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How to Write a Paramedic Research Paper: With Example Topics

Writing a Good Paramedic Research Paper

Paramedics are healthcare experts whose mandate is to offer exceptional emergency medical care to patients in critical condition. However, to be a paramedic, you need to undergo serious training and education.

This will equip you with the skills and knowledge that will enable you to help patients with life-threatening injuries.

Paramedics help patients by stabilizing their condition before transferring them to emergency care centers. That is why you will find paramedics in various environments, such as homes, roadways, and aircraft. 

Due to the importance of paramedics in society and the medical profession, it is worthwhile to study this field. In other words, researching the critical areas associated with the paramedic field is crucial.

Why Paramedic Field Presents a Good Topic for Research

The quest to find a good topic for research can be a challenge. As a student, you need to ensure your topic is of interest to you and your tutor. Fortunately, there are several topics to choose from.

One place you can get great research topics is in the paramedic field.

You can choose topics on developing effective treatments or strategies to enhance the paramedic practice. 

The paramedic field still has various gaps that need exploration. There is still a need to understand the paramedic practice fully.

Since paramedics are crucial, especially in medical emergencies, it is best to develop ways to serve their patients in the best way possible.

That is why choosing a research topic in the paramedic field will give you the opportunity to come up with new approaches that will help enhance the effectiveness of paramedics.

Before you choose a topic in the paramedic field, there are factors you need to consider seriously. Ensure you do not focus on topics already exhausted by other researchers.

You can choose a topic that needs a more expounding explanation or an entirely new topic to start from a clean slate. Such topics are not only interesting but are unique. They set you apart from other paramedic students.

However, there is a catch. You ought to appreciate authenticity. Under these circumstances, conducting intense research will be very crucial. You need to come up with information that will contribute immensely to improving the paramedic practice.

How to Write a Good Paramedic Research Paper

Writing a research paper comes with its fair share of demands. You ought to follow the latter’s guidelines to develop a unique and evidence-based research paper.

This also applies to when writing a paramedic research paper. It needs to offer an in-depth analysis and have proper facts.

1. Understand the Assignment

A good paramedic research paper should be detailed. This means you have to avoid the fluff and focus on providing in-depth knowledge to depict how well you understand your research topic.

In that connection, there are certain factors you ought to consider.

First, you have to understand the assignment at hand. This means you need to read the assignment carefully, and where you face any challenges, ensure you get clarity from your tutor or lecturer.

You have to understand the aim or goal of the research assignment. This enables you to come up with an outline that will make your work easier when putting down your ideas. 

2. Choose the Right Topic

The choice of your paramedic research topic also needs to be up to the standard. You can brainstorm on some of the topics that are interesting and unique as far as the paramedic field is concerned.

You can have a wide variety of topics before you settle on one that you have broad knowledge about.  Even so, always opt for a topic that is in line with the assignment requirements. 

3. Introductory Research            

Once you have your topic, the next step is to carry out preliminary research. Use various books, reliable websites, and journals to get up-to-date information regarding your research topic. This is the time to develop research questions that will form the basis of your research.

4. Create Your Thesis Statement

Come up with a thesis statement that highlights your main argument. The thesis statement needs to reveal the position of the paramedic research paper. It has to be coherent and concise.

Therefore, it ought to give a summary of your research paper on the paramedic topic you have chosen. 

5. Create Your Research Outline

Once you have your thesis statement, it is time to come up with an outline of your research paper. The outline should have all the ideas you intend to incorporate into your research. Note them down before you begin writing. As a result, this helps you write your research paper more efficiently.     

6. Writing and Proofreading      

With your outline, you can now begin to write, after which you will need to proofread your work to make sure you eliminate any grammatical errors.

Dos and Don’ts of Writing Medical Papers

When it comes to writing medical papers, there are a number of Dos and Don’ts you have to pay attention to.

They include the following:

• Ensure you provide background information on your research topic.
• Embrace originality while explaining your ideas
• Provide the strengths and weaknesses of your research
• Support your data using graphs, figures, and tables
• Outline the structure of your medical research paper
• Cite research papers relevant to your topic
• Avoid using fluff, which is basically unnecessary phrases, abbreviations, and words
• Do not use complex and long sentences
• Avoid using trade names of drugs
• Do not copy-paste ideas from other medical research papers
• Avoid citing well-known facts
• Avoid repetition 

7 Paramedic Research Topic Ideas 

There is always a challenge when selecting a paramedic research topic. You have to exercise a lot of reservations and follow the set guidelines.

In this way, you can develop an authentic research topic of great interest to you and your lecturer.

That is why conducting intense research on topics and involving your lecturer throughout the entire process will be worthwhile.

Below are some of the paramedic research topic ideas to choose from:

1. The significance of the professional relationship that exists between physical medical oversight and paramedics.

2. A study on how to incorporate volunteer activities into the paramedic field

3. A review of the non-technical skills for paramedics

4. What are some of the workplace-related violence among paramedics?

5. A study of the duties of paramedics during disaster management

6. Perceptions and behaviors of paramedics in regards to gloving practices and hygiene while providing paramedic health care

7. What are some of the effective stress remedies for paramedics?

For you to write a good paramedic research paper, there are tips you have to adhere to strictly. For instance, you will need to choose the right research topic. The topic should be subject to intense research and consultations in order to have one that is unique and engaging.

Also, you have to ensure you outline the ideas you intend to integrate into your paramedic research paper. The outlines allow you to easily write your research paper within the shortest time possible because you will have all the information you need.

The ideas should be a product of the various sources such as journals, reliable books, websites, and related research papers.

Also, there is a need to take heed of the dos and don’ts, such as citing your sources, providing background information, writing a good thesis statement, avoiding fluff, and not using long sentences.

In doing so, you will be able to come up with a comprehensive paramedic research paper that will score impressive grades.

James Lotta

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Paramedic science personal statement example.

I have chosen to study Paramedic Science as I am eager to provide care and support to those in need and I have a passion for helping people. Becoming a Paramedic is something I am very passionate about. I have come to admire and respect the work that paramedics do, especially since becoming a health care assistant and witnessing the work they carry out first-hand. I thrive in new and challenging situations and look forward to experiencing new scenarios every day.

Respecting and accepting differences in people and acknowledging the importance of equality and diversity is important for health care professionals. Working in the care industry has demonstrated to me that I have the necessary skills to be an excellent paramedic. I am a forward thinking individual and believe that professional development and setting goals is important to motivate and drive my ambition to become a paramedic. I am an ambitious individual and after completing the Paramedic Science degree I have an ambition to work as an air ambulance paramedic.

I am a conscientious and compassionate person. I am well versed in dealing with, assisting, and managing people who have a wide variety of needs. I am a caring person and ensure I always treat people with dignity. I can adjust my approach and the care given to suit the situation at hand. I am bilingual, being fluent in both Welsh and English. I am an extremely motivated and hardworking individual. 4-

I have excellent communication skills and have the ability to empathise appropriately, making sure that I am always respectful and considerate to others. I am an approachable and friendly person. I have the ability to create strong effective working relationships. I understand the importance of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and the role that clear and effective communication plays in ensuring best practice is provided. Significantly, in my recent work as a health care assistant I have learned how to compartmentalise and how important it is to separate personal feelings from the workplace and keep a calm mindset, whilst remaining professional yet approachable.

Currently, I am studying an Access to Health Care diploma at NPTC Group’s Neath campus. I have chosen to study this course as it is specifically designed for those wishing to pursue a career in the health care industry. This course covers a wide range of topics such as psychology and anatomy and physiology.

I have studied Abnormal Psychology, which has given me an in depth understanding of the causes and effects of mental health such as bipolar and depression. As a result of studying Anatomy and Physiology, I have gained a greater understanding of the human body and its functions. This course is providing me with the necessary skills needed to continue my studies at university level and become a successful paramedic.

I pride myself on being an open minded individual with a keen interest in learning about other languages and traditions through traveling and experiencing other cultures. I consider myself a confident person who enjoys socialising with a wide range of people. To relax, I enjoy going on bike rides with my friends and hiking local mountains and trails as I find this helps clear my mind and organise my thoughts. I'm also an avid gamer, I enjoy both the competitive aspects of the game, as well as the problem-solving aspects. I will make an excellent addition to your university and in the near future, an exceptional paramedic.

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Home Essay Samples Profession

Essay Samples on Paramedic

A paramedic is an essential healthcare professional trained to provide emergency medical care to individuals in critical situations. From responding to accidents and traumatic injuries to managing medical emergencies, paramedics play a vital role in saving lives and ensuring the well-being of patients before they reach the hospital.

Tips for Writing a Paramedic Essay

If you’re seeking inspiration for your paramedic essay, our collection of paramedic essay examples offers a valuable resource to enhance your understanding of this dynamic field. These examples cover a wide range of topics, enabling you to delve into subjects such as the evolving role of paramedics in modern healthcare, the challenges they face in high-pressure situations, and the impact they have on patient outcomes.

For those in search of compelling paramedic essay topics, we suggest exploring areas such as:

• the importance of effective communication skills for paramedics
• the role of paramedics in disaster response
• the ethical considerations faced by paramedics in their daily practice, etc.

To craft a compelling paramedic essay, we recommend starting with a captivating introduction that highlights the significance of paramedics in emergency healthcare. Subsequently, delve into specific aspects of the profession, supporting your arguments with real-life examples and current research. Lastly, conclude your essay by emphasizing the ongoing advancements and future prospects in the field of paramedicine.

Establish the Patient’s Decision-Making Capacity and Paramedic

A mood disorder can be characterized by an “overall depressed mood, an elevated mood leading to mania, and hypomania and will “vary in intensity and severity.” Christina Gregory, PhD. Defines these characteristics as feelings of negativity, cognitive, mood, sleep, behavioral, whole body, weight effects, feelings...

The Filters for Prehospital Care of Paramedic

Paramedics are median wellbeing in health science and to maintain the disease. As Everyone depends on quick reactions and quick responses to their work. Every day there are inventions on paramedics to improve this system and develop some serves which have benefits for people. It...

• Nursing Care Plan

End of Life Patients Managed Appropriately by Paramedics

A definition of End of life care is when a patient who is near the end of their life and the treatment that they were receiving to control the disease has been stopped. End of life care goal is to make the patient pain free...

