Examination of undergraduate paramedic clinical placement within a traditional and novel setting

Abstract

Background Increasing student enrolments and limited capacity within traditional placements have resulted in a need to reassess the format of clinical placement programs. This study aimed to compare traditional and novel clinical placement experience of third year paramedic science students at Victoria University in order to identify elements that may contribute to identifying an optimum model for future clinical placement programs. Design A descriptive study of clinical placement case exposure with comparative analysis of local and international student cohorts. Setting A paramedic student clinical placement program in two ambulance services: Ambulance Victoria (Australia) and Magen David Adom (Israel). Method Descriptive statistics were used to report patient and student experience factors. Specific case exposure, demonstration of skills and use of pharmacological agents are reported as proportions. Results A total of 441 cases were analysed: 206 and 235 in the local and international study groups respectively. Mean caseload per paramedic student was not significantly different between the study groups at 1.2 cases (95% CI: -2.8–0.4, p=0.1)). The international group engaged in a greater range of shifts, including more afternoon shifts and the opportunity to experience night shifts. Conclusion This study provided the first descriptive analysis of a traditional and international clinical placement experience for paramedic undergraduate students, identifying benefit in both programs. Future studies incorporating a mixed methods design measuring practical exposure will add important depth and understanding to clinical placement optimisation.