Australian Paramedic Students' Reports of Clinical Placement Experiences: A Snapshot From two Cohorts

Abstract

Clinical placements are a core requirement of paramedicine undergraduate degrees in Australia. Registered paramedics are expected to participate in teaching and mentoring of undergraduate students during placement. Additionally, universities and paramedic clinical placement providers are required to actively participate in providing 360° feedback to ensure ongoing quality of clinical placements. Most students look forward to attending clinical placement and experiencing what it is really like to be a paramedic; however, at times, students' expectations differ greatly to their experiences. In this study, we provide students' reporting of their experiences and feedback verbatim and, where possible, grouped into four themes of challenges common across placements: staffing/supervisor challenges, clinical challenges, occupational hazards and balancing competing demands. We welcome further discussion and recommend collaborations between universities, clinical placement providers and regulatory bodies to improve clinical placement experiences of paramedicine students on clinical placements, clinical supervision and, potentially, patient safety outcomes.