The evolving role of paramedicine educators: A scoping review

Introduction Growing responsibility and changes to paramedicine and prehospital care have led to rapid developments in paramedicine education. Despite educational requirements at increasingly advanced levels, it remains unclear how academia has responded to these changes and if they're developing the requisite skills and knowledge. Methods A scoping review was undertaken to understand the present role of paramedicine educators and how they've adapted to the evolution of paramedicine education worldwide. Data searches were performed across eight electronic databases, six paramedicine journals, grey literature, and included sources reference lists. Results The four-staged search strategy revealed 1,738 sources, of which 32 remained for final synthesis. In general, there was a lack of contemporary research examining the role of the paramedicine educator despite changes to Higher Education provision and function of paramedics. Noteworthy was the absence of articles from Africa, South America, and major parts of Europe, highlighting the need for development in these regions. There is a lack of clear role descriptions or definitions for paramedicine educators. Inconsistencies were highlighted in entry criteria and progression routes across paramedicine academia globally, emphasising the importance of support for transitioning and established paramedicine educators. Discussion These findings have important implications for Higher Education. Professional demands are on the rise, creating a need to introduce clearly defined roles for paramedicine educators to provide clarity in expectations and increase confidence. The changing landscape of care provision in paramedicine from the historic emergency care focussed model to a more autonomous and inclusive sphere of out-of-hospital care, provides an ideal opportunity to progress and shape the identity of the paramedicine educator.