Professionalism and Professionalisation in the Discipline of Paramedicine

Abstract

<jats:p>BackgroundProfessionalisation was cited as one of the key drivers for the recent addition of paramedics to the National Accreditation and Regulation Scheme (NRAS) making paramedics the fifteenth health profession in the NRAS. Self-regulation inherently shifts the basis of establishing professional identity and the formal authority for determining professional standards. This has increased discussion of professionalism in paramedicine, however, professionalisation and professionalism are often poorly defined concepts with a myriad of interpretations. MethodA scoping review was conducted to determine the available literature about professionalism and professionalisation in paramedicine. The review utilised 10 academic databases augmented with Google and Google Scholar to capture grey literature; 2740 results were refined to 53 sources for review.ResultsSeveral works on paramedic professionalisation explore elements such as autonomy and occupational characteristics. Others consider the process of professionalisation for United Kingdom (UK) and Australian paramedics. Education is discussed as a key factor in professionalism, while the increasing scope and diversity of roles in paramedicine is explored as indicative of professionalisation. Several UK papers relate professionalisation and culture to change processes within paramedicine and paramedic organisations. DiscussionAcademic work on professionalisation and professionalism in paramedicine appears sporadic and may benefit from explorations of a wider range of theories. Paramedicine has been described as constantly and rapidly developing around its practitioners rather than being a stable profession where practitioners enter with clear expectations of their ongoing identity. Further work is needed to understand the process of professionalisation that paramedicine is undergoing within its cultural and professional context.</jats:p>

Advanced Care or Advanced Life Support – What are we Providing?

“…As these systems have developed and provided proof of concepts for new knowledge and skills, leaps in equipment technology and health economics ensured the advanced care skillset continued to develop a scope of practice that is inherently and increasingly complex and naturally requires a higher level of education for entry to practice. These higher education standards have helped paramedicine develop its own unique body of knowledge as it continues to grow into an autonomous self-governing profession (7).…”

The Role of Educational Theory in the Future Development of Paramedicine as a Profession: An Integrative Review

“…However, Reynolds and O'Donnell (36) argue that there is little research or evidence to support the claim that paramedicine be differentiated from other healthcare professions. They and others (8,36) suggest that even though its evolution as a profession mirrors that of nursing and medicine, researchers have as yet failed to make the case that paramedicine requires the development of distinct professional attributes. This is despite the fact that the professional paradigm for paramedicine is evolving and there is a specific need to address the increasing scope of clinical practice for operational paramedics (8,22).…”

“…Indeed, the reviewed articles suggest that paramedicine, its definition subject to debate from within the profession, is currently incapable of conclusively addressing these points to a satisfactory level (6,8). They accept that paramedicine has significantly evolved, particularly in the areas of clinical scope of practice, level of practitioner knowledge and applied clinical skills.…”

The psychometric properties of the professionalism at work questionnaire for paramedicine students

“…The topic of professionalism in paramedicine has become increasingly important as the role has evolved significantly over the past several decades. In a relatively short space of time, paramedicine has moved from an occupation as “stretcher-bearers” and “ambulance drivers” to today's highly skilled out-of-hospital emergency care experts; paramedicine practice has developed into an essential and highly effective and professional element of the healthcare system (Reed, 2019; Williams et al , 2009). This growth in skill sets has also seen paramedicine perform more invasive and dangerous procedures requiring greater higher-order thinking including cognitive processing leading to decision-making and critical reasoning skills (Perona et al , 2005).…”