Caroline Spencer | Monash University (original) (raw)

Papers by Caroline Spencer

The Australian journal of emergency management, 2021

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2021

Abstract Building community resilience to disasters is promoted by governments and the United Nat... more Abstract Building community resilience to disasters is promoted by governments and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction as a means of enabling communities to cope with and recover from disasters. This study was an applied research project, which aimed to explore how the actions of Australian nonprofit organisations (NPOs) contributed to building community resilience to disasters. To do this, resilience theory in the disaster setting, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and social capital theory were used to build a study framework for ‘what matters most’ when building community resilience to disasters. This framework was then applied to stakeholder noted NPO actions and strengths, to identify and critique how these organisations were perceived by stakeholders to build community resilience before, during and after disasters. This study enhances the evidence base of the role of NPOs in the disaster setting. Actions of the NPOs studied provide valued support to impacted communities and demonstrate how these organisations can enable communities to respond more effectively before, during and after disasters. Actions of the NPOs studied included: running fire and risk awareness workshops, coordinating Food Banks, establishing other community support organisations such as Men's Sheds, funding vaccinations, operating community barbeques, establishing and running tool libraries, and enabling speedy access to local assets. Strengths of the NPOs were identified by representatives of the organisations themselves and by emergency management personal. Unanimously, NPOs were recognised for their: community connections, access to vulnerable people, local knowledge, motivated volunteer base, and their creative, flexible solutions to tricky problems.

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

In the present world, International Consensus Frameworks, commonly called global frameworks or gl... more In the present world, International Consensus Frameworks, commonly called global frameworks or global agendas, guide international development policies and practices. They guide the development of all countries and influence the development initiatives by their respective governments. Recent global frameworks, adopted mostly post-2015, include both a group of over-arching frameworks (eg, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction [SFDRR]) and a group of frameworks addressing specific issues (eg, the Dhaka Declaration on Disability and Disaster Risk Management). These global frameworks serve twin purposes: first, to set a global development standard, and second, to set policies and approaches to achieve these standards. A companion group of professional standards, guidelines, and tools (ie, Sphere’s Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards) guide the implementation and operationalization of these frameworks on the ground.This paper gathers these global frameworks and core pro...

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2011

This is a commentary on two article included in this issue.

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2018

Introduction Today in Australia, university degree programs provide the education pathway into th... more Introduction Today in Australia, university degree programs provide the education pathway into the paramedic profession reflecting a more than 50-year process of transition from on-the-job first aid training. The formal organisation of paramedic education began in the early 1960s with the establishment of ambulance service training centres. The factors that contributed to this transition are poorly described when compared with that of paramedics in other parts of the world such as the United States and England. The history of Australian paramedic education is important to capture for the benefit of the profession in Australia and to situate it within a global context of modern emergency medical services. This paper examines the peer reviewed and grey literature to chart the transition of Australian paramedic education from vocational to higher education and uncovers signposts of change leading to this transition. Methods Following a systematic search of MEDLINE and CINAHL Plus datab...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:This research identified a gap in understanding the lived experience of long-term di... more Introduction:This research identified a gap in understanding the lived experience of long-term disaster resilience (LTDR). Increasing disasters could influence more people. Therefore, understanding LTDR becomes imperative. Little research documents men and women’s reflections following disasters. Current research highlights survivors’ mental health, particularly clinical diagnoses like PTSD. Research remains limited on the social impacts long after disasters.Aim:Research aimed to identify a gendered perspective of the lived experience about what contributes to LTDR three years after Ash Wednesday in 1983, the Victorian floods in 1993 and 2010-11, and the 2009 Black Saturday fires.Methods:A comprehensive, systematized search was conducted of peer-reviewed, grey, and secondary literature for a narrative review and thematic analysis.Results:106 references were identified. After removing duplicates and papers not fitting the inclusion criteria, two papers met the criteria. However, two ...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:Between 2015 and 2018, a number of influential disaster-related International Consen... more Introduction:Between 2015 and 2018, a number of influential disaster-related International Consensus Frameworks evolved.Aim:To locate these Frameworks and identify commonalities, potential interactions, and possible implications for WADEM.Methods:A targeted literature review and thematic analysis.Results:The review identified the following Frameworks: Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030; Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda; Paris Climate Change Conference; WADEM Position Statement on Climate Change; World Humanitarian Summit; Core Humanitarian Standards; Sphere Handbook, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response; Habitat111 - the new Urban Agenda; Sphere Guidelines for Urban Disasters; Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Project; New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants; Dhaka Declaration on Disability and Disaster Risk Management; WHO Emergency Medical Teams and Accreditation; WADEM’s Disaster Research and Evaluatio...

