The students tested and proved their skills and gained valuable insights into the US paramedic profession while working shifts with local first responder ambulance teams in Louisiana and Texas in late 2023.

They were supported by Charles Sturt School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Sciences Lecturers in paramedicine Mr Tim Spokes and Ms Krista Reed.

Mr Spokes (pictured far left above) said the University’s paramedicine discipline and the Charles Sturt Global program have provided an enriching and consolidating clinical placement for students with Arcadian Ambulance Service in the Louisiana cities of Lafayette, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and in Beaumont and Huston in Texas.

“All the simulated clinical training we give students at Charles Sturt University has been put into practice with real cases in Texas and Louisiana, with support from the Acadian Ambulance teams, proving our students are ‘on point’,” he said.

Mr Spokes said the students had extensive exposure to significant trauma and medical cases as well as unique cultural experiences.

“One student attended several critical cases in the one shift as a supervised lead student paramedic and dealt with gunshot wounds and delivered a baby,” he said. “That’s just an example of the many experiences our students gained to complement their professional development.”

The clinical cases varied significantly, from gunshot wounds, drug overdoses, heart attacks, traffic accidents and childbirth, in which the students led the primary survey and management.

Helicopter air-medical experiences for some students capped off a rewarding experience where students performed advanced clinical skills under close supervision, including intraosseous insertion and advanced airway management.

Mr Spokes said the presence of the Charles Sturt students was welcomed by colleagues at Acadian Ambulance who were impressed with the students’ ability to adapt and engage.

“The students were so positively received that the University has been invited to return in 2024 with the next cohort of our student paramedics seeking this unique experience,” Mr Spokes said.

“And twelve students expressed interest in future employment with Arcadian Ambulance and were offered full-time positions at the end of their placements,” he said.

Two paramedicine students now starting their third-year studies at Charles Sturt were stationed in Lafayette, Louisiana, the headquarters of Acadian Ambulance Service.

“We were lucky to be stationed in Lafayette, as we also got to see the ‘911’ call-takers and dispatch in action taking emergency calls,” said student Ms Sofia Heszterenyiova (pictured left).

Sofia lives in Junee NSW and is studying online but is originally from Slovakia and moved to Australia when she was 12 years-old.

“I lived in Sydney first, but I definitely prefer living in a small country town over the busy city, and I am very grateful that I am able to do my degree online,” Sofia said.

“Being in the USA for my paramedicine clinical work placement was transformative and truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It boosted my confidence as a paramedic through immersion in a different culture and it enabled me to practice advanced life support skills and administer medications outside the scope of Australian protocols.”

Sofia said a highlight while on duty was her shift on an Air Med Helicopter.

“It was really amazing to experience air lifting patients to hospital and an experience I’ll never forget,” she said. “Being ‘in the air’, there is a lot to consider that differs from treating patients and transporting by road.”

Sofia said another highlight was on her first shift in the USA.

“We were transporting a patient from an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to an organ donation facility,” she said. “All the doctors and nurses lined up, music was played over the speakers and witnessing the walk of honour as we moved our patient was an emotional and memorable experience.

“From my Louisiana work placement last year there is an opportunity for me to return to work in the USA, but I think I’ll stay in Australia as my goal is to hopefully work for NSW Ambulance once I graduate,” she said.

Third-year paramedicine student Ms Erin Isaacs grew up in Jakarta and Sydney, is currently living in Bathurst, and will graduate mid-next year.

Erin said she had an amazing experience in the USA.

“I went on this placement because I thought I’ll never experience working in America, as I didn’t consider it an option, and I left wanting to go back,” she said.

“Being able to adapt my clinical skills to a different healthcare system was incredibly rewarding, and the people were so lovely to work with.

“Because the scope of practice differs in the US, I was able to practise intubation, with supervision, for a patient in cardiac arrest, and doing an Air Med shift was also definitely a highlight.”

Charles Sturt paramedicine lecturer Ms Krista Reed who accompanied and supervised the students emphasised that in addition to the clinical learning, students gained great insight into the social factors that contribute to the health needs of the population in the areas they were stationed in.

“During informal debriefs about the cases they attended, students highlighted the value of incorporating a holistic approach to patient care and recognising the social determinants that contributed to the types of cases they attended,” Ms Reed said.

“The learning experience didn’t just stop at the end of their shift. Students witnessed first-hand the cultural differences between Australia and the Louisiana and Texas areas of the US through scheduled events, dining out or even going to the grocery store. Just shopping at Walmart was a cultural experience!”

The three-week work placements were not all work, as a variety of social events were organised in downtime, including a guided boat tour on the Mississippi River and ‘airboat’ adventures on the Louisiana Bayou.