Tania M Johnston

• Charles Sturt University

Background: Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in regional Tasmania frequently encounter reperfusion delays. Ambulance Tasmania recently implemented prehospital thrombolysis (PHT) as part of a pharmacoinvasive strategy. This study aimed to describe a cohort of the first patient encounters involving STEMI treated under the new...

Introduction Pre-alerts from paramedics to trauma centers are important for ensuring the highest quality of trauma care. Despite this, there is a paucity of data to support best practices in trauma pre-alert notifications. Within the trauma system of Ontario, Canada, the provincial critical care transport organization, Ornge, provides pre-alerts to...

Introduction Pre-alerts from paramedics to trauma centers are important for ensuring the highest quality of trauma care. Despite this, there is a paucity of data to support best practices in trauma pre-alert notifications. Within the trauma system of Ontario, Canada, the provincial critical care transport organization, Ornge, provides pre-alerts to...

Paramedic practice requires highly educated, skilled, compassionate, and professional paramedics, which the profession strives to produce by continuously evolving education and professional requirements. However, the portrayal of paramedics in mass media has not evolved to match, and indeed the profession itself is complicit in some of these inaccu...

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate patient safety implications of transporting prone-positioned mechanically ventilated patients in the air medical environment (AME). Methods A retrospective health record review of patient encounters from 2019 to 2021 was conducted using British Columbia Emergency Health Services air medical el...

Introduction British Columbia Emergency Health Service (BCEHS) trialed the use of intranasal (IN) ketamine given by Primary Care Paramedics (PCPs). Prior to this practice change, the PCPs had not performed weight-based drug calculations, given medications intranasally, nor been responsible for controlled and targeted substances. This study aimed to...

Introduction Patients with palliative care needs seek support from paramedics in instances of unexpected worsening of symptoms associated with their primary diagnosis, but often do not desire conveyance to an emergency department. Despite this, up to one-quarter of patients with palliative care needs will experience an avoidable admission to the em...

Introduction The aim of this study was to provide a snapshot of Australian remote and industrial paramedics’ patient clinical presentations, experience with physician consultations and options for patient transport to tertiary care. Methods This exploratory, cross-sectional descriptive study employed a purpose-built online survey. Participants wer...

Introduction A large workforce is employed in remote environments in the Australian mining and fuel sectors. Whereas paramedics are increasingly assuming roles as healthcare providers in these locations, little is known about industrial paramedic practice. The aim of this exploratory study was to better understand the demographics, education, clini...

IntroductionMental health represents a growing concern for health services in Australia. Paramedics are increasingly becoming the first point-of-contact for patients experiencing an acute mental health episode. Despite this increasing prevalence of cases there is an established body of literature outlining that paramedics feel inadequately trained...

p> Introduction A robust professional identity is a known predictor of personal and professional satisfaction and is viewed as foundational to successful practice in health occupations. Despite this, there is a gap in the research on paramedic identity (PI). Using the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9), the primary objective of t...

p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Background There are no published reports in Canada examining paramedic use of ketamine for highly agitated patients or excited delirium syndrome. We employed a Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) quality improvement approach to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of advanced care paramedic administered...

p dir="LTR" align="LEFT"> Objective This study aimed to explore first year university paramedic students’ perceptions of volunteerism during a community placement. Methods In this exploratory study we employed a cross-sectional methodology utilising a convenience sample of first year undergraduate students. Administering a paper-based survey, we...

p>With evidence based practice now the norm, paramedics today can confidently and easily search for answers to clinical questions. For anyone seeking to better understand the non-clinical aspects of paramedic practice, however; looking to social theory can be a starting point. Understanding social theory gives paramedic researchers a lens through w...

Poster presentation at Mid North Coast Local Health District Research Conference, Australia

Preoxygenation is a critical step in advanced airway management and serves to enhance the time available for intubation prior to desaturation when patients are at additional risk. The average patient breathing room air will experience significant desaturation below the critical 90% level within 45-60s post administration of a paralytic (1,2). Thoug...

Australian natural resource exploration and production companies are employing paramedics to provide emergency medical response, primary health care, injury prevention, and health promotion services in remote locations nationally and internationally. Although Australian paramedic practice has steadily evolved to include increasingly complex medical...

p> Introduction The literature emphasises the vital importance of interprofessional communication during clinical handover as being paramount to patient safety. At Charles Sturt University we explored how simulation can be employed in an interprofessional education (IPE) exercise exposing paramedic and nursing students to a high-pressure emergenc...