patient harm. So, what can we do about it? 

Using cricothyroidotomy as an example, this session will explore the science around skill retention and decay, highlight the importance of ongoing skill maintenance, and offer practical, evidence-based strategies to ensure your HALO skills are ready when they’re needed most. 

This session aims to provide a contemporary understanding of coronial processes and how these apply to paramedic practice, in both an operational context and participation in a coronial inquiry.

The High Court of Australia said ‘all medical treatment is preceded by the patient’s choice to undergo it’ but only where the patient has the legal capacity to exercise that choice. Capacity is not assessed as simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’. A person’s capacity waxes and wanes over time, as the young mature they gain capacity, as we age we might lose it. In this presentation the author will look at what the law says about capacity and the rights of very young, and very old, to make their own decisions about health care and its application to paramedicine.

Paramedics attend tens of thousands of deaths across Australia and New Zealand every year - and this number is steadily increasing.  Blending research, practical tools and opportunities for reflection, this session will explore how paramedics can communicate with clarity, empathy and professionalism in the context of patient death.

This session will explore the critical importance of understanding and assessing capacity in older adults, particularly in prehospital care. With an aging population and increasing cases of dementia and delirium, paramedics must navigate legal frameworks and clinical guidelines to ensure safe and ethical decision-making. The presentation will cover the components of capacity, the legal aspects, and practical steps for assessment, emphasizing the need for tailored communication and vigilance in managing patients with impaired capacity

this session aims to provide paramedics with a deeper understanding of the logistics and complexities of organ donation in the out of hospital environment including how we can maximize our ability to enable organ donation to occur.

Paediatric patients have the potential to pose several challenges in the pre-hospital space, and determining their capacity for decision making can complicate dynamic situations further. In this session, we will discuss the determination of capacity in Paediatric and adolescent patients through various methods of assessment, with case studies used to provide insight. This session will discuss the unique challenges of this population and will provide some clarity on determination of competency.

This special Gala Dinner session will feature two  keynote presentations, one by an Yorta Yorta woman and one by a Māori speaker, highlighting the vital role of Indigenous voices in shaping the future of paramedicine in Australia and New Zealand.

Each speaker will share their personal journey, including its trials, triumphs, and the lessons learned along the way. Their stories will explore the opportunities ahead for future Indigenous paramedics and EMTs, and the importance of culturally safe care and representation in improving health outcomes for Indigenous communities.

This session aims to spark meaningful conversation and inspire collective action to support and grow strong, empowered Indigenous workforces across the paramedicine sector.

The role we all play in providing culturally safe ambulance care. Presented by Michelle Crilly

Hear Michelle Crilly, a proud Aboriginal paramedic shares her personal journey in the ambulance service— including its challenges and triumphs — highlighting the opportunities for future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander paramedics and emphasising the vital role we all play in providing culturally safe care to improve health outcomes within Indigenous communities.

Foundations of the Future | Te Ara Whakamua. Presented by Cam Rota

Cameron is a passionate advocate for indigenous health equity and cultural transformation within emergency healthcare. With a strong commitment from HHStJ, he supports the Kaupapa Māori Mana Motuhake initiative in Kaikohe, promoting self-determination and community-led solutions for Māori wellbeing. His work delivering cultural competency education across Aotearoa aims to build lasting cultural confidence and safety among healthcare professionals. With a profound understanding of purpose and identity, Cameron helps bridge the gap between clinical practice and indigenous worldviews. His leadership contributes significantly to reshaping paramedicine to be more inclusive, respectful, and effective for all communities across Aotearoa and beyond.

Her Impact is designed as a TED-style event featuring short, powerful talks by inspiring women in paramedicine. Each speaker will have 10 minutes to share reflections of their personal or professional experiences in paramedicine or perhaps outcomes of related research. These  presentations will be  followed by a 20 minute panel discussion.

 It’s a chance to connect, reflect, and elevate women’s voices before day two begins. 

