That’s the finding of the Alberta Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee in a report stating it Many paramedics have to work overtime, are tired and have stressful jobs. Dealing with interns is of course difficult.
However, in order for prospective paramedics to be authorized to practice their profession and thus gain employment, they must complete an internship in the outpatient clinic and in the hospital under the guidance of an experienced specialist.
The Advisory Board made 53 recommendations. For example, the province should encourage employers and paramedics to hire interns.
According to Health Sciences Association of Alberta President Mike Parker, whose group represents 3,500 paramedics, the advisory committee has identified the cause of the problem but does not address its root.
Our experts are overwhelmed with the work, he says. Hiring interns under such conditions is not difficult, but practically impossible.
” Once we stop pushing them to the brink of burnout, they can once again serve as mentors and nurture the professionals we so desperately need. »
There are currently 1,426 students enrolled in paramedic and emergency medicine programs at public and private institutions in Alberta. The province has also invested $826,000 to create 46 new places in these programs.
Health Secretary Jason Copping says he has accepted the report’s recommendations and the province is working to implement them.
Based on information from Michelle Bellefontaine
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