Stress and Grief Impacts and Management in Paramedicine

Paramedics correspondingly manage an enormous load of injuries and troubling occurrences of certain events as a standard protocol of their work and often experience greater extent sightings of accidental or natural forms of injuries and illnesses within a day than certain individuals may be presented...

Why I Want to Be a Paramedic: My Dream Job

Since finishing my degree in psychology, I have been working as a clinical support worker at Salford royal hospital. Working in the NHS has completely changed my perspective as to what career I thought that I had previously wanted, since I have been working as...

• Career Goals

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Personal Opinion Essay About Why I Want To Be A Paramedic

There are many reasons to become a paramedic. It can be because of the flashing lights and blaring sirens, wearing a badge/ uniform, to save lives or even because you want to help people. But when I think back to the motivation I got to...

The Hardships of the Career of a Paramedic

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) serve great purposes and carry much responsibility when it comes to the care of a patient that is away from any health care facility. In the career of EMTs, there are three levels which are of the following: EMT-basic, EMT-intermediate, and...

Secondary Roles of a Paramedic

Paramedics as first responders to emergency scenes have the much-needed role of stabilisation, treatment and transport of the ill or injured. As vital as this primary role is, it can be only one of many the paramedic plays. These secondary roles of a paramedic shall...

Best topics on Paramedic

1. Establish the Patient’s Decision-Making Capacity and Paramedic

2. The Filters for Prehospital Care of Paramedic

3. End of Life Patients Managed Appropriately by Paramedics

4. Stress and Grief Impacts and Management in Paramedicine

5. Why I Want to Be a Paramedic: My Dream Job

6. Personal Opinion Essay About Why I Want To Be A Paramedic

7. The Hardships of the Career of a Paramedic

8. Secondary Roles of a Paramedic

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Paramedic Science

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What is a literature review?

Choosing a topic, developing your search strategy, carrying out your search, saving and documenting your search, formulating a research question, critical appraisal tools.

• Go to LibrarySearch This link opens in a new window

So you have been asked to complete a literature review, but what is a literature review?

A literature review is a piece of research which aims to address a specific research question. It is a comprehensive summary and analysis of existing literature. The literature itself should be the main topic of discussion in your review. You want the results and themes to speak for themselves to avoid any bias.

The first step is to decide on a topic. Here are some elements to consider when deciding upon a topic:

• Choose a topic which you are interested in, you will be looking at a lot of research surrounding that area so you want to ensure it is something that interests you. 
• Draw on your own experiences, think about your placement or your workplace.
• Think about why the topic is worth investigating.  

Once you have decided on a topic, it is a good practice to carry out an initial scoping search.

This requires you to do a quick search using  LibrarySearch  or  Google Scholar  to ensure that there is research on your topic. This is a preliminary step to your search to check what literature is available before deciding on your question. 

The research question framework elements can also be used as keywords.

• Think about who the population/ sample group. Are you looking for a particular age group, ethnicity, cultural background, gender, health issue etc.
• What is the intervention/issue you want to know more about? This could be a particular type of medication, education, therapeutic technique etc. 
• Do you have a particular context in mind? This could relate to a community setting, hospital, ward etc. 

It is important to remember that databases will only ever search for the exact term you put in, so don't panic if you are not getting the results you hoped for. Think about alternative words that could be used for each keyword to build upon your search. 

Build your search by thinking about about synonyms, specialist language, spellings, acronyms, abbreviations for each keyword that you have.

Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria

Your inclusion and exclusion criteria is also an important step in the literature review process. It allows you to be transparent in how you have  ended up with your final articles. 

Your inclusion/exclusion criteria is completely dependent on your chosen topic. Use your inclusion and exclusion criteria to select your articles, it is important not to cherry pick but to have a reason as to why you have selected that particular article. 

• Search Planning Template Use this template to plan your search strategy.

Once you have thought about your keywords and alternative keywords, it is time to think about how to combine them to form your search strategy. Boolean operators instruct the database how your terms should interact with one another. 

Boolean Operators

• OR can be used to combine your keywords and alternative terms. For example "Social Media OR Twitter". When using OR we are informing the database to bring articles continuing either of those terms as they are both relevant so we don't mind which appears in our article. 
• AND can be used to combine two or more concepts. For example "Social Media AND Anxiety". When using AND we are informing the database that we need both of the terms in our article in order for it to be relevant.
• Truncation can be used when there are multiple possible word endings. For example Nurs* will find Nurse, Nurses and Nursing. 
• Double quotation marks can be used to allow for phrase searching. This means that if you have two or more words that belong together as a phrase the database will search for that exact phrase rather than words separately.  For example "Social Media"

Don't forget the more ORs you use the broader your search becomes, the more ANDs you use the narrower your search becomes. 

One of the databases you will be using is EBSCOHost Research Databases. This is a platform which searches through multiple databases so allows for a comprehensive search. The short video below covers how to access and use EBSCO. 

A reference management software will save you a lot of time especially when you are looking at lots of different articles. 

We provide support for EndNote and Mendeley. The video below covers how to install and use Mendeley. 

Consider using a research question framework. A framework will ensure that your question is specific and answerable.

There are different frameworks available depending on what type of research you are interested in.

Population - Who is the question focussed on? This could relate to staff, patients, an age group, an ethnicity etc.

Intervention - What is the question focussed on? This could be a certain type of medication, therapeutic technique etc. 

Comparison/Context - This may be with our without the intervention or it may be concerned with the context for example where is the setting of your question? The hospital, ward, community etc?

Outcome - What do you hope to accomplish or improve etc.

Sample - as this is qualitative research sample is preferred over patient so that it is not generalised. 

Phenomenon of Interest - reasons for behaviour, attitudes, beliefs and decisions.

Design - the form of research used. 

Evaluation - the outcomes.

Research type -qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods.  

All frameworks help you to be specific, but don't worry if your question doesn't fit exactly into a framework. 

There are many critical appraisal tools or books you can use to assess the credibility of a research paper but these are a few we would recommend in the library. Your tutor may be able to advise you of others or some that are more suitable for your topic.

Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP)

CASP is a well-known critical appraisal website that has checklists for a wide variety of study types. You will see it frequently used by practitioners.

Understanding Health Research

This is a brand-new, interactive resource that guides you through appraising a research paper, highlighting key areas you should consider when appraising evidence.

Greenhalgh, T. (2014) How to read a paper: The basics of evidence-based medicine . 5 th edn. Chichester: Wiley

Greenhalgh’s book is a classic in critical appraisal. Whilst you don’t need to read this book cover-to-cover, it can be useful to refer to its specific chapters on how to assess different types of research papers. We have copies available in the library!

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Paramedic Science and Paramedics - Essay Example

• Subject: Health Sciences & Medicine
• Type: Essay
• Level: Undergraduate
• Pages: 11 (2750 words)
• Downloads: 4
• Author: jerad78

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Reasons surround paramedic specialization intention, law and ethics in healthcare, factors associated with specialization intentions for paramedic practice, what factors are associated with specialization intentions for paramedic practice, choose a ahp, basic paramedic practice ( patient approach and call completion), the profession of paramedic, how counselling and physical activities can help job-related stress and mental health for paramedics.

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The bargaining of professionalism in emergency care practice: NHS paramedics and higher education

Assaf givati.

School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

Chris Markham

Over the past 2 decades, as part of reforms to the National Health Service and with it organizational changes to ambulance work in the UK, paramedic education has undergone a process of academisation and a shift from in-house, apprenticeship weeks-long occupational training, to university-based undergraduate programs. While the professional regulation and standardization of Allied Health Professionals’ education in high-income countries has captured scholarly attention, the study of paramedic practice is still in its infancy and there is a need to explore its evolvement in relation to the fluid societal–political circumstances affecting its provision and demand. Based on interviews with front-line paramedics, paramedic educators and paramedic science students in the South of England, this article examines how the reforms to paramedic education have impacted the professionalization of paramedics and their discourse of professionalism. Framed within to the ‘new’ sociology of professions, the case of British paramedics demonstrates the complex nature of the relationship between the university and professional practice. It appears that universities, the providers of paramedic education, are caught between two opposing discourses of professionalism: on the one hand, that of providing a platform for students’ socialization and engagement with professionalism ‘from within’ practice which is based on students’ common goals and mutual experiences, and, on the other hand, serving as a conduit for managerial/organizational strategies of professionalism which appear to undermine the role of university socialization.

Introduction

The changing landscape of paramedic practice.

Over the past couple of decades, as part of governments’ response to a host of demographic, economic, behavioral and societal variables affecting the health care landscape, the ambulance service underwent major changes to its education and practice. As Nancarrow and Borthwick ( 2005 ) point out, health professionals’ disciplinary boundaries are dynamic in nature and are defined in relation to fluid circumstances including societal expectations, cultural perceptions and technological advancements. Globally, the health care workforce is having to adapt to intensifying and unmet demand which, coupled with staffing shortages, is leading to the design of patient-centered care based consumers preferences by introducing professionalized and target-driven services (Allsop and Saks 2003 ; Freidson 2001 ; Nancarrow and Borthwick 2005 ). In order to enhance the scope of practice and public health roles of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), which would allow for the expansion and enhancement of the health care workforce, there was a need to regulate their practice and expand their education and training programs. In the UK, new AHPs such as operating department practitioners, podiatrists, speech- language- , arts- and occupational therapists, clinical and biomedical scientists, and paramedics, followed the already-established health care occupations such as nursing, midwifery, radiography and physiotherapy, and entered universities, often as undergraduate programs (Timmons 2011 ; Woollard 2006 ).

In the case of paramedics, their role has typically been shifted since the 1970s from patient transport service to an increasingly professionalized and medicalized practice (Brooks et al. 2015 ). For example, Metz ( 1981 ), described ambulance work in the US during the late 1970s as a kind of “blue-collar profession“, a term used to capture the street-level, haphazard, unpredictable, often stressful encounters that are part of the ambulance work, which is rewarded with a high degree of professional autonomy yet with poor working conditions and low pay. However, over the past couple of decades, paramedic education and practice in countries such as the US, Canada, Australia and the UK has been transformed.