This study explored paramedics’ perceptions of what constitutes reasonable and unreasonable compulsory overtime (RCO) - the work performed beyond scheduled shifts. Using a three-round Delphi method, over 145 paramedics reached consensus on 17 conditions, identifying four as reasonable and thirteen as unreasonable. Themes included patient acuity, operational delays, and overtime duration. These findings provide the first paramedic-led insights into RCO and offer a foundation for evidence-based policy development to support workforce wellbeing, safety, and system sustainability. 

Paramedics play a vital role in supporting families during out-of-hospital deaths. However, little is known about the needs of Indigenous and diverse families during death, dying and bereavement. This qualitative study, guided by kaupapa Māori methodology, explores bereaved families’ experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand. Findings show that families have emotional, cultural, and spiritual needs that are often unspoken and unmet. Improving family experiences requires culturally responsive approaches. We present Te Whare Tapa Whā, a Māori model of holistic health, to inform and support holistic culturally responsive family care in the event of a death.

This online cross-sectional survey asked Australasian paramedics about their current and future planned employment including comparative work experiences of females and possible enablers and barriers to their career progression. 1236 survey responses were collected: 56.1% male, 42.1% female, and 1.9% other. Women were overrepresented at younger ages, more likely to have caring responsibilities during childbearing years, less likely to have post-graduate qualifications, and overrepresented in lower salary bands. Irrespective of the international move toward gender parity there are still inequities in the number of women holding senior roles in paramedicine which has ramifications for workforce retention and turnover.

Emergency services personnel experience both operational and organisational stressors.  While formal and informal workplace supports exist, these are not always accessible or suitable for all, and research suggests that personnel lean on their families and friends for emotional support. Traditionally, this supportive role has been perceived as a burden to families and friends, with caution advised regarding vicarious/secondary trauma.  Gaps in the literature include if and how these non-emergency services family/friend supporters are trained to provide this help and what support systems are available to them? This session will outline the HUGS@Home research programme, co-designed to train first responders' families and friends in psychological first aid. 

Prehospital critical care often involves austere, resource-poor environments, where you, as the clinician, work in clinical isolation, with a patient who is actively trying to make your day uncomfortable. Mistakes happen. To believe that you are immune to such events is naïve and dangerous. Instead of minimising or, at worst, hiding them, let's talk about them and learn. This talk looks to reflect on my own clinical mistake, what contributed to it, and what happened next. The aim is to provide some food for thought based on my own experience and that of other critical care clinicians.

This session will provide a brief update on recent initiatives, key achievements, and future priorities for the College

"Prehospital Responses in Resource Limited Contexts

This session will look at a variety of prehospital services and examples from around the world, discuss their challenges, and what the future of prehospital care might look like across many of these contexts.

From Conflict to Cold

Challenging contexts, while often uncomfortable, refine the breadth and depth of practice. 

Finding post-experience confidence in the discomfort of acute trauma in Ukraine, and the uncertainty of translating a paramedic’s role into established medical systems in Antarctica, this presentation aims to draw together a small sample size of learnings for paramedics and other allied health professionals in the rapidly expanding field in Australia and the world.

Urgent Care

In December 2022, Cygnet Family Practice was awarded a state government grant to enhance primary care delivery through innovative approaches. In response, Kerrie Duggan and Ali Spicer co-designed and implemented a Nurse Practitioner and Paramedic-led urgent and after-hours care service. Now approaching its third year of operation, this session will explore the development of the model, its structure, and the outcomes achieved to date, with particular emphasis on hospital avoidance and the cost savings generated by diverting demand from acute care back into primary care.

