Watch New Zealand's Paramedics in Action

[celticcare]

Thanks for the videos they were both educational and entertaining. I know how much of a pain in the butt it can be to format the files correctly so thanks.

So are the ambulances staffed with basics and intermediates? Or is advanced care paramedic really advanced and there are basic paramedics?

The general staffing of ambulances here depends on where you live. In the case of the tv show, the program is filmed in auckland so the trucks have either a basic and an intermediate (paramedic) or a basic and an advanced paramedic (emt-p) or an intermediate and an advanced paramedic.

The rest of the country is a different matter, in a lot of areas, the trucks are single crewed unless a volunteer can provide the other set of hands. Most areas will have at least an Intermediate on board but some areas run a basic who is doing their intermediate so they can either do the IV therapy or cardiac therapy dependent on which module of the intermediate they have completed.

The rapid response units are staffed by advanced paramedics who under the new education system being introduced, will be people who have completed the bachelor of health science program and have completed their masters in paramedicine.

The basics will have acquired the national diploma in ambulance, the intermediates will have the bachelors of health science (paramedic) qaulification and the ultimate top level, which is being talked about at present, will be the emergency care practitioner (Paramedic practitioner). This qualification level is still being discussed and has not been introduced yet but will be an ultimate goal of the EMS services in New Zealand.

If you go to Wellington Free Ambulance, the basics are called paramedics, the intermediates are upskilled paramedics and the advanced paramedics are intensive care paramedics. In general we have three main paid levels of EMT and primary care officers are often people new to the service going through the ranks and working up to EMT-B and also man the Patient transfer trucks.

Scotty

[Kiwiology]

Thanks for the videos they were both educational and entertaining. I know how much of a pain in the butt it can be to format the files correctly so thanks.

So are the ambulances staffed with basics and intermediates? Or is advanced care paramedic really advanced and there are basic paramedics?

This shows the service in metropolitan Auckland; which is not representative of the rest of the country. Also of interest is the fact that metro Auckland staff are 100% paid full time officers.

Yes, in a nutshell within the Auckland metro area trucks are staffed with either a basic ("ambulance officer") or intermediate ("Paramedic" or as us old timers call them. "intermediate care officer") or two basics. There would also be one or more trucks (from my experience (which again, is not within the Auckland service) usually one) on a station which is ALS capable ("Advanced Paramedic" or as the old, old timers call then (I aint that old) "advanced care officer"). On that vehicle the ALS officer would generally be paired with either an ICO or a basic AO. All other ALS (Advanced Paramedics) are in the 4x4s as you see here.

Outside metropolitan Auckland the service is "composite" meaning paid staff work alongside volunteers to make up crews. Vehicles generally follow the BLS/ILS/ALS forumla. The system of chase-car ALS is replicated in one or two large cities (like Hamilton and Christchurch) while outside those the ALS are on a truck on station. Our station for example has one ALS truck and 2 or 3 ILS trucks (depending on workload; you obviously roster on more people for saturday night than a tuesday morning). The Team Manager is also an ALS officer who has a chase car, this is generally true in most of the smaller cities where the managers are ALS and operate either on a watch or on a watch then on call.

Our "Advanced" Paramedics are not any more "Advanced" than what we think of as a "Paramedic" (EMT-P) it's simply a name used for marketing purposes. They are simply run-of-the-mill ALS; basic run down is ...

Ambulance Officer (BLS) has O2/AED/nitro/glucose/LMA/methyoxyflurane/n2o

Paramedic (ILS) adds IV NS and dextrose/manual defib/IM epi/morphine/naloxone/metaclopramide

Advanced Paramedic (ALS) adds amio/ketamine/midaz/lasix/IV epi/12 lead/TCP/SCV/ETT/cric/IO access

There are some changes going on here which hopefully will make all paid staff up to the ILS level and exapnd the ALS level to extended care/primary care paramedic practitioner level (ECP - extended care paramedic) but this is several years off from the limited information I have.

Hope you find this interesting!!

[oz_paramedic_chick]

Great work kiwimedic...lovin the videos....can't wait for the next episode. The uploads are very much appreciated...but could you tell your colleagues to stop taking the piss out of the aussies eh

[Kiwiology]

Episode Four

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Edited May 1, 2009 by kiwimedic

[Kiwiology]

Episode Five

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

[Kiwiology]

Here's the latest episode -- the audio in part 3 is a bit out of sync, best I could do sorry guys.

I recently had the pleasure of spending some time with one of the Advanced Paramedics (EMT-Ps) who is in this episode; however alas the cameras didnt turn up (probably a good thing )

Episode Six

Part One

Part Two

Part Three