Defining the paramedic process.

Area of Science:

• Pre-hospital care
• Nursing science
• Health professions education

Background:

• The 'process of care' is established in nursing, offering a structured approach to patient interventions.
• Paramedicine, a rapidly advancing field, often borrows evidence from other disciplines due to limited research.
• There is no formally recognized 'process of care' within pre-hospital emergency medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential adaptation of the nursing process model for pre-hospital paramedic practice.
• To define a structured formula for paramedic work, enhancing professional classification and practice.
• To investigate transferable principles from the nursing process to the paramedic role.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature searches were conducted across databases like Ovid MEDLINE and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health.
• Analysis focused on identifying elements of the nursing process applicable to pre-hospital care.
• The study evaluated the implications of a defined process of care for nursing in education, governance, and professional standing.

Main Results:

• The nursing process provides structure, impacting education, clinical governance, and professional standing in nursing.
• While not directly applicable, many nursing process principles offer value to paramedics.
• The nursing process requires expansion to encompass unique pre-hospital stages for paramedic adaptation.

Conclusions:

• Adapting and expanding the nursing process model with specific pre-hospital stages can create a suitable framework for paramedic practice.
• This adaptation can support the professional development and clinical governance of paramedics.
• Defined processes of care are crucial for advancing paramedicine as a distinct health profession.