Grant boosts paramedic capacity on Mid North Coast

The paramedic course at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie has received a boost with the announcement of a grant from the Hunter and Coast Interdisciplinary Clinical Training Network (ICTN).

 

Mr Joe Acker, paramedic lecturer at the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Port Macquarie, said, “An application by paramedic academic staff at the University has received a $98 869 grant from the Hunter and Coast Interdisciplinary Clinical Training Network (ICTN).

 

“This is a very positive boost that will support paramedic education and clinical placements in Port Macquarie and the region. The ICTN funded 12 projects worth a total $652 897, and the grant to Charles Sturt University was the largest project funded. This demonstrates a commitment by the Hunter and Coast Health Areas to support paramedic education in the region.

 

“The funding has been earmarked for an ‘ambulance simulator’, which we believe is a first in Australia. The grant will also fund a full-time placement coordinator position for six months, and the purchase of tablet computers for electronic medical records.

 

“We are excited about working with the Ambulance Service of New South Wales and the local area health services to increase the quantity of clinical placements and expand the capacity and competency of clinical supervision in the region. This generous grant from the Hunter and Coast ICTN gives us the opportunity to establish new relationships with clinical supervisors that will greatly add to the educational experience for our paramedic students. Not only will we have funding to allow us to better support clinical supervisors, but we will have cutting-edge technology like an ambulance simulator to ensure our paramedic students are ready to learn as soon as they hit the field on clinical placements.”

 

The ICTN funds will go to directly supporting an innovative program that will have several functions spanning from the University into the community. This will increase placement numbers as well as improve the student experience, enhance patient safety, and produce work-ready health professionals. With ICTN support, these new placements form an integral part of building an efficient and previously under-used resource for the training of paramedics. CSU also expects that the expanded role of paramedics in the future will shift towards roles in non-traditional health care, because the course philosophy is that graduates must have exposure to these environments. Training within the community also improves community wellness, which is an important part of the graduate profile from CSU. Paramedics will spend more time learning about how to care for patients.

 

The campus director of CSU in Port Macquarie, Dr Muyesser Durur, said, “Charles Sturt University is very excited about offering the paramedic course and other allied health programs in Port Macquarie in 2013. We are delighted that the Hunter and Coast Interdisciplinary Clinical Training Network has awarded us this grant to support student paramedic clinical training specifically in the Hunter, New England, Central Coast, Mid Coast and North Coast Local Area Health Services. It is the vision of the University that local students can attend university in their own community and ultimately work in the same community if they choose to after they graduate.”