Mrs. Kerrie Duggan1
1NP Assist, Australia
Biography:
Kerrie Duggan is a Nurse Practitioner and Alison Spicer is a Nurse Practitioner and Paramedic. They are founding directors for NP Assist. NP Assist provides an innovative approach to health workforce shortages by providing an additional career path in community paramedicine in rural primary health care.
Abstract:
The longevity of paramedics in jurisdictional services is adversely affected by the demanding nature of their work and the endless search for work life balance. In response, alternative career pathways, such as the community paramedic role, have been developed successfully abroad. Additionally, rural areas in Australia face limited access to primary healthcare, especially within traditional general practice models.
In April 2023, a pilot program was introduced in Cygnet, Tasmania, combining nurse practitioners (NP) and community paramedics (CP) to provide urgent and after-hours care. The service operates on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 to 21:30 hours, and Saturdays from 09:00 to 20:30 hours, focusing on minor illnesses and injuries. Emergency care is excluded, with referrals for low-acuity patients made to the service by Ambulance Tasmania. Patients can self-refer, make appointments, or walk in, with care delivered either in clinic or via outreach.
Over 3000 patients have been treated using knowledge, with 98% receiving care within the NP and CP's knowledge, skill and expertise. Patient surveys show high satisfaction with care quality. Additionally, the service has saved the state government $520,000 in avoided hospital and ambulance costs over the past six months.
In conclusion, the NP/CP model provides an additional career pathway and improves access to primary healthcare in rural areas of Australia. Further research is required to assess the impact on paramedic job satisfaction and longevity outside of jurisdictional services.