A literature review, in advance of designing a survey of cultural competency in Australian and Ne... more A literature review, in advance of designing a survey of cultural competency in Australian and New Zealand paramedic education courses, provides the focus of this paper. The review sought to explore the extent to which other health professions include cultural competency in their undergraduate curriculum. The literature review identified specific research papers that used survey methods to determine the status of cultural competency training in other health professions. With no paramedic specific information available to inform paramedic education, these research papers formed a basis for designing a survey that would examine the extent to which paramedic education includes cultural competency in its curricula. This paper is timely for informing paramedic education about surveys on cultural competency in health professional education. It is particularly timely for the paramedic profession, which is currently in transition from a vocationally based occupation to a professionally base...

The Australian journal of emergency management, 2018

This paper evaluates four pilot training sessions conducted in August 2015 by Women’s Health Goul... more This paper evaluates four pilot training sessions conducted in August 2015 by Women’s Health Goulburn North East, Women’s Health In the North and the Monash University Disaster Resilience Initiative as part of the Gender and Disaster Pod initiative. The Lessons in Disaster Program promotes the understanding of the role that gender plays in survivor responses to disasters. The program embeds these insights into emergency management practice through training delivered to emergency management practitioners. This paper describes an independent evaluation of the program and reveals positive outcomes for participants in the emergency management and community sectors as well as highlighting key areas for further improvements. Understanding the role gender plays in survivor responses to disasters: evaluating the Lessons in Disaster Program Dr Caroline Spencer1, Naomi Bailey2, Dr Carlyn Muir1, Dr Saadia Majeed1, Dudley McArdle1, Emma Keech2, Alyssa Duncan2 and Dr Debra Parkinson1, 2, 3 1. Mo...

The Australian journal of emergency management, 2015

The aim of this study was to reach a consensus among stakeholders on the characteristics that the... more The aim of this study was to reach a consensus among stakeholders on the characteristics that they consider relevant for developing a disaster-resilient Victoria. Key stakeholders were defined as members of organisations involved in emergency management activities in Victoria (i.e. federal, state and local government, emergency services organisations, businesses, non-government organisations, community groups and researchers). A literature review was conducted to identify an initial set of characteristics. Using the Delphi technique, three surveys were conducted to identify any additional characteristics stakeholders considered relevant. This was used to achieve consensus on which of the characteristics from the literature and additional characteristics are relevant for the Victorian context. The findings indicate that stakeholders perceive that a systemic approach, which encompasses both formal structures and grass roots efforts, is required to develop a disaster resilient Victoria...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:Despite the influential Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks, risk remains poorly understood ... more Introduction:Despite the influential Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks, risk remains poorly understood in the emergency preparedness sector. Hazard assessment and risk management are usually considered before events. An alternative view considers risk as a cascade of potential consequences throughout an event. The 2014 fire in the Victorian rural community of Morwell included a three-phased event: a small bush fire, from which embers ignited a persistent fire in a disused open cut brown coal mine fire. The consequent air pollution precipitated a public health emergency in the nearby community of 15,000 people.Aim:To examine this event as a case study to investigate concordance with accepted definitions and key elements of a cascading event.Methods:Selected literature informed a risk cascade definition and model as a framework to examine the key post-event public inquiries available in the public domain.Results:Informed by a Conceptual Framework for a Hazard Evolving into a Disaster (Birnb...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:The term “profession” to describe the people who carry out emergency management (EM)... more Introduction:The term “profession” to describe the people who carry out emergency management (EM) in Australia continues to gain momentum. Many emergency managers see themselves and are seen by others as professionals, yet little evidence exists to confirm this proposition. Unlike other professions, there is no peak body or overarching organization in Australia to help the diverse group of emergency managers to identify standards of performance and to lobby decision-makers on their behalf.Aim:This study identifies criteria that define a profession and considers how the emergency management sector in Australia reflects them.Methods:A literature review and review of established professions informed criteria of what constitutes a profession. Using these criteria, a survey was conducted to identify the demographic profiles of Australian emergency managers, their perception of the criteria of a profession, and their attitudes towards professionalization of their sector. Semi-structured i...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (NSDR) characterizes resilient communi... more Introduction:The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (NSDR) characterizes resilient communities as having strong disaster and financial mitigation strategies, strong social capacity, networks, and self-reliance. Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) embrace many characteristics of a disaster resilient community. NPOs do not operate for the profit of individual members. Community groups like Lions and Rotary Club have long histories, and while not established to respond to disasters, they frequently have heavy involvement in preparing for or recovering from, disasters.Aim:The study aims to address the question, “What is the potential role of nonprofit organizations in building community resilience to disasters?”Methods:An applied research project was carried out, using theories of resilience, social capital, and the Sendai framework to conceptualize the frameworks and guide the process. Qualitative research methods, thematic analysis, and case studies helped identify Lions, Rotary, an...