In Canada, the paramedic role has been adapted in order to meet the growing demand for emergency care services as well as the increasingly long waiting time for medical care and the ever-inflating costs of health care (Corman 2016 ). In Australia, paramedics developed greater medical skills as part of the solution for providing primary healthcare in small rural communities (O’Meara et al. 2012 ). Moreover, according to Williams et al. ( 2009 ), Australian paramedics extended their professional status by adopting a number of professionalization strategies including the development of a political alliance with the medical profession, regulating practice, and by developing training programs in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

As for the UK, for many years the ambulance service was restricted to the transportation of patients and was regarded as no more than low-paid, low-status manual labor (Kilner 2004 ). However, the introduction of reforms to the NHS (The Department of Health 1997 ) have included changes to ambulance service delivery and with it to paramedic education and training (Brooks et al. 2015 ), leading to the enhancement of paramedics’ medical skills and public health roles. It was only in 1966 that formal requirements for minimum level of training for ambulance staff in Britain was introduced (Ministry of Health 1966 ). The training was delivered ‘in-house’ by the ambulance service, which awarded certificates (Brooks et al. 2015 ). Following the 1974 NHS Registration Act, the ambulance service became part of the National Health Service (NHS), leading to an enhanced medicalization of ambulance work and to the emergence of paramedic practice , which increasingly included medical interventions (College of Paramedics 2014 ). Indeed, during the 1990s, ambulance services in the UK started providing complex medical procedures such as cardiac defibrillation, nebulization therapy and the administration of several prescription-only medicines (Craggs and Blaber 2008 ).

Parallel to these developments there is evidence that the demand for ambulance service in the UK, the cost of emergency care services and the job-strain on ambulance practitioners are all increasing significantly from year to year (National Institute of Health Research 2016 ). Whilst the driving forces behind these trends are not fully known, it appears to involve the impact of demographic changes and an ageing population, as well as organizational and practice-related changes to the already-complex system of unplanned care with its ambulance services, A&E departments, emergency mental health services, emergency telephone helpline and walk-in centers.

Reforms to paramedic education in the UK

Central to the NHS modernization reforms, was the regulation of medical para-professionals, including paramedics, by a newly established umbrella regulator, the ‘Professions Supplemental to Medicine (CPSM)’, later named Health Professions Council (HPC). Paramedic practice underwent re-evaluation by an Audit Commission ( 1998 ), which outlined the enhancement of paramedics’ medical skills and professional responsibilities in order to enable them to treat and manage those patients with less serious conditions. Such changes to paramedic practice required reforms in the training programs and indeed the Audit Commission recommended that paramedic training should be delivered in universities (Brooks et al. 2015 ).

Upon regulation with the HPC and the introduction of standards of proficiency for paramedic practice (Health and Care Professions Council 2014 ), an accreditation procedure including benchmark curricular standards was developed by the College of Paramedics ( 2014 ), the professional body for paramedics and ambulance practitioners in the UK. Central to this cultural change management in the ambulance service was the “Bradley Report“, a strategic review of NHS Ambulance Service by the Department of Health (DoH 2005 ). The report emphasized the need to better-utilize practitioners’ skills in order to meet cost and efficiency targets, often referred to as a shift from “scoop and run“to “see and treat“.

From this point onwards, university education was the main route for registered paramedics, although it was still possible to become a student paramedic with the ambulance service and study while at work on the road. By 2017, there were 36 providers of paramedic education, of which 31 were universities. Of these programmers, 17 are offered at undergraduate (BSc) level. Furthermore, following a review of paramedic education (Lovegrove and Davis 2013 ), it was stipulated that from 2019 onwards BSc (Hons) will be the standard paramedic education pathway.

Theoretical framework: higher education and the dual discourse of professionalism

Defining professional work has been an elusive and increasingly complex exercise for social scientists, due to the fast-changing environment in terms of cultural–organizational, societal and policy changes, global-international influences and the blurring borders between the public and private sectors (Evetts 2013 ; Noordegraaf 2007 ). The ‘classic’ approach to the study of professional work has been mainly in relation to professionalization, which is the process by which occupational groups obtain higher status and economic gains as well as the monopoly protection of the occupational jurisdiction, through occupational closure (Abbott 1988 ; Freidson 1986 ; Larson 1980 ; Parkin 1979 ; Witz 1990 ). Such occupational closure is achieved by restricting access to the occupational group’s knowledge and skills-base, typically through credentialism , which is the standardization of professional knowledge and the establishment of certification programs (Collins 1979 , 1990 ), typically, in HEIs (MacDonald 1995 ). From an occupational closure view,

….the key to the definition of a profession remains the sheltered position of professions in the marketplace, with entry to the professions usually gained through obtaining relevant higher education credentials (Saks 2012 , p. 4).

Occupational closure was effective in considering the collective strategies of occupational groups in their quest to enhance their economic and social standing and prestige. However, Evetts ( 2006 , 2013 ) suggests that the preoccupation with closure strategies neglects the impact of the “internal” professional culture and the role of practitioners in shaping the profession ‘from within’ (Freidson 2001 ). This “new” sociology of professions recognizes the emergence of occupational strategies of professionalism which are generated by practitioners themselves, resulting from their ability to apply knowledge in practice, from their self-regulation and from their conduct, rather than from being “passive” members of a professional group (Cant et al. 2011 ; Noordegraaf 2007 ).

According to Freidson ( 2001 ), professionalism is the main organizing principle in service-related work such as AHPs. Professionalism is seen here as the formation of common practices and procedures that enable the negotiation of practice during interactions between members of the professional group and their consumers, as well as the production of a normative value system that is adopted by the individual practitioner (Evetts 2013 ). However, Freidson ( 2001 ) asserted that, for professionalism to be sustained, the occupational control of the work should be held by practitioners themselves, as they are the ones most familiar with complex work-related situations which require the utilization of expert knowledge and discretionary decision-making.

Therefore, from this perspective, the role of universities in shaping professions is not limited to the mere delivery of certificates and credentials that separate the professional from the non-professional. Rather, universities are conceptualized as a place whereby professional knowledge is constructed as part of practitioners’ academic journey and where shared professional characteristics are being formed. The university, like other large institutions (such as hospitals for example), is a place where professional identity and work-culture are constructed, as part of practitioners’ common interaction with vocational and educational experiences and as part of the shared challenges and collective values that are negotiated during a process of socialization in HEIs (Evetts 2013 ). Furthermore, the complexities and unpredictability of work-encounters call for specialist knowledge (that is obtained during education and training) as well as the exercise of discretionary decision making that warrants consumers’ trust in the practitioner (Evetts 2006 ).

Nevertheless, in recent years, professionalism has also been analyzed as a discourse of occupational change and control in service work organizations (Fournier 1999 ). When governmental and organizational budgets become scarce and consumers become more demanding, the state is trying to reshape the nature of professional work so that it is more economic, more commercial in nature and more entrepreneurial (Hanlon 1999 ). An example to this discourse is the way the government re-organized emergency care services in the UK in reply to demographic and economic pressures by regulating practitioners and by formalizing and medicalizing their training in HEIs. As a result of such market-driven managerialism, professionals have become

…part of large-scale organizational systems, with cost control; targets; indicators; quality models; and market mechanisms, prices, and competition (Noordegraaf 2007 , p. 763).

In light of these tensions between managerial/organizational professionalism and occupational-level professionalism, we question the position of universities as part of AHPs professional projects. It appears that the external regulation of professional work, which has been labeled as “professionalization from above” (McClelland 1990 ), contradicts, and possibly undermines, the discourse of professionalism that is developed by practitioners themselves during university socialization. Moreover, it is possible that the standardization of expert knowledge in university, along with the newly-introduced regulatory measures and practice performance-indicators, threaten practitioners’ professional autonomy and discretionary decision-making that is founded on experience and on individual qualities (Jamous and Peloille 1970 ).

In their ethnographic study of the professionalization of paramedics in the UK, McCann et al. ( 2013 ) demonstrated the apparent tension that exists between the professional motivation of the senior, institutional level, and that of “street-level” paramedics. On the one hand, the management is looking to establish a discourse of “managerial professionalism” that is constructed by standardized procedures and emphasizes practitioners’ accountability based on adherence to institutional targets, external regulation, target-setting and performance review (Evetts 2013 ). On the other hand, street-level paramedics are seeking to sustain a discourse of “occupational professionalism” that is founded upon collegial authority, practitioner’s discretion and trust , and professional ethics. It appears as if universities are positioned at the heart of this tension. The university function both as standardizing agency that channels managerial aspirations, but also as a site for practitioners’ socialization, personal expression and an internalized academic journey.

Methodology

This narrative-based qualitative research study was conducted during the academic year 2015/16, at a university providing Paramedic Science education in collaboration with the regional ambulance service in the South of England. Narrative-led research is an umbrella term that is designed to capture personal and human dimensions of experience over time in the context of the relationship between the individual experience and its social context (Connelly and Clandinin 2000 ). In practical terms, it is the systematic gathering, analysis, and representation of people’s own stories as they tell them . This approach allows analyzing the experiences as well as the meanings, values, beliefs and interpretations that the study participants attach to their lived experiences, and positioning them in relation to the theoretical framework guiding the investigation.

The research setting

The UK Ambulance Service is currently operating in 13 regional trusts including a Scottish, Welsh, Northern-Irish and 10 English trusts. This research took place in the South of England, in a regional trust that has over 700 registered front line paramedics, as well as managers, team leaders, educators, clinical mentors and specialist paramedics such as air ambulance personnel. The university providing Paramedic Science education collaborates with the regional ambulance service and relies on it to provide clinical placement and clinical training to its students. Upon successful completion, students are eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council. Paramedics are in demand and employability rate, upon graduation, is near 100 per cent. At the time the study was conducted, the university program of studies was in the process of transition from foundation (FdSc) to BSc (Honors). The program, which has been delivered at the university since the academic year 2007/8, had approximately 75 registered students at the time that data was collected.

In order to reflect the views and experiences of those who shape paramedic education and practice ‘on the ground’, we selected members of the following participant-groups: front-line NHS paramedics from the regional ambulance service; NHS paramedic educators who are employed by the ambulance service to provide continuous professional development as well as support the practice elements of universities’ Paramedic Science programs; and Paramedic Science university lecturers who are employed by the university. The main data collection instrument was in-depth interviews with registered NHS paramedics (N = 20, including 10 women and 10 men; averaging 13 years of ambulance practice). In-depth interviews were chosen to enable a narrative-based approach that is led by interviewees’ own experience and interpretation of the social world (Coombes et al. 2008 ).

