The Shift Extension Paramedic Podcast

Welcome back to season 2 of the podcast with our new co-host Lou. Today we break down the provisional diagnosis. Do we need one? How do we make one? Are they harmful?

Matt and Nick sit down to discuss this common challenge. What do you do if your patient refuses your advice?

How to provide advice and break down the barriers to refusal

How to assess capacity

What do documents like power of attorney and an ARP really mean?

Mr. Jordan Emery path has taken him from NSW ambulance to an NGO in New York, before landing the top job in Ambulance Tasmania. We sat down with Jordan earlier this year to talk about paramedic culture, making mistakes and the idea of heart centered leadership. 

We are back for our first episode in 2024. Time for Matt to pick Nick's brain about fast and slow dysrhythmias. 

Does electrode placement matter?

How do I differentiate between SVT and VT?

How do I manage these fast rhythms?

When should I worry about atrial fibrillation?

Do I need to be able to interpret all of the slow rhythms?

Today we sit down Sean Golding, an Australian commercial airline captain, paramedic and technical dive instructor. Not long after completing Australia's first non-stop flight from New York to Sydney, Sean found himself out of work due to covid.

We talk about how Sean became a paramedic, how he handles medical incidents during long haul flights and what we can learn from aviation to improve fatigue management and non-technical skills. 

Matt is back to pick Nick's brain. This time it's all about the respiratory patient. 

- Should I give adrenaline to a sick COPD patient?

- What is the difference between CPAP and BiPAP

- How do I figure out the BVM?

- How do I measure RR in an unconscious patient?

- What is the point of a BVM filter?

Today we sit down with Professor Peter O'Meara. Peter has been practicing paramedicine since the early 1970's and was one of the first to complete a profession focused PhD. We talk about his early career, the inception of paramedic degrees in Australia and where the future of professionalisation will take us. 

This is the first installment of our new case study "What would I do if". Matt poses a series of clinical questions on the topic of TBI and the general management of a trauma patient following a long fall. 

What should I take into a remote scene?

Should I expose all of my trauma patients?

Does everyone need a binder?

How do I manage the agitated patient? Sedation or pain relief?

How can I value add to my TBI patient?

 

We sat down with paramedic, nurse, midwife, and academic Belinda Flanigan. Belinda has had an incredible career in paramedicine from ambulance officer to now the head of the first school of paramedicine in Australia. 

We talk about her career, her life as a midwife, how her PhD changed practice and some advice for those looking to dip their toes into research. 

Today we sit down with Matt, a paramedic, phd candidate and lead author of "The Clinical Guidelines Manifesto". The CGM is the most up to date comparison of ambulance service CPG's across Australia and New Zealand. 

We dive into the manifesto, how ambulance services create their own guidelines, and how we can improve the process of determining best practice.  

The manifesto was published in The Shift Extension industry journal. 

To read the manifesto head to www.theshiftextension.org