Initial registration requires holding an approved qualification and being deemed suitable under the standards of criminal history, English language skills, professional indemnity insurance, and recency of practice.
[2] Undergraduate degrees involve three years of full-time study, consisting of three core elements: traditional academic coursework, practical simulations, and placement.
Academic coursework involves anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, resuscitation, traumatology, cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, paediatrics, obstetrics, and mental health, with less detailed study of gastroenterology, toxicology, and endocrinology.
The placement conditions vary by state, but generally involve several hundred hours of unpaid shift work.
Due to the nature of paramedicine, students on placement regularly are required to assist with patient treatment under the supervision of qualified paramedics.
They make up the majority of practicing paramedics, with a scope of care focused on resuscitation, assessment, analgesia, cardiology, and pulmonology.
ICPs most commonly operate solo out of an SUV and do not transport patients themselves, instead assisting generalist crews as required.
Flight Paramedics undertake high level and critical cases by both road and air, and depending on the service have additional aviation training as down-the-wire winch crew.
Paramedics have additional critical care training to facilitate stabilisaiton of the patient prior to helicopter transportation.
Flight responses generally fall into two categories: a primary rescue (where the helicopter vehicle is required to access the patient - such as for winching - or transport larger distances) or a primary retrieval (where the additional skills or medications of a Flight Paramedic are required for stabilisation of the patient).
The role of the colleges is a combination of providing continual professional development (of which 30 hours per year is required to maintain registration with AHPRA) opportunities via education and conferences, advocacy, and funding research.