A secondary source of data collection was a focus group discussion (FGD) (N = 8) with students from one Paramedic Science program based at a university in the South of England. While the main focus of the investigation was to examine the impact of reforms to paramedic education on paramedics’ professional project and professional culture, as we discussed as part of the theoretical framework, it is important to also consider the role of university socialization in shaping professionalism. Therefore, FGD was set up to inspire participants’ “story-telling” in a group setting, which is not possible during one-to-one interviews (Bowling 2014 ). Moreover, considering that students may feel uncomfortable discussing their studies openly, we hoped that being part of a group will provide them with a degree of confidence and reassurance to express their views.

Sampling, recruitment and ethical approval

We adopted purposive sampling strategy which is a deliberate, non-random sampling approach that is aimed at sampling a group of people who share particular characteristics that are central to the investigation (Bowling 2014 ). All of the participants in the in-depth interviews were registered paramedics at the regional ambulance service. Eight participants were “front-line” paramedics; six were from the education department of the ambulance service with which the university collaborates; and six were paramedic lecturers from the Paramedic Science host university. In order to recruit front-line paramedics, we initially approached the divisional manager at the regional ambulance service. The divisional manager approved paramedics’ participation and circulated the study information sheet via email to the regional ambulance team leaders. The team leaders then extended the invitation to their team members. It is possible that this indirect recruitment strategy limited the number of participants.

Paramedic educators from the ambulance service were approached both via email as well as in person during one of their periodic meetings with the academic team at the university. Lecturers from the academic team at the university (six out of seven) were approached in person at the university. Final year students attending the Paramedic Science program were invited to take part in a Focus Group Discussion both via the university email network as well as during one lecture. Eight out of thirty-five students agreed to participate in the study. Informed consent was obtained prior to all interviews and participants’ confidentiality was maintained throughout all stages of the investigation. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Ethical approval was obtained on 16 June 2015 from the host university’s Science Faculty Ethics Committee (SFEC 2015-026).

Data collection

Primarily data was obtained via in-depth interviews, which emphasize depth and richness of the data rather than its representativeness in a statistical sense (Bowling 2014 ). The use of open-ended and flexible questions as well as probing responses were considered to be able to provide better insight into interviewees‘views, opinions, experiences, and interpretations and, to a certain extent, to be able to represent the interviewees‘own language and bring their own voices to the fore (Byrne 2004 ). As argued by Gubrium and Holstein ( 2002 ), understanding social phenomena, social behavior and social organization is central to qualitative research, suggesting that the interview process should become more “democratized”. That is, rather than an “expert researcher” defining and refining the interview process, this is done directly by the participants who are in effect the “experts” in the social phenomena and the field in which they are nested. The role of the researchers is to enable participants to express themselves effectively and openly so that they inform the research questions, followed by systematic process of data analysis.

Prior to the interview, the study participants were introduced to the study information sheet and signed informed consent. During the interview they were asked pre-defined, broad questions that were derived from a review of the literature and, from the conceptual framework. The interview process was designed to obtain wealth and depth of data with only limited constraining of participants’ story-telling, while the main analytical work is done during the data analysis stage. Front-line paramedics were asked to describe their practice biography, reflect on their paramedic education, compare paramedic practice when they joined the ambulance service to current practice, discuss challenges to practice over time, and consider the nature of the paramedic workforce and of the paramedic professional culture. Often, they were asked to provide examples from practice or reflect on aspects of practice raised in their narratives.

Paramedic educators and academics were asked to consider similar topics as well as describe changes over time and challenges to paramedic education. As for the FGD, here too participants read the study information sheet prior to the interview and signed informed consent. Here, the focus was on the education/academic journey of the participants and the circumstances and factors shaping this experience. Interviewees were asked to describe their motivation for joining the academic program, reflect on the academic and the practical elements of the course and on their interaction with front line paramedics and with paramedic educators, as well as describe their aspirations and how they see their professional future and consider challenges to education and practice.

Data analysis

Data analysis was conducted according to qualitative content analysis (QCA) (Mayring 2000 ; Schreier 2014 ), a method used to systematically describe the meanings of qualitative data. It is a procedure for analyzing extensive textual materials from various resources, including interview data, while reducing the material at hand so that it corresponds with the research question. Although in-depth interviews are designed to promote participants’ self-reflection and rich story-telling, and therefore often allow interviewees’ narratives to “wander” to areas beyond the research interest, the process of QCA provides a systematic and pragmatic approach to manage the data. The first stage of the data analysis is to read through the text and remove material that is strikingly unrelated to the research question. The next stage is to organize the text under pre-defined “contextual categories”, which are developed from the theoretical models informing the investigation and against which the data is considered. Textual material is copied and pasted under matching contextual categories. In our case, the following contextual categories/units were used to organize the text at this stage: professionalization; credentialism; “academic” versus “hands-on” knowledge in paramedic education; managerial professionalism; and occupational professionalism.

Although presented in advance, the contextual categories only serve to frame the analyzed text and ensure that it is considered in relation to the theoretical framework, while removing parts of the narratives that are not developing the investigation. These categories are repeatedly re-visited as data emerges, and, if the emerging interview-narratives present new research-related concepts and “leads” that were not previously considered, are modified accordingly. Through this dynamic approach, the inherently inductive character of QCA is safeguarded. Once this stage is completed, the researchers continue analyzing the text under each category to identify emerging sub - themes within the context of the original categories. Effectively, the method of QCA identifies certain key categories from the available research literature and from theoretical models and then turns to the data to consider how these categories or terms are manifested. In order to enhance the likelihood of analytical generalization, textual material is analyzed systematically to the point of saturation of sub-themes (Polit and Beck 2010 ).

Participants’ narratives illustrate a number of important challenges to paramedics’ professional culture, in light of the reforms to paramedic education: the tension between the value of practice-experience and personality traits, and the increasing emphasis on the acquisition of academic knowledge in HEIs; the friction between the experienced paramedics (and ambulance technicians) 1 who were trained prior to the educational reforms, and the “knowledgeable yet often inexperienced” university graduates; the perceived loss of the important worksite socialization, which is paralleled with the increased individualization and perceived “practice/practitioner isolation” that followed the reforms; and an assertion that university education opened greater job-opportunities to the new graduates, yet, may have a negative impact on job-retention and on the sustainability of the paramedic workforce.

First theme: the academic framing of paramedic expert knowledge

Our analysis of participants’ narratives centers around three inter-related thematic strands, the first of which relates to the process of re-locating professional training from its previous “in-house” occupational setting to HEIs. The process of formalizing professional training as part of professionalization strategies has been linked with the enhancement of practitioners’ reputation and external legitimacy, but also with greater transparency of expert knowledge, greater external scrutiny and a reduction in practitioner’s professional discretion and autonomy (Jamous and Peloille 1970 ; Witz 1990 ). For the”pre-reforms”, experienced paramedics, the transition in education and practice was recognized. They had to adapt simultaneously to rapidly increasing demand for emergency care services, to growing job intensity, as well as to a newly-defined paramedic role. SK, the course leader of the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science, reflects on changes to ambulance work over the past few years:

The first thing that you notice when you go back after being away from it for a while is just the intensity of it all. The fact that there is no downtime, there is no opportunity to catch your breath really. You’re off and then you go from one patient to the next with very little break in between. […] There are lots of tired, fatigued people out there doing this job. The intensity of it must be completely draining.

Similarly, PJ, has seen a dramatic change to the paramedic shift work since she qualified as a paramedic in 2009. In her narrative, she describes how it changed:

Back in 2009 when I started, I remember going for two days in a row without doing a job. Now you can do ten jobs in a day; there’s jobs just stacking and stacking and stacking…. It just never stops.

The new academic programs were designed to ensure that graduates are able to diagnose and deliver complex medical interventions. The BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science program (360 academic credits in total obtained over 3 years of study and clinical placement) includes the teaching of several biomedical subjects: anatomy and physiology (20 credits); the principles of evidence based practice (20 credits) and of scientific research (20 credits); conducting a final year research project (40 credits); study the principles of physical and biomedical sciences (20 credits) and pathological processes (20 credits). Furthermore, students also obtain the academic skills that are part of any undergraduate (Honors) program of study, alongside the “purely clinical” units and clinical placement. This has been a complete overhaul of the previous weeks-long courses, whereby practitioners had to “learn as they went along”. CJ, who attended the pre-reforms training, joined the London Ambulance Service in 1995. She recalls her first day in practice:

There I was…I was chucked out and it was literally sink or swim. […] we’ve given our own personal paramedic bag and it was literally thrown at you this bag. It was wrapped in plastic, it had a laryngoscope and stuff inside and I didn’t know what to do with this equipment. It was quite horrific time now that I think about it….”baptism of fire”.

For those paramedics who had been trained prior to the introduction of the academic programs, the educational and practice reforms were perceived as a gap in academic and practical knowledge while having to adapt to the expansion of their previous paramedic role. University programs, and their “product”, paramedic graduates, were often perceived by the veteran ambulance practitioners with mistrust and with cynicism. BT, for example, was an ambulance technician before eventually enrolling to Paramedic Science university program. Looking back, she recalls her concerns about the academic content of her university training:

When we studied about research we were doing poster presentations and one of the lecturers said “you know, it is really important to be able to learn how to deliver a presentation because you might go to a conference and you will be presenting something”….and we were all thinking “when are we ever going to go to a conference and present something??”

A number of university students who attended the focus group discussion argued that the university program places an exaggerated emphasis on the teaching of Evidence Based Practice (EBP) and on the principles of scientific research. Such “purely intellectual” subjects were often seen to “steal” valuable time that could otherwise be dedicated to hands-on practice of hands-on medical/practical skills. For example, GA argues that:

The last thing you want to do whilst you’re dealing with a cardiac arrest is start thinking about evidence-based practice…

Indeed, as Evetts ( 2006 ) stresses, members of professional groups that are undergoing organizational change, particularly the more experienced, older generation, often perceive reforms as an increase in unnecessary bureaucracy. Furthermore, the change is often seen to interfere with the “routine delivery” of professional work and to “corrupt” the occupational identity that emerges during years of professional socialization at the workplace.