PTSD and Ambulance First Responders (A lived experience)

Presented by: Don Gillies (ASM)

The session will provide a brief outline of my life/work experience that led to my PTSD diagnosis, with an explanation of PTSD and its short/long term impact on my life and my family’s lives.   I will expand on what I have done on my journey personally in regards to treatment & management of my own PTSD, then my subsequent involvement in promotion of destigmatising mental health issues whilst promoting positive mental health in the first response environment

Navigating through trauma and grief (A Lived Experience)

Presented by: Troy Heise

I have been asked to share my lived experience, this is a story of every paramedic’s worst case. How being sent to my own home has changed my and my family’s world. The realisation that trauma and grief can affect all of us, and our uniform does not make us immune to these events. I’m wanting to share what tools and experience that I have used to get back on road and how to navigate this crazy world we live in. I hope to provide an opportunity to discuss and share difficult topics such as death, suicide and grief in a way that is open and real. Paramedics don’t just care for patients in the community we care for each other and unfortunately that patient was not a stranger it was my son

Please note: this session includes sensitive content that some attendees may find confronting. We encourage you to consider your own wellbeing before choosing to attend. Support contact information will be provided for anyone who may need it following the session, and you are welcome to step out at any time.

Accurate and timely assessment is the linchpin of effective stroke care—particularly in the out-of-hospital setting, where clinicians must make rapid decisions with limited information and evolving presentations. This session takes a closer look at how stroke assessment is performed in the prehospital environment, examining the tools, challenges, and considerations that shape early clinical impressions. From established frameworks to emerging approaches, we’ll explore how assessment practices are adapting to meet the demands of contemporary stroke care.

This session explores the complex dynamics of supply versus demand in the paramedic workforce, examining current trends, system constraints, and the critical role of strategic workforce planning. It will address the growing mismatch between the high number of university-trained paramedic graduates and the limited availability of roles within jurisdictional ambulance services. The session will also consider how sustainable career pathways can be developed to support graduates while maintaining service quality, workforce resilience, and long-term sector viability.

In this presentation, Dr Angela Dos Santos will discuss epidemiology, treatments and outcomes then follow on with some exciting work being done by the Australian Stroke Alliance in the pre-hospital setting

This session will explore the shifting identity of paramedicine as the profession expands beyond emergency response into areas such as urgent care, mental health, palliative care, and chronic disease management. It will raise important questions about professional identity, workforce expectations, and the future scope of paramedic practice. 

Following the presentations, we invite you to return to the stage for a panel discussion, allowing for an interactive Q&A and broader exploration of potential solutions and opportunities for innovation in workforce planning. 

Based on current data, by 2050 there will be a stroke suffered every four minutes in Australia and a million people living with the impact of stroke. The same data suggests that for every 15 minutes of delayed treatment, an additional 1 in 25 people die and one month of disability-free life is lost – with rural and remote Australians at the highest risk due to distance.

The Australian Stroke alliance (incorporating over 40 national organisations) is developing light-weight brain scanners to rapidly deliver pre-hospital stroke care. RFDS with ASA is about to commence usability trials on integration of portable brain scanners into aeromedical retrieval using a new First Responder device for Australians living in rural, remote and indigenous communities.

This session will explore the emerging role of Chief Paramedics in health systems – what the role entails, why it matters, and how it can influence everything from education and workforce development to clinical safety, cultural leadership, and the future scope of practice.

Attendees will gain an understanding of how a Chief Paramedic can act as a bridge between policy and practice, advocate for the profession at the highest levels, and shape the future of paramedicine in partnership with government, educators, and health leaders.

The paramedicine profession stands at a crossroads. While our roots in emergency response have served us well, the demands of modern healthcare are shifting, and so must we. In this session, Dr Tim Makrides explores how paramedicine can evolve beyond traditional models, embracing new roles, technologies, and ways of working. Drawing on system-level experience across Australia and Canada, this session challenges us to rethink scope, identity, and impact — and ask not just what paramedics do, but what they could become

More info coming soon

Paramedics increasingly support palliative care delivery in the community, yet the impact of clinical guidelines on their decision-making is unclear. This retrospective cohort study examined 31,579 palliative care patients attended by paramedics in Victoria (2014–2023) to evaluate the effects of a new palliative care guideline. While supportive medication use remained stable, non-transport to hospital increased significantly post-implementation, particularly among patients with pain and those attended after-hours. These findings suggest the guideline supported more community-based care and reduced unnecessary hospital presentations, highlighting the evolving role of paramedics in palliative care systems.

