The Australasian College of Paramedicine

Host: Kirsty Mann
Guests: Jenna Cook and Sean Thompson 

About this episode:
In this episode, Kirsty talks to paramedics Jenna and Sean about advance care planning.  

Jenna and Sean outline their journeys to working in the field of advance care planning and their respective roles within different district health boards in Aotearoa New Zealand. They share their knowledge and expertise around all aspects of advance care planning - what it is, why it's so important, and how paramedics can be part of the process to help support the delivery of patients' shared goals of care.  

Death and dying can be a confronting topic and yet it's relevant to every single one of us. We discuss how to have conversations about death and dying, and some of the legal implications surrounding this in paramedic practice. During the podcast, Sean and Jenna refer to additional information and resources for paramedics who want to learn more about advance care planning, which can be found at the following websites:  

Aotearoa New Zealand: https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-work/advance-care-planning/
Australia: https://www.advancecareplanning.org.au/

Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy this conversation

About Jenna:
Jenna has worked in the pre-hospital setting since 2006 and has a strong passion for palliative care. She holds a Masters of Health Practice in Paramedicine which sees her qualified as an Extended Care Paramedic. She is currently undertaking PG study in Palliative Care at the University of Auckland. She is very passionate about her role as an Advance Care Planning Facilitator and the powerful and meaningful connections it creates. Jenna is a Mum to three kids, aged 2,4 and 6 who take up the vast majority of her time and who she couldn't be more proud of. Jenna lives for the outdoors and spending time near the ocean; she needs no excuse to refuel her tank with a hike, bike, run, swim or walk. 

About Sean:
Sean is the Advance Care Planning manager for the three district health boards in the lower North Island of New Zealand. He is an intensive care paramedic with Wellington Free Ambulance and sits on Te Kaunihera Manapou New Zealand Paramedic Council. He's a proud dad of two young children and three elderly chickens and takes every opportunity to escape to the hills with his running shoes or hiking boots. 

About Kirsty:
Kirsty is a registered paramedic with over 15 years of experience in a variety of roles within Aotearoa New Zealand's ambulance sector. In her role with the Australasian College of Paramedicine, Kirsty is committed to supporting paramedics' access to quality CPD that improves patients' experience and outcomes, and that meets the educational needs of paramedics to maintain professional registration.

Hosts: Jonathon Massey and Nick O'Neill
Guest: Erik Gervais

About this episode:
Erik discusses his extensive history in EMS, fire, and police. He gives valuable insights into inter-agency operation. He tells us of his journey to become a paramedic, and shares the experiences and lessons he’s learnt from working in all areas of Emergency Response. He also takes us inside a 911 call centre and shares the workings of how they coordinate various services to incidents.

About Erik:
Erik Gervais has been involved in emergency services since 2004 to include police, fire, emergency dispatching, and EMS where his home is. Erik came back to EMS shortly after the death of his first son, Owen Lucas Gervais, where he found his desire to go back into the medical field again. He works currently as a paramedic at EmergyCare (Pennsylvania) in a busy non-emergency transport and 911 service.  He holds numerous public safety certifications including police, fire, and EMS. His passion is EMS, where he came back to, and teaching the industry. 

About Jonathon:
Jonathon is a 2nd year Paramedic student at Edith Cowan University. Coming from a mixed background of retail, hospitality, and customer service, he found a passion in remote and rural emergency medicine when he signed on to volunteer with SJA WA in 2018. It ignited a love of caring for and helping people in need. While he works on the ACP podcast, he hopes to bring you stories of paramedics and their challenges, building towards overcoming those challenges we face as a collective profession, and understanding how to cope and deal when something doesn’t go well.  

About Nick:
Nick is a 3rd year Paramedic student at Charles Sturt University. He has a background in the Finance industry of over 10 years and finally decided to make the jump into a more fulfilling career. As a mature aged, distance student with a background that isn’t health-related, Nick hopes to share some of his experiences from a less-common entry path to Paramedicine and looks forward to bringing you some discussions with a wide range of health professionals to delve into their specialties and knowledge. 

