AN ambulance simulator to prepare paramedic students for the real deal will be built in Port Macquarie with part of a $98,869 grant.
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Charles Sturt University Port Macquarie campus was awarded the grant from Hunter and Coast Interdisciplinary Clinical Training Network this month.
The university’s School of Biomedical Sciences senior lecturer and paramedic program leader Joe Acker believed the simulator would be the first in Australia.
“Not only will we have funding to allow us to better support clinical supervisors, but we will have cutting-edge technology like an ambulance simulator to ensure our paramedic students are ready to learn as soon as they hit the field on clinical placements,” Mr Acker said.
The grant will also fund a full-time placement coordinator for six months, and the purchase of tablet computers for electronic medical records.
Mr Acker was excited to be working with Ambulance Service of NSW and the Mid North Coast Local Area Health to increase the quantity of clinical placements and expand the capacity and competency of clinical supervision in the region.
Campus director Dr Muyesser Durur said the funding would improve the student experience, enhance patient safety, and produce work-ready health professionals.
“With ICTN support, these new placements form an integral part of building an efficient and previously under-used resource for the training of paramedics,” Dr Durur said.
CSU also expects that the expanded role of paramedics in the future will shift towards roles in non-traditional health care, because the course philosophy is that graduates must have exposure to these environments.