Second theme: the expansion of paramedic knowledge and skills, professional accountability and the individualization of practice

With the regulation of paramedic practice and the expansion of the paramedic role, greater professional accountability came about. Such accountability can be seen as enhanced professional recognition, status and trust by both managers and clients in paramedics’ ability to perform complex tasks. At the same time, it reflects an externalized form of regulation (Evetts 2013 ) and a transition from professionalism rooted in practitioners’ moral commitment to professionalism that is driven by managerial control and by practitioners’ fear of being punished if they don’t follow the professional conduct. Following the regulation of paramedic practice, registered paramedics, members of the AHPs, work under clearly defined and strict professional codes of ethics and practice (HCPC 2007 ). For example, during the period 02/02/2012–10/01/2013, due to lack of compliance with codes of professional practice, 10 registered paramedics were struck off from the HCPC register and 12 paramedics were suspended during that period, by far the highest of all AHPs (Lovegrove and Davis 2013 ). This in stark contrast to “the old days”, as FM, an experienced paramedic who has been trained during the “pre-reforms” era, recalls:

If I’d done something wrong I’d get a clip around the head, and that was it…

Nowadays, as HK recalls from her first few shifts on the ambulance upon graduating from university,

….you suddenly think “I have to remember absolutely everything they’ve just taught me at university”… And you don’t want to get anything wrong, because that means that your career is gone. You don’t just think about your patient, you constantly think about your own registration.

The last two narratives reflect the tension between occupational and managerial professionalism. Evett’s ( 2013 ) describes “occupational professionalism” as a discourse that is constructed from within the occupational group and which is distinguished by collegial authority, discretionary decision-making and occupational control, where practitioners are bound by moral commitment and are trusted to perform professional tasks. In contrast, the regulation of education and practice, the standardization of expert knowledge, the monitoring of practice through performance indicators (mistrust), the hierarchical nature of the organization and of decision making, all follow a discourse of managerial control (Fournier 1999 ). The result seems to reflect a gradual decline of the collegial nature of paramedic work towards an individualization of practice and the loss of the strong sense of community that characterized the paramedic professional culture. CJ for example, recalls the “old days” prior to the regulation of practice:

There seemed to be a lot more support from your mates. We were much closer. […] Now it is a “you against the world” kind of thing.

Also RC, who is clinical mentor and who has joined the ambulance trust 14 years ago, recalls how different a typical shift used to be when she joined the service:

I remember being back on my station and it was like a family. You knew everyone. You’d sit down on a Sunday morning and all have breakfast together. And you might get “disturbed” for a job but the likelihood is that you’d be kept on base to have your breakfast together and you’d see these people all the time […] Now I think the crew might not see another crew all day.

The study participants, including front-line paramedics, paramedic educators and students, made frequent reference to the “camaraderie”, a spirit of professional friendship that characterized ambulance work and which is obtained during socialization, both while in university and in practice, and is perceived to be fading in recent years. Another commonly-mentioned term that reflects the “pre-reforms” paramedic culture is the “paramedic banter”, a sort of humorous, teasing exchange between colleagues who are also friends or “buddies”. Overall the narratives reflect a sense of loss or yearning to what used to be an inherently communal and socialized occupation but has now been somewhat “domesticated” and individualized in the course of the regulation and monitoring of professional practice.

Third theme: higher education and professionalism in paramedic practice

A third central theme in participants’ narratives was the nature of the relationship between the “pre-reforms” trained practitioners and the “post-reforms” university graduates. Broadly speaking, this relationship reflects the friction between two discourses of professionalism, organizational (post-reforms education and practice) and occupational (pre-reforms), although this is a rather crude distinction that does not fully reflect the diversity of views amongst paramedics. The development of paramedic science university programs has been driven by the management rather than from within practice (McCann et al. 2013 ) and as such it can be seen to serve the discourse of organizational professionalism. However, the nature of university education and the socialization that is part of it reflects the spirit of occupational professionalism that is generated from within practice by practitioners themselves (Freidson 2001 ).

With time, as the volume of university graduating registered paramedics within the ambulance service grew, the complex interaction between the two practitioner groups became more challenging. Moreover, the Paramedic Science university students were often a mixture of “conventional university students”, typically 18-year-old college graduates, and the experienced (and typically older) ambulance technicians commissioned by the ambulance service. As stated by RC, an experienced paramedic educator who is employed by the ambulance service, some of the “pre-reforms” ambulance technicians did not have sufficient academic qualifications to allow them to enroll to the university program, and were therefore unable to become qualified registered paramedics. This often prompted frustration and resentment toward the new graduates:

Some staff would like to get on to paramedic programs and they don’t have the academic qualifications to get on to university. Often that’s one of their bugbears I guess, that they have all this experience but no qualifications to access a university program. Yet, you have a 21-year-old graduate who has the qualifications but no experience and sometimes I think that’s hard for the experienced people to understand and it angers them.

The following two narratives by TJ and RV, both “pre-reforms” ambulance technicians who later completed university paramedic programs, demonstrate the ambiguity that characterizes the view of the new graduates, a mixture of frustration and respect:

TJ: When the university graduates started coming into the service they had so much knowledge, and it bugged me. I was frustrated with that. I felt like I don’t cut it anymore and these guys are so amazing.

RV: The students seem to be coming in with a “higher” plan before they’ve even got their paramedic ticket [..] they do seem to be kind of “dipping in” [to practice] and then they are already thinking of ways to get out.

In the eyes of the veteran, “pre-reforms” trained paramedics, the new university graduates were perceived as both highly knowledgeable yet often lacking the experience, “street-wise” nature and the discretionary decision-making capacity of the “older generation”, as the following narrative by FM, a pre-reforms registered paramedic suggests:

They [university graduates] have not one ounce of common sense, but a lot of knowledge. No life experience with a lot of them…If you give them a blanket they think of it just as a blanket, they don’t realize what you can use a blanket for! Then again, their knowledge of theory is brilliant, they know so much more than we did as paramedics.

The general perception by the pre-reforms trained practitioners was that university graduates who had not been working for the ambulance service prior to their paramedic education do not share the same occupational and collegial commitment and the kind of occupational professionalism that identifies the pre-reforms practitioners. They were portrayed by some of the interviewees to be more self-motivated and, empowered with academic credentials, as primarily motivated by personal gains:

[HP, clinical educator:] You know, I have been in [ambulance] service for over 16 years now. And I will probably stay here. But what we are seeing now is an obvious shift in the workforce. We are getting a lot of university graduates coming in, doing their jobs, getting their university degrees, they are getting some experience under their belt, they stay for 3-4 years and they are moving on.

As for the university graduates, as the narratives suggest, they are having to earn the respect of the “older generation” and demonstrate their “worthiness” as paramedics, first during their university education and later, upon graduation, at the ambulance service as registered paramedics. As students, they are being scrutinized by the academic team as well as, during clinical placement, by the ambulance crew and by the clinical educators. Upon graduation, they have to mold themselves into the paramedic work-culture, while, as registered paramedics, they are the accountable and senior authority. They are put in charge of an ambulance crew and are expected to adhere to professional code of practice and strict performance indicators. This, as SK, the Paramedic Science course leader suggests, is not an easy undertaking for the university graduate:

The students have to have a really thick skin because they are scrutinized. They are scrutinized by us [the academic team] when they are in university. They are scrutinized by registrants when they are in clinical placement. They are scrutinized by patients because they are obviously students and because it is written all over their shirts. So there is a whole host of things that they have to overcome and we are asking 18 year olds to overcome some challenges that a lot of older people would struggle with.

It is now increasingly common that an experienced ambulance crew is being led by a 20-year-old university graduate. Therefore, it is not uncommon that the professional authority of the young paramedic is challenged by a highly experienced, yet lower-ranked, ambulance technician. BJ, who only recently graduated from university, found herself suddenly in charge of an experienced ambulance crew. She recalls her first shift as “traumatic”:

My first ever job was a nightmare. My assistant [an experienced ambulance technician] took decisions that were wrong. But because she has been on the road for a long time I let her make these decisions although I knew they were wrong. It’s difficult to overrule someone when you’ve just been in and she’s been in service for 15 years. […]

Although such encounters are commonly described by the study participants, it seems that with time the “older generation” has also developed a sort of academic appetite. For example, five of the pre-reforms trained interviewees went on to complete undergraduate paramedic education followed by a Master’s degree. TJ, who attended the university program having had no previous academic or college qualifications, describes her academic journey as “empowering”:

To actually go through the process [university education] and end up with a credible mark…I was just blown away. And I can’t tell you what that did for my confidence really. It just empowered me.

Although initially skeptical of university education, when BT finally decided to attend the university program herself, she went on and completed a Master’s degree. Today, she is a lecturer on the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science program and about to start her PhD:

Obviously, when you get older, you don’t want to be lifting and shifting people. To be honest, having done the paramedic degree, career wise, it really helped me move jobs and plan my future. You are higher up “the food chain”…

Our investigation, although limited in size and in scope, offers primary findings and observations, which call for further studies across the UK and further afield. Participants’ narratives embody and personify the impact of the educational reforms on paramedics’ professional identity and professional culture while illuminating central concepts in the study of the relationship between higher education and professional practice in health and social care.

According to the study of professionalization and occupational closure, HEIs provide “classic” professions such as medicine with the certification mechanism to determine professional membership that is based on the acquisition of expert knowledge, as well as the space to monitor the specialization and codification of complex expert knowledge by defining educational standards and by providing training programs that are supported by the state (Abbott 1988 ; Freidson 1986 ; MacDonald 1995 ). HEIs, in that respect, are enablers of occupational closure and of professional jurisdiction by distinguishing between those who are professionals (and who are able to join the professional association) and those who are non-professionals. Nevertheless, as the case of paramedic education in the UK demonstrates, the picture is far more complex.

First, it is difficult to use the perspective of occupational closure to newly-emerging occupations (such as paramedics) which are not equipped with the same societal and political standing of “elite professions” such as medicine (Evetts 2013 ; Noordegraaf 2007 ). In fact, studies have demonstrated how the medical profession exercise control over the delivery of expert knowledge in the health care domain (Freidson 1986 ; Larkin 1980 ; Saks 2012 ) and the subordination of AHPs to the medical profession in both practice and education (Cant et al. 2011 ; Nancarrow and Borthwick 2005 ; Witz 1990 ). Indeed, as argued by McCann et al. ( 2013 ), due to its “top-down” nature and without engaging paramedics “on the ground” in the occupational change, the professionalization of British paramedics and the formalization of paramedic education did not quite grasp practitioners’ support and it did not bear the professional gains that are expected as part of occupational closure such as better pay or better work conditions.