Hosts: Jonathon Massey and Nick O'Neill
Guest: John Spriggs

About this episode:
Jonathon and Nick chat to US Medic John Spriggs, who gives insight into the US pre-hospital system and talks about how paramedicine is a family practice. He goes in-depth into his state of Arkansas ambulance system and gives some helpful advice to those starting out. 

About John:
John has been in EMS for 26 years. He started dispatching when he was 17 years old and have since continued his education to EMT, EMT-I, Paramedic, and now he also an instructor. John received a Commendation from the U.S. House of Representatives for his work in EMS in 2011. He has been involved with overseeing vehicle maintenance, equipment and supply ordering and maintenance, and personnel supervision. John has three children that are now grown and two of them are in the medical field.  One of his sons is also a Paramedic and his daughter is a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy. 

About Jonathon:
Jonathon is a 2nd year Paramedic student at Edith Cowan University. Coming from a mixed background of retail, hospitality, and customer service, he found a passion in remote and rural emergency medicine when he signed on to volunteer with SJA WA in 2018. It ignited a love of caring for and helping people in need. While he works on the ACP podcast, he hopes to bring you stories of paramedics and their challenges, building towards overcoming those challenges we face as a collective profession, and understanding how to cope and deal when something doesn’t go well. 

About Nick:
Nick is a 3rd year Paramedic student at Charles Sturt University. He has a background in the Finance industry of over 10 years and finally decided to make the jump into a more fulfilling career. As a mature aged, distance student with a background that isn’t health-related, Nick hopes to share some of his experiences from a less-common entry path to Paramedicine and looks forward to bringing you some discussions with a wide range of health professionals to delve into their specialties and knowledge. 

Host: Kirsty Mann
Guests: Lisa Hobbs and Kate Worthington 

About this episode:
In this episode, Kirsty talks to Lisa and Kate about Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and the requirements for registered paramedics in Aotearoa New Zealand to maintain their annual practicing certificate.  

We learn from Australian paramedics' experience of registration and discuss how CPD differs from the traditional model of continuing clinical education. Kate and Lisa share advice on developing a personalised CPD programme, guidance on choosing meaningful CPD activities, and tips on developing reflective practice to get the most out of any learning opportunities.

The College has recently created two short videos to explain paramedic CPD requirements. One video breaks down the requirements in New Zealand, and the other Australia. If you need help understanding your CPD requirements, take a look at the appropriate video, and, as always, reach out to the College if you have any questions.

About Lisa:
Lisa Hobbs is a registered paramedic and lecturer in Paramedicine at the University of Southern Queensland. From 2000-2018, Lisa has worked in various roles within the Queensland Ambulance Service, including advanced care paramedic, officer in charge, emergency medical dispatcher and senior clinical educator. In 2014, she began teaching undergraduate paramedic students at university, before moving full-time into the tertiary sector. She has extensive experience as unit coordinator and course examiner of paramedic clinical and placement subjects at several Australian universities. Her research interests include paramedic education, paramedic continuing professional development, paramedic mental health, paramedic resilience, building employability in undergraduate paramedic students, building resilience in undergraduate paramedic students and disaster management. Lisa’s qualifications include Bachelor of Science (Psychology), Diploma Paramedical Science (Ambulance), Graduate Certificate Clinical Education, Graduate Diploma Health Management/Disaster Management, Master of Philosophy (Paramedicine), MACP, MANZMH and FHEA.   

About Kate:
Kate is currently the Executive Director of Healthcare Services for Wellington Free Ambulance. Her portfolio includes heading up the emergency ambulance operations and the clinical education department. Kate began her career as an Intensive Care Paramedic. Kate has a varied range of interests in the field of prehospital medicine and has a passion for how research can inform innovation in paramedicine.

About Kirsty:
Kirsty is a registered paramedic with over 15 years of experience in a variety of roles within Aotearoa New Zealand's ambulance sector. In her role with the Australasian College of Paramedicine, Kirsty is committed to supporting paramedics' access to quality CPD that improves patients' experience and outcomes, and that meets the educational needs of paramedics to maintain professional registration. 

