William Johnston

McMaster University | McMaster · Health Sciences Education

PAC has partnered with the CSA Group to manage the renewal of the existing National Occupational Competency Profile (NOCP) and incorporate it into a new standard following accredited processes of the Standards Council of Canada – the National Occupational Standard for Paramedics (NOSP). In this article we will provide a further update on the develo...

PAC has partnered with the CSA Group to manage the renewal of the existing National Occupational Competency Profile (NOCP) and incorporate it into a new standard following accredited processes of the Standards Council of Canada – the National Occupational Standard for Paramedics (NOSP). Following on from our earlier update in March, in this article...

As the paramedic discipline globally moves towards professionalisation through professional registration, higher education, and role diversification within the health service, the importance of the paramedic body of knowledge becomes more apparent. In this article we will outline our experiences with student paramedic research at Fanshawe College,...

Background Fatigue is a complex phenomenon that has effects on physical characteristics, cognition, behaviours, and physical and mental health. Paramedicine crosses the boundaries of many high-risk industries, namely medicine, transport and aviation. The effects of fatigue on paramedics thus need to be explored and considered in order to begin to i...

Background Literature suggests that simulation-based learning is an important modality in medical education. Although there is a large body of evidence in other medical fields, there has been little reported evidence of simulation use in paramedic education. This study aimed to report patterns of simulation use in paramedic programs across Canada....

Introduction: The aging population in Canada is steadily increasing and is placing greater demand on paramedic services, especially through the growing number of non-emergent lift assist (LA) calls. A LA occurs when a person calls paramedic services and requests assistance to get up or mobilize, usually after experiencing a fall. The patient refus...

Some calls to ambulance services result in a growing non-emergent call type referred to as a “Lift Assist.”. A Lift Assist (LA) is defined as an event whereby a patient calls paramedic services and requests assistance to get up or mobilize, receives no treatment on scene, and refuses transport to the emergency department for further medical attenti...

With the increasing focus on issues surrounding sexism and racism in our everyday lives, it is perhaps easy for us as healthcare providers (HCPs) to forget the most commonly tolerated form of social prejudice “-ism” that exists in Canadian society today: ageism. Ageism is defined as a systemic bias towards older adults because of their age. It is f...

With the increasing presence of paramedics as healthcare providers, many times as the sole medical provider in remote areas, on offshore facilities, humanitarian missions, remote oil and gas facilities, and as medics in close protection teams in high-risk areas, as well as at large scale gatherings that carry a history and an increased risk of dise...

Introduction—Anatomy is not sufficiently taught through books or handouts alone. The best method to teach anatomy continues to be widely debated. Previous research conducted mainly with medical students supports a model building exercise to improve anatomy knowledge retention. This research study investigated students’ perceptions on using model co...

Background Published literature has suggested the importance of simulation based learning for medical education in the training of health professionals. Although there is a large body of evidence in other medical fields, there has been little reported evidence of simulation use in paramedic education. This study aimed to report patterns of simulati...

Background Anatomy is a subject where learning is not possible by studying books or hand-outs alone. The best method to teach anatomy continues to be widely debated. Previous research conducted mainly in medical students supports the principle of a model building exercise to improve anatomy knowledge retention. Methods Paramedic students were assig...

Zika Virus Disease (ZVD) is a viral illness spread primarily through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitos. Human infection with the Zika virus typically presents with mild flu-like symptoms lasting two to seven days. Most recently, the Zika virus has been linked to birth defects triggering the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare ZVD a Public...

Background: Significant bodies of evidence have suggested the importance of simulation based learning for medical education in training of physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals.(1,2) Although there is a large body of evidence in other medical fields, there has been very little reported evidence of simulation use in paramedic ed...

Significant bodies of evidence have suggested the importance of simulation based learning for medical education in training of physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals. Although there is a large body of evidence in other medical fields, there has been very little reported evidence of simulation use in paramedic education. We are ex...