Paramedicine as a profession: Proposition of a signature pedagogy

Introduction: The education of paramedics within Australian and New Zealand have previously sat within the crossroads of reputable disciplines such as nursing and medicine that provided the underpinning knowledge perceived as related to prehospital care. The role of a paramedic has changed considerably over the past 40 years from drivers and bearers who simply taxied the sick and injured to hospital, to specialised paramedics who perform a significant number of interventions before a patient arrived at the emergency department. As a result of this increase in the scope of practice and the change in the status of professionalism of paramedics, the role of education must also evolve. Purpose: The importance of paramedics undertaking undergraduate baccalaureate degrees and following a vertical career path, not only supports paramedics becoming a profession but is on parity with other health professions. It is seen that for an increase in professionalism, higher levels of educational qualifications such as undergraduate and postgraduate studies are required. Higher education institutions should not have a curriculum independent of actual and future practices. The paramedic curriculum grounded by a theoretical framework allows for a deeper philosophical foundation. This will ensure paramedic programs are seen as equally valid and necessary to educate a richer and more comprehensive paramedic of the future. An important next step in the conjugate to professionalism and curriculum development is a signature pedagogy that underpins paramedic practice that can then be a discourse in curricular decision making. Relevance to Paramedic Education: A signature pedagogy has been used to teach those in health professions, where simple learning is not sufficient. Usually defined within a specific discipline, a signature pedagogy is characterised by content and a teaching framework (Shulman, 2005). This surface structure learning process is supported by the deep configuration of the discipline’s education requirements such as authentic learning; teaching and assessment strategies including work-integrated learning; and underpinned by an implicit structure of essential skills such as professionalism (Shulman, 2005). Currently, no signature pedagogy exists for paramedicine. Implications for paramedic education: With the changing scope of practice for paramedics to a more primary health care model of practice and with advancements in diagnostic procedures and clinical skills, the need for paramedicine to have a signature pedagogy is paramount. As the paramedic profession continues to cultivate and break down barriers from the traditional model of paramedical care the signature pedagogy introduced in this paper not only supports the current practice of paramedicine but will inform the delivery model of paramedicine into the future. The contribution of a signature pedagogy not only addresses the education model of the future but also addresses a new model of healthcare delivery implemented into ambulance services. An educational curriculum adaptable to the changing practices of paramedics is pivotal in shaping the profession.