Host: Sam Willis
Guest: Sherwin Chia

About this episode:
Person-centred care requires the paramedic to be able to adapt what they do with each individual person. A lack of differential diagnosis (DDx) is seen as a barrier to providing optimal patient care which is fundamental to safe patient outcomes. This podcast explores the experiences of one student paramedic who shares his views and experiences if undertaking a DDx in an out of hospital care setting.

About Sam:
Sam is the Discipline Lead for paramedicine at Curtin University and has a passion for all things paramedic education. He worked as a paramedic and lecturer in London and Oxford, in the United Kingdom, prior to coming to Australia to further his career in paramedic education. His current doctoral studies explore the use of virtual reality communities of practice for supporting student paramedics as they undertake Work Integrated Learning (WIL).

About Sherwin:
Having just finished the major portion of his degree at Curtin University, Sherwin remains an ardent learner of Paramedicine. As a fan of out-of-hospital care, he began his journey volunteering his time as an event health services officer in 2016. Through a stroke of chance and pure good fortune, he was dropped an application form for the St John Ambulance Student Ambulance Officer program by a paramedic who encouraged him to make the leap. 

In a life prior to paramedicine, Sherwin was also a dental assistant, a high-reach forklift operator in a warehouse and a fan of all things Japanese from anime to Judo. It wasn’t until his first experience working alongside a paramedic crew in the back of an ambulance that he knew providing frontline medical assistance was his port of call. 

Host: Kirsty Mann
Guests: George Clicquot and Belinda Westenra

About this episode: 

In this podcast, Kirsty has a korero (conversation) with George Clicquot and Belinda Westenra where they discuss Te Tiriti O Waitangi and the misunderstandings.  

George and Belinda talk about the legal implications of Te Tiriti and dispel myths about the ‘3Ps’, introducing us to the more advanced set of principles that have been implemented by Kaunihera Manapou Paramedic Council. They discuss how to start learning about Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tikanga, using Te Reo Māori, and why it’s OK to try even if you get it wrong! They also share why Te Tiriti is so important to us as paramedics in 2021 and how we can be good allies to our Māori colleagues as we work to increase the diversity of our workforce.

You will hear them use the following kupu Māori (words) during their conversation.

View some helpful resources here.

About George:

A descendant of Ngāti Ruahikihiki of Ngāi Tahu, a registered Paramedic working in Prehospital Medicine in Aotearoa for the past 14 years. Currently a Territory Manager with St John Ambulance, George has previously worked as a Degree Lecturer at Whitireia in the Paramedicine Degree program specialising in Paramedic Practice in Aotearoa. 

About Belinda  (she/her/ia) - Registered Paramedic, BSc, MProfPrac (Ed):

Belinda is a paramedic programme coordinator and lecturer in the School of Health and Social Services at Whitireia New Zealand. Her teaching philosophy is ako, a te reo Māori word which means learning and teaching together. She teaches te Tiriti o Waitangi, structured clinical approach, communication skills, cultural humility, gender diversity and LGBTIA+ inclusive practice. Her research interests include increasing the diversity of the paramedic profession, antiracism in health, cultural safety, and interprofessional education.

About Kirsty:

Kirsty is a registered paramedic with over 15 years of experience in a variety of roles within Aotearoa New Zealand's ambulance sector. In her role with the Australasian College of Paramedicine, Kirsty is committed to supporting paramedics' access to quality CPD that meets their educational needs to maintain registration and advocating for the paramedic profession within New Zealand's wider health sector. 

Host: Sam Willis
Guest: Marco Scarvaci

About this episode:
Student paramedics highly value the clinical aspects of their education, however navigating this complex world is no easy feat. In this podcast, one student reflects back on his first-ever shift and provides invaluable advice for excelling in this complex space.

About Sam:
Sam is the Discipline Lead for paramedicine at Curtin University and has a passion for all things paramedic education. He worked as a paramedic and lecturer in London and Oxford, in the United Kingdom, prior to coming to Australia to further his career in paramedic education. His current doctoral studies explore the use of virtual reality communities of practice for supporting student paramedics as they undertake Work Integrated Learning (WIL).

