Australasian College of Paramedicine International Conference (ACPIC24)

ACPIC 2024 delivered a wide range of clinical and research sessions from experts and leaders in paramedicine. Hosted in Sydney (September 2024) the program was designed to inspire, educate and broaden horizons.

Conference theme: Paramedicine's evolution – Embracing the new era

Fit to Graduate – Perceptions of paramedicine students’ physical preparation for the physical demands of the paramedic role: A pilot study?

This study is a small part of a larger PhD program of research. There is a need for evidence-based pre-employment physical fitness assessment standards in paramedic organisations. This program of research has assessed the feasibility of implementing an existing, international, standardised pre-employment paramedic physical capacity test, the Ottawa Paramedic Physical Abilities Test (OPPAT™), in the Australian context. This abstract focusses on paramedicine students’ perceptions of physical preparation activities in an undergraduate paramedicine degree program. Paramedicine is an increasingly popular profession, with the main pathway into the role through the completion of a two to five-year bachelor’s degree program. This tertiary pathway presents some challenges for the physical preparation of students for the paramedic role. Student paramedic physical fitness is a safety concern for the student, patients and existing staff.

Biography: Samantha Sheridan

Sam started her career as a student paramedic with Yorkshire Ambulance Service associated with Teesside University in the UK. She has experience as an on road paramedic in the busy area of Leeds, Bradford, and Wakefield in the UK and in the culturally diverse city of Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Sam has experience mentoring student paramedics and as a sole responder on a first response unit. Sam moved in to education whilst in the UAE, as a Clinical Educator helping to develop and train new and qualified emergency medical technicians and paramedics, before arriving at CSU as a academic. She completed her MSC in enhancing paramedic practice with a focus on Paramedic physical health and fitness. This interest has continued in her research interest and PhD program of research.

Moderator: Dr Sandy MacQuarrie, ACPIC24 Organising Committee Member