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

Membership

Our focus continues to be to increased support for member events, fostering engagement with paramedic student societies, and reducing the financial burden related to professional development opportunities, such as the Australasian College of Paramedicine International Conference (ACPIC23). Additionally, we are implementing a new member survey at ACPIC23 to better understand and address the needs of our College members.

Increased Support for Member Events

We understand the significance of member events, especially conferences, in fostering a sense of community and knowledge exchange among paramedicine professionals. This month, we are actively collaborating with event organisers to provide increased support to enhance the overall experience for our members attending these gatherings. By offering additional resources, networking opportunities, and tailored sessions, we aim to ensure that our members find value in attending and participating in these events.

Renewed Engagement and Support for Paramedic Student Societies

As an essential aspect of our organisation, we recognise the vital role that paramedic student societies play in nurturing our community of practice and future leaders in the field of paramedicine. To promote their growth and impact, we are renewing our engagement with these societies and offering them enhanced support. This includes access to educational materials, mentorship programs, and opportunities to collaborate with experienced paramedicine professionals. By fostering strong connections with these societies, we hope to create a positive impact on the future of the paramedicine profession.

Reducing Financial Burden for Professional Development Opportunities

We acknowledge the financial challenges that some of our members may face in accessing professional development opportunities like ACPIC. To make such opportunities more accessible and inclusive, we have developed new financial assistance programs such as the current six-week payment plan on offer to attend ACPIC. These programs aim to provide financial support to members, ensuring that they can participate in conferences and workshops without undue financial stress. Our goal is to empower all members to continue their professional growth and development.

Development of New Member Survey at ACPIC

Understanding the needs and expectations of our College members is crucial for continuous improvement. Next month, we are launching a comprehensive member survey at ACPIC. The survey will gather valuable feedback on various aspects of the College, including member services, professional advocacy, educational resources, and areas for improvement. By actively seeking input from our members, we can identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth, ultimately enabling us to provide a better experience and address any issues proactively. Through these efforts, we look forward to fostering a stronger and more dynamic paramedicine profession in the Australasian region.

Advocacy

Advocacy in action

Supporting, representing, and advocating for paramedics across Australasia sees many of our discussions held in the virtual meeting space. However, over the past few months, John Bruning, CEO, has been travelling across Australasia to touch base with our membership, stakeholders and colleagues in-person. Throughout July, John spent time in Aotearoa New Zealand fostering connections, expanding our network, and advocating for greater recognition of the profession across all settings.

As well, key activity from this month saw the College invited to attend the National Climate Change and Health Strategy Workshop, we continued work behind-the-scenes on the Clinical Practice Framework for Australasia, and we are collaborating with stakeholders on our submission to the ANZSCO comprehensive review.

Don’t miss – Advocacy in Conversation live recording at ACPIC23 ‘Framing the Framework’. This conversation hosted by John Bruning, CEO, is inspired by the Clinical Practice Framework for Australasia of which the College is developing and will provide perspectives from three guest panellists who will discuss the impact and importance of a clinical practice framework for the profession.

Events

Early bird tickets for the Australasian College of Paramedicine’s International Conference (ACPIC23) are on sale until midnight Sunday 6 August. We have recently introduced a payment plan for ALL early bird ticket types, so this is the perfect opportunity to grab your conference tickets, book into some workshops, and reserve your ticket for our Gala dinner. Read more about the payment plan here.

The ACPIC23 program has been updated and you can view the schedule on our ACPIC23 website here. The Conference has been developed to be engaging and practical, offering myriad topics that are pertinent to paramedics.

Organising Committee Chair, Lucy Oatley, has given us some insight into what she’s excited about and which workshops and sessions she’ll be attending. Read Lucy’s report here.

Visit the dedicated ACPIC23 website to find out more and to book your tickets.

Education

In conjunction with National Stroke Week next week (7-13 August), we will be releasing a new microlearning course, Cranial Nerves: functional assessment on Tuesday 8 August.

FREE to everyone, our microlearning courses are small snippets that cover one concept. Complete them in 5-10 minutes, and share them with colleagues. All microlearning counts towards your CDP.

This is also an ideal time to take a look at our eLearning module Introduction to stroke, as well as our new three-module series on brain anatomy, Functional brain anatomy, The deeper structures of the brain, and Vascular anatomy of the brain.

We are also currently working on eLearning modules for clinical localisation, and we hope to have these ready for our members in the coming weeks.

Research

We are thrilled to announce that ACPIC 2023 received an unprecedented number of scientific abstract submissions this year, and thanks to the tireless efforts of our expert review panel, we have curated an incredible lineup of speakers and poster presentations for this event. For more information about our presenters and their research, please visit our ACPIC23 website.

Registrations for our new webinar in the Talking Research series, The Patient Experience, scheduled for Wednesday 16 August, are now open. Join experts in the field, Associate Professor Belinda Flanagan, Robbie King and Associate Professor Mats Holmberg, as they discuss current research on the often-neglected patient perspective of care. For those of you who have missed out on previous Talking Research webinars, all recordings are now available and count towards 1.5 CPD hours, which you can of course record in your free College CPD tracker.

The College is committed to promoting quality research relevant to the paramedicine discipline and takes pride in fostering research at all levels within the field. If you are interested in making a valuable contribution to the profession by assisting paramedicine researchers in addressing critical questions, click here to find out more and to participate in our current research participation opportunities.

If you are a registered paramedic with an interest in getting involved in research but don't know where to start, why not consider joining our Paramedic Mentoring Research Program? Crafted with a clear focus on providing registered paramedics with a direct opportunity to learn about research from seasoned paramedic academics, we are delighted to announce that EOIs for our 2024 program are now open.

For more research news and information, click here.

Thanks from the College team, and we hope you have a great month ahead.