About Marco:
Becoming a paramedic is something Marco fell into. Early on in life, he didn't know what he was going to do as a career. Marco thought he wanted to be a sports teacher and completed a degree in sports science. While completing this degree he found himself working in leisure centres as a casual lifeguard and swim teacher. What was supposed to be a casual job to get him through university, pulled him towards the emergency side of things that paramedics do. Marco didn't believe he had the confidence to become a paramedic at first and thought he would start as 000 medical dispatcher. Deep down he wanted to be more hands-on and truly feels like he’s found his calling. Marco likes the simplicity of the job, but also the clinical challenges in unique environments where you must work together to find the best outcome. 

Host: Sam Willis
Guest: Jane Jennings

About this episode:
Providing care to a mother who is birthing requires a holistic and person-centred approach. This podcast provides a reflective discussion with a student who thinks back to a situation when a routine home birth had the potential to go wrong. It unpacks the challenges faced by the student, the paramedic, and the midwife and how they pulled together to provide person-centred care.

About Sam:
Sam is the Discipline Lead for paramedicine at Curtin University and has a passion for all things paramedic education. He worked as a paramedic and lecturer in London and Oxford, in the United Kingdom, prior to coming to Australia to further his career in paramedic education. His current doctoral studies explore the use of virtual reality communities of practice for supporting student paramedics as they undertake Work Integrated Learning (WIL).

About Jane:
Jane is a final year student at Curtin University. Jane likes to think of herself as an accidental paramedic. She was working as a management accountant and lived in a town where there was a volunteer ambulance depot serving the community. Keen to lend a hand, even if it meant just washing the vans, Jane found herself behind the wheel of an ambulance a few months later. From there, Jane’s love of being involved in the community outweighed her love of numbers, leading to a significant career change. 

Host: Sam Willis
Guest: Jennie McGowan

About this episode:
Professional culture is a powerful driving force that influences all areas of clinical practice. In this podcast, we discuss the changing face of paramedicine and how cultural beliefs act as barriers to person-centred care. It provides examples of the challenges faced by one student paramedic who explains how she actively pursues positive cultural reform with her patients and colleagues.

About Sam:
Sam is the Discipline Lead for paramedicine at Curtin University and has a passion for all things paramedic education. He worked as a paramedic and lecturer in London and Oxford, in the United Kingdom, prior to coming to Australia to further his career in paramedic education. His current doctoral studies explore the use of virtual reality communities of practice for supporting student paramedics as they undertake Work Integrated Learning (WIL). 

About Jennie:
Jennie is a third-year paramedicine student at Curtin University. Prior to beginning paramedicine, Jennie graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing in mid-2015, completing a rural graduate program followed by working across metropolitan hospitals in Perth and Geelong. Jennie returned to rural nursing in the Western Australia Pilbara region and completed a Graduate Certificate in Emergency Nursing in 2018. Jennie has a passion for delivering evidence-based patient-centred care in the out-of-hospital setting. 

Host: Wayne Loudon
Guest: Mel Lochran

About this episode:
Stroke has a profound impact on people and those around them. Increasingly there is a focus on the prehospital phase of care and a significant amount of research is underway to provide prehospital clinicians with the tools to aid in the identification of those patients who may benefit from specific acute therapies. In this podcast, we talk to paramedic and stroke survivor, Mel. Mel provides a compelling insight into her experience and highlights the difficulties in stroke identification and the invisible challenges of brain injury. While harrowing, Mel’s story is also one of great resilience, optimism, and determination as she completes a marathon two years on from her stroke. 

About Wayne:

Wayne is a Critical Care Paramedic and industry fellow at the Queensland University of Technology. Wayne has been heavily involved in the development of prehospital guidelines for stroke care and recently completed his PhD on the topic. His current research interests include the use of mobile technologies for prehospital neurocritical care and stroke systems of care. 

About Mel:

Mel is a Paramedic and was with Queensland Ambulance Service for 14 years. She has always been a fit and healthy person who regularly exercised. In September 2019, Mel suffered a spontaneous intercerebral left temporal parietal lobe brain hemorrhage. She was only 48 years old at the time.