Paramedics frequently encounter patient death, yet education around withholding resuscitation, breaking bad news, and supporting bereaved families remains limited. This presentation explores the development and evaluation of a dedicated undergraduate module addressing these challenges through a lecture, case studies, actor-led simulation and structured debriefing. Insights into student experiences highlight the importance of preparing future paramedics for the emotional and ethical complexities of death in the field.

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are central to paramedic care, yet how they are developed across Australian and New Zealand ambulance services is poorly described. Interviews identified three issues: ad-hoc, resource-constrained processes with limited project management and consultation; CPGs’ value under-recognised, leading to low prioritisation and funding; and variable teams and inconsistent use of appraisal frameworks (e.g., GRADE/AGREE II), reducing rigour. Participants nonetheless supported greater transparency and collaboration. Investment in training, resources and national standardisation of evidence-based CPG development could strengthen practice and outcomes.

Community Paramedics working reactively in ambulance services are safe and beneficial for health outcomes, economic and efficiency outcomes, patient experience, and practitioner experience.  However, while the outcomes of these models appear positive, the on-scene actions that lead to these outcomes are unknown.  This study independently recorded 5,492 minutes of Community Paramedics on-scene with patients, describing their actions, interventions taken, and mapping the ‘standard’ case.

As Advanced Practice Paramedic (APP) roles expand in Australia, clear national standards are essential. This study employed a modified Delphi method to achieve expert consensus on APP capabilities, resulting in 33 capabilities across Clinical Practice, Leadership and Management, Education, and Research. This presentation explores how these findings can be operationalised across regulation, education, and practice. Outcomes include improved role clarity, informed accreditation standards, enhanced curriculum design, and strengthened clinical governance. Translating these capabilities into actionable frameworks supports the structured integration of APPs into healthcare systems and ensures consistency, accountability, and future adaptability.

Older adults in rural Australia face significant health inequities and experience poorer health outcomes. This presentation provides feasibility trial outcomes of the CP@clinic program, a community paramedicine implementation based in Mildura, Victoria.  The results indicate that half of participants reported anxiety or depression, often alongside social isolation and health challenges. However, participants experienced improved mental wellbeing through direct healthcare referrals and enhanced social and physical determinants of health. Findings highlight the need for accessible, integrated services such as the CP@clinic program to address the intertwined mental, physical and social needs of older adults in rural regions.

The profession of Paramedicine is rapidly evolving and paramedics are now routinely attending patients with palliative care needs. In 2024 a Palliative Paramedicine Framework was created to standardise best practice in Australia. This Framework required an implementation strategy to ensure its successful roll-out across all jurisdictions. Central to this roll out is the concept of the modern paramedic, who makes nuanced complex decisions regarding patient care daily. At a local level, this paramedic needs direct communication with specialists and recognition as part of the multi-disciplinary team. At a national level, successful implementation depends on education reform, access to electronic medical records and involving paramedics in consultations regarding national health care policy.

This study examined ambulance offload delays and emergency department (ED) length of stay (LOS) across three COVID-19 periods (pre-, during, and post-pandemic) at a major Melbourne health service. Using interrupted time-series analysis of over 529,000 presentations, we found post-COVID improvements in offload times but sustained increases in ED LOS, especially for admitted patients. These findings highlight the need for targeted solutions such as offload coordination and improved discharge pathways to reduce ongoing ED crowding.

