Rapid Response is the College’s monthly eNewsletter providing current and important information from the College.

Conference Update

Primary Care Conference

Tasmania is calling. Join us in Sandy Bay on 16-17 May for our Primary Care Conference, an event that will include content similar to our former Rural Outback and Remote (ROAR) conferences, as well as a broader scope of information for those involved and working in primary care.

Early Bird tickets for our Primary Care Conference (PCC24) are now on sale. Register for workshops such as "Acute wound care" and "Putting theory into practice: How to competently assess low back and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders", interact with panel discussions, and be engrossed in paediatric and palliative care presentations, as well as learning more about Indigenous health across Australasia.

Come for the conference and linger in Tasmania for a while. Take a look at just some of the things Tassie has to offer here.

Book your early bird tickets for the Primary Care Conference here.

Advocacy Update

Key updates from our Advocacy Team

• Released Advocacy in Conversation podcast What is a Paramedic Practitioner? featuring guests Dr David Anderson from Ambulance Victoria, Dr Brendan Shannon from Monash University, and Alecka Miles from Edith Cowan University.
• Prepared submission for Te Whatu Ora consultation: Digital student placement portal.
• Ahpra released the Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Statement of Intent, which is a joint commitment between the 16 professions within the National Scheme to embed interprofessional collaborative practice across the health system in education, training, clinical governance and practice. The College endorses this statement.

Research Update

Research Agenda for Australasian Paramedicine

The Research Agenda for Australasian Paramedicine (RAAP) serves as a guide for industry and key stakeholders in their research activities, ultimately contributing to meaningful and tangible impacts within the paramedicine profession. Moving forward, College research activities and opportunities will align with the priorities outlined in the RAAP. We encourage our members and paramedicine researchers to familiarise themselves with the Agenda to enhance the impact of their research outputs.

The two publications of the project can be found in Paramedicine, the international peer-reviewed journal of the Australasian College of Paramedicine:

• Research agenda and priorities for Australian and New Zealand paramedicine: A Delphi consensus study
• Barriers and enablers to paramedicine research in Australasia – A cross-sectional survey

A shortened report summarising these publications can also be found here.

Research Symposium 2024

Influence and inspire: Advancing the paramedicine research agenda for Australasia.

This year the College Research Symposium will be held on 18-19 July at the Australian Catholic University, Brisbane Campus.

Abstracts for the Research Symposium 2024 close tomorrow, Friday 5 April.

We warmly welcome submissions from early career researchers, undergraduate and higher degree research candidates. Abstracts can be at any stage of research completion, and this year researchers have the added opportunity of being considered for both the Research Symposium and ACPIC24. Submit your abstract for the Research Symposium 2024 and join us in shaping the future of paramedicine research, advancing emergency and ongoing care.

College Grants 2024

The College is pleased to announce that applications for the 2024 funding round are now open. This year, three types of research grants are being offered:

• Early Career Research Grant ($6,000)
• Higher Degree by Research Grant ($3,000)
• Research Dissemination and Translation Grant ($1,000)

Applications for these grants are competitive, and researchers are encouraged to begin the application process early.

The 2024 Research Grant Guidelines can be found here, and for additional tips and tricks on securing research funding, watch our latest Talking Research webinar, Mastering the art of successful grant writing.

To begin the grant application process, click here.

Education Update

The College is excited to announce our Advanced Cardiology course series, designed to deepen your understanding of the intricate pathophysiology behind a range of tachyarrhythmias and evaluate the range of interventions available to paramedics in treating these conditions.

In these new online courses, you will examine a range of supraventricular tachycardias, mechanisms underlying re-entry circuits, key ECG features, research-supported clinical interventions, and evaluate the current clinical practice guidelines across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The first eLearning module on "Understanding re-entry tachycardia" is now available here.

We'll be rolling out more advanced cardiology courses over the coming weeks, and will keep you updated in our fortnightly publication, The Pulse.