Second, the process of “being a professional” goes beyond the obtaining of certificates and formal qualifications through educational programs. It goes also beyond ‘professional behavior’ that is defined by standard codes of ethics and practice that are developed by regulators and professional bodies (Morrow et al. 2011 ). Professionalism is also developed as an identity , perceived and enacted, while being part of a professional community and, as such, it is also constructed through socialization (Evetts 2013 ). Universities offer a space for paramedics’ socialization during the students’ shared academic journey and while in clinical placement. Universities also provide a space for institutionalized professional community through academic conferences, academic profession-related journals and research programs (Noordegraaf 2007 ). Since the emergence of paramedic education in universities there has been a notable development of paramedical academic activities. The Journal of Paramedic Practice publishes a mixture of clinical and professional reports as well as research publications, and paramedic and emergency care research conferences are organized by universities and by the College of Paramedics, bringing the professional community together while expanding the boundaries of professional practice. Table  1 , below, is a summary of the influence of the formalization of paramedic education in HEIs on the professionalization of paramedics:

Table 1

A summary of participants' perceived professional related influences of paramedic university education

As can be seen in Table  1 , participants’ narratives reflect the complex and somewhat paradoxical role of higher education in shaping professionalism in paramedic practice. The university, now the provider of paramedic education, finds itself in between the organizational professionalism that is driven by the ambulance service management and the occupational professionalism that is led, from within practice, by front-line paramedics and university students. What then is the role of the host university as part of the professional transformation? For the “pre-reforms”, front-line paramedics, the expansion of paramedic knowledge and of the paramedic role offer greater responsibility, accountability and job-complexity. However, it is being linked with the loss of the communal occupational nature of paramedic practice.

The “new paramedics”, the university graduates, are awarded with academic certificates, placing them amongst other established academic-professional health care professionals, possibly providing them with greater job mobility. At the same time, they are under intense scrutiny, first as students and as ‘newcomers’ to the ambulance service, and later, like their ‘pre-reforms’ peers, working under strict performance indicators and professional reviews. Therefore, although the university enables the expansion and the medicalization of expert knowledge and with it the enhancement of the paramedic public health role, it is linked also with organizational control of the individual practitioner and the challenge to paramedics' professional autonomy and discretionary decision-making.

Like other AHPs, professionalism is inherent to paramedic education and code of practice. As part of the program, students on the BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science at the host university engage with professionalism which underlines ‘professional behavior’, based on ‘ethical’, ‘reliable’ and ‘effective’ practice (Morrow et al. 2011 ). At the same time, the examination of the role of HEIs in shaping paramedics’ professional identity reflects the increasingly ambiguous nature of professionalism in AHPs’ practice. The meaning of professionalism is not fixed (Evetts 2003 , p. 407), and different interpretations of professionalism are needed in order to understand its appeal to AHPs, and with it, understand the role of universities in facilitating occupational change.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the study participants for their time and for sharing their views with us. Thank you to the reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions and to Dr. Janine Teerling for proofreading and for her advice. Finally, thank you to the School of Health Sciences and Social Work, University of Portsmouth, for supporting the study.

1 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Ambulance technician is a clinical role in the UK ambulance services but is unregistered. They are trained to a lower standard than paramedics.

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Paramedic Science Degree Interview Questions and Answers

Are you preparing to pass the paramedic selection process? If so, then you’ll need to pass the paramedic science degree interview. Here, we’re going to teach you how to pass the paramedic science degree interview. To do this, we’ll give you some sample interview questions, responses, and some useful tips to help you prepare fully.

We’ve been helping many people over the last 14 years to prepare for paramedic interviews and these questions are certainly going to help you.

1. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 1: “Why do you want to become a paramedic?”

This question is important because it is a safety-critical role. Not everybody has the skills and attributes to manage the pressure and to carry out the job competently.

Okay, so they want to know why you want to become a paramedic. Now here are some positive things to say about the role that you should include in your response.

You basically have the chance to make a difference to the community and to society in this kind of role, similar to roles such as police, fire service, and so on. You have a chance to make a difference. And if you’re the kind of person who wants to make a difference then you should mention that. So it’s a chance for you to make a difference to the community in society.

You also get to work alongside a number of highly professional people. Perhaps you like working as part of a team which being a paramedic is very much required. So, with regards to working with highly professional people the other paramedics will be highly professional but it’s not just those it’s the call handlers and the other people that form part of this massive team that is the ambulance service.

But there are also other stakeholders you’ll get to work with the police the fire service the council et cetera. OK. This is another positive aspect to mention: the opportunity to work within a diverse workforce and a diverse community working within a diverse workforce is brilliant.

Also, working in a diverse community is much more fun. It’s much more interesting and satisfying and enjoyable. Another thing is you get as a paramedic to learn new skills and also obtain qualifications so you get to learn new skills. You won’t be able to get anywhere else but also you get to work in a job as a paramedic where no two days are the same. So, there is a lot of variety with regards to it. Yes, there are some mundane tasks that will have to carry out such as patient transport services at times, but no two days are going to be the same. So those are the positive aspects to mention when responding during a paramedic size to being to be why you want to become a paramedic.

Sample Answer to Question 1: Paramedic Science Degree Interview Questions and Answers

I feel that I have the necessary qualities that are required to become a paramedic. This is due to my previous roles as a community first responder first data in the workplace and also as a plumber. I also have first-hand experience of working in a diverse community through hands on experience reading books and talking to operational frontline staff. So, I know that there is a high level of job satisfaction. I like helping make a difference to the people in the community at a time of need. In addition, I enjoy interacting with the public and working in a customer service based role. I am an enthusiastic punctual well-disciplined and always strive for personal development. I will enjoy undertaking a diverse role in a well disciplined and uniform service working closely with other emergency services and support agencies such as St. John’s Ambulance.

2. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 2: “Why Do You Want to Come to This University?”

I can again almost guarantee you will get asked this question. The reason why they will ask you this is because they want the top students who they know are going to pass or more importantly they are going to be role model students. They want really good students.

So universities want the best students to come along: not just people who want to become a paramedic. Why do you want to go along to that university? You have to demonstrate you are a model student and you are determined to work hard and not let them down and pass.

So, if you can give evidence of where you’ve already studied hard before and past exams or whatever then that will help. My advice is to go along to the University open days so you can find out as much as possible about their university.

Now this will demonstrate that you’ve done your homework and you genuinely want to attend their university. And this is not just because you want to become a paramedic that’s really important. So do your homework.

You need to know things of interest. What the university is like, what the prospectus is like, as well as what the course is like, and which parts of the paramedic science degree you think you will find the toughest.

3. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 3: “How do you think you’d react at incidents as thoroughly as incident as a paramedic?”

It is important that paramedics remain calm at all times whilst attending emergency incidents. If they are calm, then they are in control and they will therefore be able to perform their duties competently and professionally.

Whilst attending road traffic collisions, paramedics and other members of the emergency services need to carry out a “dynamic risk assessment” (DRA). In basic terms, the DRA is the management of risk through a continuous process of identifying hazards, assessing risks, taking action to eliminate or reduce risk, monitoring and reviewing all in the rapidly changing circumstances of the operational incident. It is their responsibility to ensure that they and other people at the scene are safe.

Patient care is vitally important. Assessing the needs of each of the casualties and providing the appropriate level of car is the paramedic’s task.

Sample Answer to Question 3: Paramedic Science Degree Interview Questions and Answers

First and foremost, I would remain calm at all times and remember to follow my training and operational procedures. I would always conduct a risk assessment to assess the situation and the safety of myself my colleagues the patient and the public would always be a priority. I feel confident that by following my training learning the operational procedures and working with other stakeholders such as police fire service and the control centre, I would be able to handle any incident competently and professionally.

So that’s a short answer but it covers all of those different things that I’ve just gone through about carrying out a dynamic risk assessment. Now you don’t have to know what a dynamic risk assessment is but you just have to be aware of what the risk assessment actually exists.

4. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 4: “Give an example of where you have had to deal with someone in a potential conflict situation. How did you attempt to take control of the situation?”

For this situation, you need to use the STAR system to effectively demonstrate your experience:

• Situation – What was the situation?
• Task – What was the task that you had to accomplish?
• Action – What steps did you take to accomplish your task?
• Result – What consequences were the direct result of your actions? Try to find the best positive results.

As a paramedic, you’re probably going to end up in circumstances where members of the public are in a state where they might be confrontational or even violent. While the safety of the public is extremely important, so is your own safety. You need to demonstrate that you can keep yourself safe, whilst also trying to maximise the safety of others.

Sample Answer to Question 4:

Whilst working in my current role as a customer service manager I was faced with an angry customer who was dissatisfied with the level of service he had received from our shop it purchased a pair of shoes from his daughter’s birthday. Sorry for his daughter’s birthday but when she went to open the shoe she found that they were both of a different size. The shop assistant had made a mistake and should have checked the shoe sizes before selling them to the gentleman.

Now unfortunately, when I tried to apologise for our error on offer a full refund along with a new pair of shoes for his daughter he refused to calm down and continue to act in an angry manner. I knew that it was important for me to remain calm and not respond to his aggression. If I had responded in a similar aggressive manner I would have been making the situation worse. So I decided to stay calm. Talk to him in a mild mannered voice asking him politely not to shout at me.

Unfortunately he did not calm down and instead he began to swear and threatened me suggesting that the member of staff who had made a mistake should be sacked immediately and if I didn’t do this I would be in trouble. I then decided to give him a warning that if he didn’t calm down and stop swearing the police would be called. He did not listen to me. So, I walked away from the confrontational situation and telephone the police as soon as he saw me calling the police. The man left the shop now although he had left the shop.

I still asked for the police to attend due to the threatening behaviour. Now when the police arrived I gave a statement or requested that the matter be investigated. I believe it is important to broaden an excellent level of service to our customers but that does not mean that you should accept any form of verbal or physical abuse. I’d never respond aggressively to any such situation.

Instead, I would always walk away from a situation like this and inform the relevant authorities.

So even though this isn’t relevant directly to the role of a paramedic you showing that you are able to try and calm somebody down. Follow your training but also remain calm at all times and you also know when to walk away from a situation.

