Clinical and Education Services (CES) is responsible for supporting the clinical operations of Rural Ambulance Victoria (RAV). It also provides support to universities offering undergraduate and postgraduate paramedic education.
Within RAV, Clinical and Education Services provides learning and development programs for:
- Graduate Ambulance Paramedics
- Ambulance Community Officers
- Community Emergency Response Teams
- Ambulance and MICA Paramedics
- Public Access Defibrillation sites
CES is also responsible for RAV’s clinical quality assurance program, supervision of approved clinical trials, operational staff credentialing, equipment evaluation and clinical accreditation and re-accreditation activities.
CES also provides support to the RAV Medical Standards Committee in the development and implementation of ambulance service clinical practice guidelines (CPGs).
RAV has a close relationship with Remote Area Nurses and small rural hospital emergency department nurses and conducts emergency education for these groups. RAV is also the first ambulance service in Australia authorised to issue continuing nurse education points on behalf of the Royal College of Nursing Australia.
RAV is a Registered Training Organisation providing access to nationally recognised qualifications and units to our staff and through Ambulance Victoria First Aid services to the community.
RAV Clinical and Education Services is managed centrally from the Ballarat Head Office and administered in each of the eight geographic areas by a Senior Operations Officer - Clinical and Education Support and other clinical staff.
RAV Clinical and Education Services works closely with the Metropolitan Ambulance Service Paramedic Education and Training department to ensure a consistent approach to the delivery of paramedic based education throughout all Victoria, whilst at the same time ensuring that the specific needs of rural communities are met.
Paramedic Education and Practice
Rural Ambulance Victoria and Metropolitan Ambulance Service do not conduct undergraduate paramedic education. Rural Ambulance Victoria is a member of the Victorian Paramedic Education Committee and works closely with universities in Victoria, interstate and in New Zealand by being an active member of many university course advisory committees. This allows RAV to provide input into university programs, ensuring the graduation of high quality paramedics.
Ambulance Paramedic
Ambulance Paramedics are required to have completed an Undergraduate Degree or Post Graduate Conversion Program for health professionals, majoring in paramedicine and conducted by a university or equivalent. Graduates from universities can apply for entry into RAV via the Graduate Ambulance Paramedic program. For qualified paramedics employment opportunities are regularly advertised. Paramedics seeking employment with RAV must be Advanced Life Support or Intensive Care paramedic qualified. A list of universities conducting paramedic education and career information can be found on the RAV Careers Information page.
Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) Paramedic
Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) Paramedics are required to undertake a Post Graduate Diploma in Emergency Health (MICA Paramedic). The course involves both theoretical and practical education and supervised clinical experience over a student year. This course is presently contracted to Monash University and is only accessible to employees of Rural Ambulance Victoria and the Metropolitan Ambulance Service. Paramedics who have gained intensive care paramedic qualifications from other universities or institutions can apply for recognition of their qualification once employed by Rural Ambulance Victoria.
Paramedic Community Support Coordinators (Paramedic Practitioners)
In the remote rural communities of Mallacoota and Omeo, Rural Ambulance Victoria has paramedics who practice as Paramedic Community Support Coordinators (PCSC) or paramedic practitioners. The role of the PCSC is very different to that of the traditional Ambulance or Intensive Care Paramedic. The PCSC is involved in the provision of primary health care, community education and working as a member of the local health care team to help meet the health needs of these communities. They also coordinate the education of the local ambulance team by overseeing the primary and ongoing training of Ambulance Community Officers.
In-Service Continuing Education Program (ISCEP)
Qualified Ambulance and MICA paramedics participate in an In-Service Continuing Education Program (ISCEP) consisting of a minimum of two educational days per paramedic per year. This provides the opportunity to review previous training and introduce approved changes to paramedical clinical practice.
Other Clinical Education and Training
Other education and training activities undertaken by the Clinical and Education Services include:
- Clinical induction programs for paramedics and clinical staff.
- Graduate Ambulance Paramedic programs
- Nationally recognised training and continuing education for Ambulance Community Officers (members of the community retained by RAV to provide primary clinical care in remote parts of rural Victoria and to support full-time staff in low-workload centres)
- Internal Patient Transport Officer training and continuing education
- Remote Area Nurse Emergency Guidelines
- Community Emergency Response Teams
- Public Access Defibrillation
- Driver Standards program
- Working with health services to provide education for medical, nursing and allied health personnel
- Through the RAV Registered Training Organisation, specialist fee-for-service training to other emergency service organisations and healthcare providers
- Qualifications appraisal for paramedics holding interstate / overseas qualifications