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

Abstract

PurposeIn the past several decades, there has been rapid advancement and improvement in Australasian paramedicine education and clinical standards. These advancements have also seen improvements in the professionalism of Australasian paramedicine. Therefore, having a valid and reliable paramedicine professionalism measure is important. This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the modified Professionalism at Work Questionnaire (PWQ) with Australasian paramedicine studentsDesign/methodology/approachData from the PWQ were analysed using a principal component analysis (PCA) followed by orthogonal varimax rotation.FindingsA total of 479 paramedicine students from three Australasian universities completed the modified PWQ. PCA of the 72-items revealed 11 factors with eigenvalues above 1.5, accounting for 50.99% of the total variance. A total of 64 items were found with loadings greater than 0.40 and were used to describe the 11 factors: Professional attitude and behaviour, communication with others, professional identity, professional development, appearance and flexibility, organisational support, comparable professional status, pride in occupation, adherence to rules, responsibility in the workforce and concerns about appropriate use of resources.Practical implicationsResults from this study suggest that the modified 64-item PWQ can be used to measure professionalism in Australasian paramedicine student cohorts. The instrument encompassed many and varied aspects of the attributes and features that have been described as being essential to being a profession. The instrument provides an important measurement tool for the paramedicine profession.Originality/valueResults from this study suggest that the modified 64-item PWQ can be used to measure professionalism in Australasian paramedicine student cohorts. The instrument encompassed many and varied aspects of the attributes and features that have been described as being essential to being a profession. The instrument provides a critical measurement tool for the paramedicine profession.

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

“…Bledsoe et al (48) propose components of professional paramedic practice, which contain qualities and conduct that are essential for any healthcare practitioner who is laying claim to the title of professional. The identification of these characteristics, qualities and the framework within which they are applied have been considered and eleven factors identified in the measurement of psychometric properties of professionalism in paramedicine (45). These include professional attitude and behaviour, professional identity, professional development, appearance and flexibility, communication with others, organisational support, pride in occupation, comparable professional status, adherence to the rules, responsibility in the workforce, and appropriate use of resources (45) These characteristics highlight the uniqueness of norms, theories and ideas, as well as the particularity of context for their application (35).…”

“…The identification of these characteristics, qualities and the framework within which they are applied have been considered and eleven factors identified in the measurement of psychometric properties of professionalism in paramedicine (45). These include professional attitude and behaviour, professional identity, professional development, appearance and flexibility, communication with others, organisational support, pride in occupation, comparable professional status, adherence to the rules, responsibility in the workforce, and appropriate use of resources (45) These characteristics highlight the uniqueness of norms, theories and ideas, as well as the particularity of context for their application (35). Krishnan (30) argues that the greater the number of professional characteristics a discipline can exhibit, the greater its recognition as a profession.…”

“…Professions perceived to fit these developmental and educational criteria are those such as medicine, law, nursing and teaching (54). The roles these professions play are seen as central to societal interests and the common good, and provide services considered essential to defining and preserving societal knowledge, values and ethical principles (45,46).…”

“…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). Some researchers (39,45,55) are still working to define the attributes required of a professional paramedic, particularly outside of the historically accepted 'technical skills' prescription. Yet, others note that the speed of the profession's evolutionary development is not mirrored as closely by evidencebased higher education practice (2).…”

“…However, they conclude that aspects of paramedicine professional evolution such as the underpinning educational methodology are not yet at a level that would dictate elevation to the position of a profession. The literature concludes this has not been a focus of the earlier incarnations of paramedic curricular in a pre-professional era (8,39,45,46).…”