Addressing violence against paramedics is a complex problem. Leveraging a novel reporting system embedded in the patient care report, we assessed the prevalence of paramedics of violence in twelve paramedic services; we analyzed 2,867 violence reports, with 56% of reports documenting an assault and 9% indicating the paramedic was physically harmed. Most (50%) of the violence occurred at the scene, substance use (49%) and mental health (35%) were frequently cited as contributing factors. We found a pooled rate of 2.52 violent encounters per 1,000 calls, which is more than twice that of healthcare workers in ED settings.

Paramedic safety during transport is compromised by inconsistent seatbelt use. This study examined how education level and policy awareness influence forward-facing seatbelt compliance under no-, stable-, and critical-patient conditions. A cross-sectional survey of registered paramedics (n = 384) found that vocationally trained paramedics were least compliant when no patient was present (35 % never belted; χ² = 19.27, p = 0.0051). Under critical conditions, postgraduates had the highest “always” use (8.7 %) and vocational staff the highest “never” use (80 %; χ² = 21.20, p = 0.0037). Policy awareness improved compliance (χ² = 18.75, p = 0.0065). Education and policy clarity may enhance the safety culture of paramedics.

In 2023, nearly 18,500 low-acuity falls patients in New Zealand were attended by ambulance but not transported to hospital. Of these, 3.3% died within 30 days—mostly older adults (92.4% were aged 65+). Mortality was linked to abnormal vital signs (e.g., low blood pressure, high heart rate), male gender, and home attendance. These findings highlight the importance of thorough assessment and documentation, especially of vital signs, even when transport isn’t required. Early identification of high-risk patients could improve outcomes and guide safer non-transport decisions.

Frailty is under-recognised in Australian prehospital care despite its association with adverse outcomes and availability of validated tools like the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). This retrospective cohort study analysed over 3.6 million paramedic records and found frailty was documented in just 0.5% of cases. Documentation was inconsistent, with substantial inter-paramedic variability (44%) and limited CFS use (12.2%). Paramedics predominantly focused on physical indicators rather than multidimensional assessment. These findings highlight critical implementation gaps requiring mandatory structured assessment, improved education, and system-wide strategies to enhance frailty recognition.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth use has increased across healthcare, including ambulance services. This study identifies disparities between patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) and English-proficient patients in ambulance service-delivered telehealth outcomes. Analysis of over 100,000 cases showed LEP patients were referred to alternative care pathways less frequently and were more likely to have an ambulance dispatched to them. These findings suggest potential inequities in telehealth outcomes for LEP patients seeking ambulance service assistance, possibly due to barriers in assessment and technology. Further qualitative research is needed to understand and improve equitable access to care through ambulance service service-delivered telehealth.

This qualitative study explored the causes and impacts of fatigue and sleep loss among Australian paramedics using a systems-thinking lens. Through interviews with 30 paramedics, we identified contributing factors across individual, organisational, and systemic levels, including shift patterns, work demands, and healthcare system pressures. Fatigue and sleep loss were linked to emotional distress, impaired clinical performance, reduced patient care, and safety risks. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive, system-level interventions to better manage fatigue and support paramedic well-being and service delivery.

This study explored Australian paramedics' perceptions of Body Worn Cameras in reducing occupational violence and improving workplace safety. Using surveys and interviews, researchers found attitudes toward Body Worn Cameras were largely positive, though their effect on the reduction of occupational violence was inconclusive. Participants emphasised the need for Body Worn Cameras to complement broader safety strategies, including risk mitigation and de-escalation training to better support frontline emergency service personnel.

This study explored how high-frequency simulation combined with structured performance-based assessment (PBA) tracking supports the development of clinical competence in undergraduate paramedicine students. Analysis of 409 simulations across two year levels showed significant improvements in practice scores over time, with strong correlations to final exam performance. Practice frequency was a significant predictor of assessment outcomes. These findings support the use of PBA-driven simulation as a scalable, evidence-informed approach to enhance competence, track progression, and strengthen job readiness in paramedicine education.