5. Paramedic Science Degree Interview Question 5: Why Do You Think You Can Successfully Pass the Course?

The candidates who can demonstrate previous experience with successfully completing difficult tasks and training courses are far more likely to stick with the degree course and pass it.

During the interview, the panel may ask you to explain why you think you can successfully pass the paramedic science degree course.

During your response, it is important that can provide details of where you have previously worked hard in order to gain a qualification or complete a training course. You will most probably have studied hard previously to pass your GCSEs or A-Levels. This evidence should form the basis of your response.

The panel will also want to see a demonstration of enthusiasm and passion from you, as this will provide further evidence of your commitment to successfully completing the course.

Questions of this nature are usually designed to separate those candidates who are genuinely interested and passionate about becoming a paramedic, from those who are not.

Further Paramedic Science Degree Interview Questions and Answers:

Q. When have you reflected on your own performance and made improvements?

Q. When have you worked as part of a team to achieve a difficult task or goal?

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Are you preparing to pass the paramedic selection process? If so, then you’ll need to pass the paramedic science degree interview. Here, we’re going to teach you how to pass the paramedic science degree interview. … (Read More)

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Help with writing assignments

You can improve your skills at writing assignments for your subject area in a number of ways: 

• Read the guidance or view the online tutorial on this page.  They both go through the TIME model (Targeted, In-depth, Measured, Evidence-based) to explain what's required in academic writing.
• Attend one of our Succeed@Tees workshops. We run a workshop on academic writing, as well as on other types of writing (including critical writing, reflective writing, report writing).  See Succeed@Tees workshops  for more information, including a list of dates and times.
• Book a one-to-one tutorial with our learning and development team . We can provide guidance on your structure and writing style.

Guidance on academic writing

Evidence-based.

• Bringing it all together
• Finally ...

• Writing an assignment takes time, more time than you may expect.  Just because you find yourself spending many weeks on an assignment doesn’t mean that you’re approaching it in the wrong way.
• It also takes time to develop the skills to write well, so don’t be discouraged if your early marks aren’t what you’d hoped for.  Use the feedback from your previous assignments to improve.
• Different types of assignments require different styles, so be prepared for the need to continue to develop your skills.

We’ve broken down TIME into 4 key elements of academic writing: Targeted, In-depth, Measured and Evidence-based.

• What is an academic piece of work

Your assignment needs to be targeted .  It should:

• Be focused on the questions and criteria
• Make a decision
• Follow an argument
• How to be targeted
• Academic keywords or clue words

Your assignment needs to be in-depth .  You should consider your questions and criteria thoroughly, thinking about all possible aspects, and including the argument both for and against different viewpoints.

You should:

• Identify topic areas
• Plan your assignment
• Think about your introduction and conclusion
• How to be in-depth
• How to read quickly

An academic writing style is measured. By this, we mean that it’s:

• Emotionally neutral
• Formal – written in the third person and in full sentences
• How to be measured

Your assignment needs to be evidence-based . You should:

• Reference all the ideas in your work
• Paraphrase your evidence
• Apply critical thinking to your evidence
• How to be evidence-based
• How to paraphrase

Once you’ve found all your evidence, and have decided what to say in each section, you need to write it up as paragraphs.  Each paragraph should be on a single topic, making a single point.  A paragraph is usually around a third of a page. 

We find Godwin’s (2014) WEED model very helpful for constructing paragraphs.

W is for What

You should begin your paragraph with the topic or point that you’re making, so that it’s clear to your lecturer.  Everything in the paragraph should fit in with this opening sentence.

E is for Evidence  

The middle of your paragraph should be full of evidence – this is where all your references should be incorporated.  Make sure that your evidence fits in with your topic.

E is for Examples

Sometimes it’s useful to expand on your evidence.  If you’re talking about a case study, the example might be how your point relates to the particular scenario being discussed.

D is for Do

You should conclude your paragraph with the implications of your discussion.  This gives you the opportunity to add your commentary, which is very important in assignments which require you to use critical analysis. 

So, in effect, each paragraph is like a mini-essay, with an introduction, main body and conclusion.

Allow yourself some TIME to proofread your assignment.  You’ll probably want to proofread it several times. 

You should read it through at least once for sense and structure, to see if your paragraphs flow.  Check that your introduction matches the content of your assignment.  You’ll also want to make sure that you’ve been concise in your writing style. 

You’ll then need to read it again to check for grammatical errors, typos and that your references are correct.

It’s best if you can create some distance from your assignment by coming back to it after a few days. It’s also often easier to pick out mistakes if you read your work aloud.

• How to proofread

Online support for academic writing

We have a skills guide dedicated to academic writing , with an online tutorial and an  Adobe visual guide  to support you.

School Guidelines for Academic Writing and Presentation of Assessed Written Work

• School of Health & Life Sciences Student Guidance for the Presentation of Assessed Written Work (2021)

Tutorials for academic writing and study skills support

Academic Writing and Study Skills Tutorials are available to all students. They are a confidential one-to-one or small group appointment with a member of the Library Team lasting up to 30 minutes. They are available in person on campus, via Teams and email.

In order to ensure that the students who need them most have access to a tutorial, we will support you to engage with our online services and drop-ins before we make you a tutorial appointment.

Requesting a tutorial

• Tutorials are booked for you by our Learning and Skills Development Team. To request skills support email: [email protected]
• Our Team will help you to define what support you need and will initially guide you through our online materials and encourage you to engage with our Study Skill Drop-ins
• If after trying out this support for yourself, you would like further support you can email us again at [email protected] and we will make a tutorial appointment for you
• We will refer you for up to three appointments per semester (1 appointment per assignment)
• Appointments could be with a range of library staff so be aware that you may not see the same adviser at each one-to-one
• Depending on demand there may be a waiting list for one-to-one appointments

What can a tutorial help you with? We can help you to develop your own independent study skills in many aspects of academic writing. This could be helping you to develop your own skills to:

- Understand your tutor’s feedback on a marked assignment and act upon that feedback for future assignments - Understand your School’s Assessment Criteria for an assignment - Improve your time management and plan for your assignment submission dates - Structure your assignment - Develop your critical thinking and writing - Develop your independent proof-reading skills and the skills for you assess that your work is of a quality appropriate  for submission

You can bring your assignment plan or a piece of work with you as an example and we will use it to inform our advice on how to develop the independent skills that will improve your confidence and performance.

What tutorials are not able to help with and why

• We cannot read your work ahead of a tutorial, however, you can bring a piece of work with you to your appointment for us to refer to in the session
• As your work needs to be entirely your own, we will not check draft assignments for you in order to approve their quality before submission but we will support you to develop these skills for yourself
• In order to protect your academic integrity we cannot proof-read your work for you i.e. check the content, structure, spelling or grammar, but we will help you to develop the valuable skills to successfully proof read your own work
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Paramedic management of pre-hospital birth specifically in relation to premature neonates: A literature review

This blog presents the abstract of a literature review and critical appraisal on the topic ‘paramedic management of pre-hospital birth in relation to premature neonates’.

What is the current prevalence of depression in emergency ambulance staff? A literature review

This blog presents the abstract of a literature review and critical appraisal on the topic of ‘prevalence of depression in emergency ambulance staff’.

How can the Paramedics’ performance in respect of delivering care in a mental health crisis be improved? A literature review

This blog presents the abstract of a literature review on the topic of ‘Paramedics performance of delivering care in a mental health crisis’.

What are the common themes surrounding the topic of electrocardiogram lead placement accuracy: A literature review

This blog presents the abstract of a literature review and critical appraisal on the topic of ‘Common themes surrounding the topic of electrocardiogram (ECG) lead placement’.

What evidence is there to suggest that paramedics are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease in comparison to a traditional non-shift working population? A literature review

This blog presents the abstract of a literature review and critical appraisal on the topic of ‘Cardiovascular disease in a shift working population of Paramedics’.

Morphine administration to patients suffering an acute myocardial infarction: are we doing more harm than good? A literature review

This blog presents the abstract of a literature review and critical appraisal on the topic of ‘Morphine administration for patients suffering an acute Myocardial Infarction’.

Could giving antibiotics in the pre-hospital environment improve outcomes for patients with severe sepsis? A literature review

This blog presents the abstract of a literature review and critical appraisal on the topic of pre-hospital antibiotics for patients with sepsis.

Mental Health Considerations in Older Adults: a literature review

This blog presents the abstract of a literature review and critical appraisal on the topic of ‘Mental Health Considerations in Older Adults’. 

Should Fascia Iliaca Compartment Blocks be used in the pre-hospital setting for the management of femoral-fractures? A literature review

This blog presents the abstract of a literature review and critical appraisal on the topic of ‘Fascial iliaca Compartment Blocks for femoral fractures’.

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Discover 25+ current paramedic dissertation ideas for free.

Paramedic roles have gained popularity as a career choice in recent times, yet it’s not a profession for the faint hearted. This role demands strength, alertness, rapid response, and a comprehensive understanding of driving, medical procedures, and patient care. If you’ve chosen this path, you can develop these skills while pursuing your academic endeavors. Thus, the first step is to explore a variety of paramedic dissertation ideas and select the one that resonates with you.

If you find yourself struggling to pinpoint the perfect paramedic dissertation topic, don’t worry, our experts are here to guide you. They’ll assist you in choosing the most suitable topic that will captivate your professor’s attention. Furthermore, they can also help you overcome any other obstacles along the way. But before delving into the realm of paramedic dissertation ideas, it’s crucial to grasp the multifaceted roles a paramedic nurse undertakes.

What Role Does a Paramedic Dissertation Play and Why Is It Important?

In its simplest terms, a paramedic is a medical practitioner responsible for delivering emergency medical care to individuals. Often the first to respond, paramedics administer life saving treatments to those in crisis. These adept professionals evaluate a patient’s health and condition, determining the necessary treatment protocols. To understand these skills better, one can refer to various paramedic dissertation examples. Furthermore, paramedics offer their expertise across multiple settings, including homes, pre hospital environments, and hospitals. They possess the capability to administer medications and execute various medical procedures. Additionally, paramedic responsibilities encompass the following:

• Assisting in patient transfer or transportation while identifying optimal routes to medical facilities.
• Managing crowd control to prevent infection or interference from the public and family members.
• Monitoring and maintaining the availability of medical supplies in ambulances or hospital rooms for immediate use.
• Collaborating with law enforcement and fire rescue teams to offer pre medical services.

