Hello everyone. This month, I would like to take a moment to talk about education, learning and the importance of collaboration. As many of you know, a lot of the College’s focus over the last few years has been on training and development. Learning is the foundation to our practice, sometimes in ways we don’t even realize; through informal conversations, observing peers, patient questions or day-to-day practice. And then there is the education we seek out to better ourselves. We are constantly evolving and discovering new practices, procedures, techniques and skills. And as your regulator, it’s our job to do everything we can to make sure we are staying at the forefront of paramedicine and education standards.
I suspect that by now, most of you have heard about coming changes to the Alberta paramedic curriculum structure. If you haven’t heard, here is a very brief, high-level recap. Throughout 2021-2022, the Canadian Organization of Paramedic Regulators (COPR) and the Paramedic Association of Canada (PAC) launched initiative to update the National Occupational Competency Profile (NOCP) for paramedics, which is the basis for educational programs and entry to practice exams. This work was completed in November 2023. In 2024, the College began a project working with our educators to redesign the existing curriculum to meet the new national competencies. This new curriculum framework was completed in March 2025 and the educators in our province are now working to adapt their programs, which we expect to be completed and in place by September 2027. The result will be one paramedic program with ‘exit points’ for students to step away to practice at the level they have achieved. One of the benefits of this restructuring is that it will allow for a pathway for students and existing paramedics to obtain a degree in paramedicine.
There is still much work to be done on this, and when we have more information to share, we will provide updates. Also, last year, we distributed a survey on the curriculum redesign and addressed many of the main questions that were brought up. You can find those answers here.
In other news, you may recall that in October 2024, we launched a Learning Management System (LMS). This was developed for multiple reasons, one of which was your feedback. You identified wanting an avenue for learning at little to no cost and we are happy to have been able to provide this for you. Since we launched, we have published three courses: Regulatory Knowledge, which covers the regulatory structure of our profession and helps you understand how each part works together; Pain Management: Methoxyflurane (Penthrox), which educates on the medication and ensures proper use; and Documentation for Prehospital Professionals, which is our most recent course focusing on proper documentation and all that is required to ensure records are accurate and timely. I encourage you to utilize the LMS platform and complete each course. All of them offer vital information and learning opportunities which can be used towards your Continuing Competence credits. We are continuing to work on new opportunities and courses. If you have any suggestions of training opportunities you would like to see, please let us know.
Lastly, I want to touch on the impact of involvement. One of the most vital pieces of co-regulation is consultation and feedback. The more involved you are in the regulation of this profession, the better we are for it. Next week we will be emailing out our Member Survey which will give you an opportunity to provide feedback on a variety of topics (renewal, continuing competence, LMS, College satisfaction, etc). I encourage you all to take the time to complete the survey. We will be using the data to help us with future planning. Previous feedback has resulted in the changes to our member portal, the development of the LMS, and improvements in many processes and procedures. Additionally, while the survey is anonymous by default, for those who would like to use it towards their CC requirements, they may provide their name and email at the end to receive a certificate for three CE credits.
I hope this year brings many opportunities to expand your current knowledge.
Take care and be safe,
Tim A. Ford, ACP
Registrar