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The Paramedicine Board of Australia (the Board) expects people currently employed or practising as a paramedic to be registered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (National Law).
‘Practising’ means any role, whether paid or not, where someone uses their skills and knowledge as a health practitioner in their profession. It is not restricted to the provision of direct clinical care.
The Board recognises that the actual breadth of paramedic practice is not limited. It can encompass a wide variety of both clinical and non-clinical activities in a wide variety of roles and settings including in jurisdictional ambulance services, health services, hospitals, the defence forces, private industry, academia and broader government.
Practising includes using professional knowledge in a direct non-clinical relationship with clients, working in management, administration, education, research, advisory, regulatory or policy development roles, and any other roles that impact on safe, effective delivery of services in the profession.
Most importantly, if you want to call yourself a paramedic (or hold yourself out to be a paramedic), you must be registered with the Board, or you may be in breach of the National Law.
Read more about how to demonstrate that you are qualified and suitable for registration.
Paramedics are not the only professionals to provide emergency or out of hospital health care. A range of professionals and volunteers provide emergency, unscheduled and out of hospital health care in the community which includes: first aiders, first responders, ambulance officers, medics and emergency medical technicians.
It is not the intention of the Board for these people to be registered unless they identify or practise as a paramedic by virtue of their role or qualification. However, if you provide these services and are not registered under the National Law you must not represent yourself as being a paramedic.
Students who are in the process of gaining a qualification that will enable them to practise as a registered health professional usually do periods of clinical practice (involving direct patient contact) as a part of their course of study.
In the interests of public safety, Health Ministers agreed that monitoring of students undertaking clinical practice in a health profession is reasonable, and in line with the monitoring of fully qualified health professionals.
As a result, all students enrolled in a Board-approved program of study that leads to a qualification in paramedicine must be registered. However, student registration with the Board will be completed by your tertiary education provider on your behalf.
Read more about student and graduate registration.