Nonetheless, mastering these aspects involves a combination of hands on experience and fulfilling academic requirements. To delve deeper into this, you can consult the existing paramedic dissertation examples. Once you’ve grasped the responsibilities inherent to paramedic nursing, it’s essential to understand the hurdles they encounter along the way.

What Renders Crafting a Paramedic Dissertation a Formidable Endeavor?

Paramedic students encounter a multitude of unanticipated obstacles, both during the dissertation composition process and when practicing in the field. Additionally, they face the daunting task of selecting suitable paramedic dissertation ideas. These challenges can be categorized as

Challenges Faced During Dissertation Writing

This category encompasses the initial set of challenges encountered by paramedic students:

Choosing a Suitable Paramedic Dissertation Topic

Crafting a dissertation is already an arduous endeavor, but selecting from a plethora of paramedic dissertation ideas presents a real challenge. The sheer volume of topics available adds to the complexity. Seeking online dissertation assistance can offer a viable solution.

Deficiency in Organizational Skills

Paramedic students must juggle their dissertations alongside their hands on responsibilities. Moreover, constructing a dissertation demands a significant time investment that necessitates efficient planning. Consequently, many students struggle due to inadequate time management skills.

Maintaining Focus While Engaging in Practical Work

Paramedic duties are intricate and demanding, requiring adept handling. A key challenge in this realm is the selection of appropriate paramedic dissertation topics from a myriad of ideas. This often leads to students losing track of their goals while immersed in their practical duties.

Balancing Emotional and Logical Thought in Drafting

Another hurdle faced by students is the tendency to approach their work emotionally rather than logically. This results in the omission of practical considerations and logical solutions. To overcome this challenge, many turn to tools such as the dissertation outline generator for streamlined assistance.

Challenges Encountered During Paramedic Duty

This category pertains to the challenges students confront while actively serving as paramedics:

Navigating Emotional Encounters

Paramedics encounter a diverse range of patients in their field. Some patients might form emotional connections and display vulnerability during treatment, while others might express frustration or anger. For students, managing these emotional interactions can pose a significant challenge.

On the Job Injuries

Given that paramedics are often the first responders in emergencies, they may face injuries while saving lives. This necessitates working while enduring physical discomfort. In certain scenarios, they must summon the courage to set aside their own pain and prioritize the well being of others.

Rapid Decision Making

As frontline responders, paramedics must swiftly make critical decisions. The urgency stems from the fact that every moment counts when attending to a patient. Consequently, paramedic nurses must possess the ability to make precise decisions promptly. This skill can be honed by referencing examples of dissertations.

Suffering from Sleep Deprivation

Paramedic roles often involve working irregular hours, leading to potential sleep disruption. Students pursuing this career must prepare to face sleep deprivation due to the emergency nature of their duties.

These challenges illuminate the reality faced by students pursuing a paramedic career. While this blog addresses one obstacle selecting a suitable paramedic dissertation idea for your paper it also offers a glimpse into trending topics. For further exploration, please refer to the following section.

Emerging Paramedic Dissertation Ideas Over 25 Topical Trends

Within this segment, you’ll delve into premier paramedic research topics to consider for your paper. Presented below is a compilation of the freshest and most prevalent paramedic research topic concepts, strategically curated to captivate your readers’ interest.

Highly Sought After Paramedic Dissertation Topics

Upon opting for our online dissertation service, your paper will be meticulously crafted around avant garde paramedic dissertation ideas, which encompass

Upon procuring a dissertation online through our services, your paper will be expertly crafted around cutting edge paramedic dissertation ideas, such as:

• The Critical Battle Against Time in Prehospital Cardiac Arrest a Vital Medical Emergency
• Harnessing and Cultivating Professional Competence Among Pre hospital Nurses
• Unpacking Ethical Considerations Surrounding the Impact of Defensive Practice on Patient Care
• An In depth Exploration of Paramedic Nurses’ Non Technical Skills
• Leveraging the Potential of Computerized Decision Support Systems in Pre hospital Care
• Constructing a Comprehensive Literature Review on Non Technical Skills Among Paramedics
• Defining Cold Exposure and Thermal Comfort Among Patients in Prehospital Emergency Care

These captivating paramedic science dissertation ideas are primed to captivate your readers’ attention and make a lasting impact.

Paramedic Dissertation Ideas for Skill Enhancement

A dissertation serves as a platform to refine and expand your skill set. In this section, we present paramedic research topics that offer opportunities for skill development and exploration:

• Dual Dispatch and the Role of Bystander CPR in Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests: An Exploration
• Reevaluating Resuscitation Practices for Traumatic Cardiac Arrests: Insights from Impact Apnea Patients
• Industrial Paramedics: On Site and Beyond A Comprehensive Examination
• Effectual Stress Alleviation Methods for Paramedic Staff: An Investigation
• Unveiling the Professional Relationship Between Physical Medical Oversight and Paramedics
• The Impact of Humor as a Stress Alleviator for Front Line Staff: An Analysis
• Empathy as a Foundational Skill for Paramedic Nurses: A Deep Dive
• Mitigating Unnecessary Utilization of Emergency Ambulances: A Call for Further Action

These paramedic dissertation topics are tailored to facilitate the acquisition of new skills. Furthermore, ensuring the impeccable quality of your document is essential. Should you require assistance, consider availing dissertation proofreading services.

Timeless Paramedic Dissertation Ideas

Within this section, we present enduring paramedic dissertation ideas that have maintained their significance over the years due to their evolving nature. Explore the following selections:

• Involvement of Care Dependent Elderly Individuals in Prehospital Emergency Care
• Unveiling the Secondary Roles and Responsibilities of Paramedic Nurses
• Examining Paramedics’ Practices in Glove Usage During Healthcare Delivery
• Evaluating the Duties of Paramedics in Disaster Management Scenarios
• Trauma Induced Stress Responses and Logistic Considerations
• Assessing Drug Calculation Competency Among Undergraduate Paramedic Students
• Identifying Adult Septic Patients in Prehospital and Emergency Department Settings
• Contrasts and Comparisons: Adult Nurses vs. Paramedics
• Integrating Volunteer Activities into Paramedic Education
• Investigating Incidents of Workplace Violence Against Paramedic Staff
• Paramedic Learning Styles and Continuing Medical Education
• A Cross Sectional Survey Study on Educational Activities

This list is not exhaustive, and our experts have curated an extensive collection of paramedic dissertation ideas for your consideration. Beyond topic selection, our team is adept at guiding you through the writing process of your paramedic research paper. To gain further insights, delve into the upcoming section.

Facing Challenges with Your Paramedic Dissertation? Hire Our Expertise

If you’re encountering difficulties in either choosing suitable paramedic dissertation ideas in the UK or composing the document itself, you’re in luck. Our team of paramedic experts is here to support you every step of the way, from inception to creating an exceptional final product. This is made possible by the meticulously selected professionals within our dissertation writing service platform. These experts are dedicated to producing a top tier, plagiarism free paper, complete with fitting paramedic dissertation topics, all at affordable rates.

Furthermore, our accomplished team is comprised of exceptional individuals who are committed to ensuring your success. If you find yourself grappling with paramedic dissertation ideas or any related aspect, there’s no need to waste any more time. Get in touch with our team today and let us clear your path to academic achievement.

Academic Expert UK

Navigating the complexities of a paramedic dissertation becomes seamless with AcademicExpert.uk . Our dedicated team of paramedic experts supports you from topic selection to crafting a top notch paper. With a meticulous approach, we ensure your success by providing guidance, relevant paramedic dissertation ideas, and affordable services. Trust us to pave your path to excellence

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Home / Essay Samples / Profession / Paramedic

Paramedic Essay Examples

The issue of abuse and sheer disregard towards paramedics in modern society.

These deplorable acts and sheer disregard towards paramedics seems to still be an increasing issue within our society. The most discouraging, and evidently, the most disturbing aspect of these attacks is that they are directed towards people whose primary goal is to provide medical care...

Motivation to Help People: Why I Want to Be a Paramedic

From the moment I was intrigued by the world of science, I felt the need to research the various career choices I could potentially go into. Looking rigorously through at all the medical field careers, Paramedic Science had struck my interest. As I researched further...

Paramedic: the Importance of Stress Resistance in Providing Medical Care

 Paramedicine practice involves administering emergency treatment to patients, which can also require the skill of providing grief support to patients and families. The nature of this medical specialty means that paramedics need to manage grief and stress efficiently or risk suffering detrimental physical, emotional, and...

The Approaches Required of a Paramedic to Effective Care Delivery for a Paediatric Patient

This essay will analyse interventions or therapies a paramedic could utilise whilst treating a paediatric patient with a lower limb fracture, in the pre-hospital setting. It will briefly cover the assessment skills required of a Paramedic for a paediatric patient, however, it will focus primarily...

Stress and Grief in the Practice of a Paramedic

Undergraduate paramedics are presented to the unforgiving truth of paramedic practice inside the preregistration training. Dynamic association in the crisis evaluation, the board and treatment of conceivably perilous and horrible episodes includes exposure to human suffering, agony, death, physical and emotional pain. Dealing with their...

A Significant Transformation of the Paramedic Profession in Our Time

Over the last 25 years, the need for a robust, highly skilled, and autonomous emergency workforce - capable of dealing with the increasingly complex health and social needs of modern society - has seen the paramedic profession undergo a significant transformation. Influenced heavily by the...

An Important Role of Paramedics in the National Health Service

The aim of this essay will be to explore the role of paramedics in relation to the national health service (NHS) unscheduled care agenda. It will also consider the scope of practice of paramedics within the multidisciplinary team and the key drivers for change within...

Effective Communication in Paramedics Practice: Person-centred Approach

Effective communication is a vital skill for any health care professional, Silverman, Kurtz, and Draper state that “Communication is a core clinical skill, an essential component of clinical competence”. Therefore, this essay will discuss how Paramedics overcame actual and potential communication barriers during an incident...

Paramedicine: Ethical, Legal and Professional Obligation to Ensure Confidentiality

As a relatively young profession, paramedicine has borrowed from existing medical practice in the development of its guiding ethical principles. One such principle is confidentiality. The origins of medical confidentiality go back some 2,500 years to the Hippocratic Oath. Modern confidentiality is thought to have...

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