8/9/2019 Letter to Editor April 30 2015 (PTSD)

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Paramedic Regulation Protects Albertans and Practitioners

Think about it for a second. An encounter with a paramedic is something you rarely planon, but in your scariest moments, the excellent care these health care professionals

provide can be the difference between life and death. Brave, committed, educated andadaptable, these women and men are vital to Alberta’s health care system.

There are almost 10,000 registered paramedicine practitioners in Alberta. These dynamicpractitioners now permeate all environments in which Albertans receive medicaltreatment. About one-third of these professionals are employed publicly; the rest workfor private contractors, natural resource industries and in dozens of other work settings.

As is the case for other first responders, this daily work can take its toll. A practitioner’swork is primarily defined by helping others in need, while having to ignore their own.Victims of car accidents, domestic abuse, stroke and incidents involving children canhave lasting impacts on paramedics. In Canada, it is tragically true that some firstresponders have committed suicide and many more struggle with depression. Post-

Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has always been a health risk inherent to paramedicine.

Some recent media reports seem to paint the Alberta College of Paramedics as anuncaring institution. Nothing could be farther than the truth.

Our paramedic registration process contains a series of checkpoints similar in rigour tothat which physicians and nurses face. Aspiring paramedics must first complete theireducation at an approved school and then pass a provincial registry examination beforethe College issues registration – proof they are legally allowed to practise. Paramedicshave professional obligations throughout their career, such as the duty to maintain andenhance their skill in patient care and an obligation to state any health condition thatmay affect their ability to care for a patient. This is no different than any of the otherregulated health professions.

We treat each case individually and privately. In particular a practitioner who declares ahealth condition, such severe mental health illness, it triggers a legislated process thatincludes a paramedic committee who, together with the practitioner, determines astrategy on how a return to work best serves the public interest and also supports thepractitioner’s health needs. Returning a paramedic to work before they are ready canexacerbate symptoms. Time and space to heal is imperative when any practitionersuffers from a physical or mental condition. Fortunately, the numerous work settingswidely available today grant paramedics the opportunity to recover and continue workingin the profession.

To date, we have not cancelled a practitioner’s registration due to PTSD. What we have

done is put restrictions on their ability to practice but typically with a provision thatthese restrictions may be removed over time. However, we’re often asked, “Doesn’t thefact that we can limit a paramedic’s work just drive a person with a mental healthcondition farther from the help they need?” 

8/9/2019 Letter to Editor April 30 2015 (PTSD)

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Our answer is simple: our regulatory processes uphold safe and excellent patient care,but they also guide practitioners dealing with physical or mental health conditions intopractice environments that promote recovery before a return to full duty. Just assomeone who has a broken leg has limitations affecting the ability to deliver care,

someone with diagnosed PTSD should not be placed in triggering situations – for the sakeof the public and for the health of that individual paramedic.

As a regulatory body, our goal is to be a driving force behind excellence in Albertaparamedicine care. Committed to the public interest, we strive to govern the professionwith compassion and awareness of the issues valued by practitioners. We are currentlypreparing for consultation to invite feedback from paramedics on how our processes areworking and what we can change to better serve both practitioners and the public.

The Alberta College of Paramedics exists to ensure Albertans receive high quality patientcare from professional paramedicine practitioners, which starts with ensuring paramedicsare capable of providing that care. The College’s primary function is to ensure thatparamedic practice occurs in the best interest of the public. The College is not a union. It

does not participate in collective bargaining. Nor are we an Association. The College doesnot put the rights and privileges of paramedics above the needs of the public. For theCollege of Paramedics the public comes first.

The regulatory functions we maintain today are to ensure paramedicine is governed withthe public safety as our top priority, but it’s our collaboration with the entire health carecommunity that will continue to bring the public competent, capable and mentally-readyparamedics. Our participation in provincial and national projects is rapidly expanding ourknowledge and understanding of mental health conditions. We plan to use these learningsto develop programs to further support building strength and resiliency among Albertapractitioners.