Professional Fatigue Project: Call to Action (Part 2), The College of Paramedics Responds

Thursday, November 29th, the Alberta Paramedic Association released part one of an impact study investigating the effect of extended on-call shifts on the health and wellness of the paramedic.

During that research, there were major risks to the public identified. Public protection is the role of the Alberta College of Paramedics, therefore we provided the college with the urgent public risk findings on the very same day. The Alberta College of Paramedics has provided a response to the Association that we want to share with you.

In the letter from College President, council identifies “As the regulator, our jurisdiction is over practitioners and their conduct when providing care…” However she later goes on to state; “… the College is unable to intervene in matters of workplace conditions.”

This is an unacceptable position for the College to take on a serious public risk. “Without proper regulation, paramedicine will unfortunatly experience a fatigue driven tragedy” Association President Dusty Myshrall writes, “Don’t wait for a fatality to happen”.

The letters can be viewed below

Paramedic Choice – Mandatory Competency Markets

When membership needs a VOICE, the Association responds.

At a cost of over 1/2 a million dollars to the profession, Association members are again being iron-handed by the paramedic regulator. This time, the Alberta College of Paramedics (ACoP) have struck an exclusive deal with an educational institution to provide a competency module that has now been mandated to all EMR’s and Paramedics in Alberta.

The college sets standards for continuing competency education within their mandate. Creating exclusive content behind closed doors like this prevents paramedics from taking advantage of competative markets and giving paramedics the choice of which vendors they would like to support. “We have seen this in the past with the Narcan module and it is an ongoing problem with the Paramedic Association of Canada fees (a voluntary association we are mandated in to), paramedics have a right to CHOICE and its time to stop this inappropriate use of legislative force.” states Marc Moebis, Executive Director of the Alberta Paramedic Association.

Read the letter to the College below

Letter to College – module (PDF)

Professional Fatigue Project: Call to Action (Part 1 cont.)

Thursday, November 29th, the Alberta Paramedic Association released part one of an impact study investigating the effect of extended on-call shifts on the health and wellness of the paramedic.

During that research, there were major risks to the public identified. Public protection is the role of the Alberta college of paramedics, therefore we have provided the college with the public risk information and we are now actively lobbying them with a call to action to intervene on this dangerous model of delivering EMS in Alberta. Health Minister, Hon Sarah Hoffman has been made aware of the results of our findings and the risk to paramedic health and wellness, our patients and the public.

This project reinforces the need for a strong professional association advocating for paramedics and a regulatory college focused on public protection.

View the Regulator Call to Action (PDF Format)

View the original study Professional Fatigue Project