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2015

Attracting more than 900 delegates from 60 countries, the theme of Preparedness: Knowledge, Train... more Attracting more than 900 delegates from 60 countries, the theme of Preparedness: Knowledge, Training, and Networks, at the 15th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine offered 130 sessions and 285 posters on a wide range of topics. The Congress delivered very clear products to enable experts, organisations, and governments to be better prepared for the next disaster or crisis as a critical need for consistent standards and benchmarks in emergency preparedness around the world. To address this need, intense workshops were held to develop recommendations on a focused subset of hospital emergency preparedness benchmarks; define and implement an ongoing process to pilot and evaluate those benchmarks, and promote a consensus building process that would be used to develop and implement these and additional benchmarks in the future. Pre-Congress workshops The local organising committee offered three different courses to Congress participants. These internationally accredited and certified courses covered all aspects of disaster and emergency medicine in: •

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2015

Getting the methodology right-Evaluating projects and sharing the findings 3.3 The model in actio... more Getting the methodology right-Evaluating projects and sharing the findings 3.3 The model in action-scenarios Scenario 1-National media campaign promotes healthy eating Scenario 2-State Department supports cultural competency in language service provision Scenario 3-Focus on overweight and obesity in a rural region Scenario 4-Dealing with diabetes in a small community Scenario 5-Focus on physical activity and Muslim women in a local government area Scenario 6-Improving uptake of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation among Lebanese patients Professor Elizabeth Waters Chair, Increasing Cultural Competency Working Committee

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2015

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2015

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2009

Designing a questionnaire to review cultural competency in Australian and New Zealand paramedic e... more Designing a questionnaire to review cultural competency in Australian and New Zealand paramedic education courses provides the focus of this paper. The paper emerged from a larger research project, which sought to explore the extent to which health professions include cultural competency in their curricula. The purpose of designing a questionnaire was to review Australian and New Zealand paramedic education courses to discover the presence and coverage of cultural competency in the paramedic curriculum. To the best of our knowledge, no current research explores this theme. The absence of such research provided an opportunity to rectify this gap and contribute to the development of the paramedic curriculum, particularly with the proliferation of cultural competency courses in other health professions. This research makes an important contribution to the new academic discipline of paramedic research. The methods used for designing a questionnaire utilised three statements and guidelin...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2017

The Australian journal of emergency management, 2021

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2021

Abstract Building community resilience to disasters is promoted by governments and the United Nat... more Abstract Building community resilience to disasters is promoted by governments and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction as a means of enabling communities to cope with and recover from disasters. This study was an applied research project, which aimed to explore how the actions of Australian nonprofit organisations (NPOs) contributed to building community resilience to disasters. To do this, resilience theory in the disaster setting, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and social capital theory were used to build a study framework for ‘what matters most’ when building community resilience to disasters. This framework was then applied to stakeholder noted NPO actions and strengths, to identify and critique how these organisations were perceived by stakeholders to build community resilience before, during and after disasters. This study enhances the evidence base of the role of NPOs in the disaster setting. Actions of the NPOs studied provide valued support to impacted communities and demonstrate how these organisations can enable communities to respond more effectively before, during and after disasters. Actions of the NPOs studied included: running fire and risk awareness workshops, coordinating Food Banks, establishing other community support organisations such as Men's Sheds, funding vaccinations, operating community barbeques, establishing and running tool libraries, and enabling speedy access to local assets. Strengths of the NPOs were identified by representatives of the organisations themselves and by emergency management personal. Unanimously, NPOs were recognised for their: community connections, access to vulnerable people, local knowledge, motivated volunteer base, and their creative, flexible solutions to tricky problems.

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

In the present world, International Consensus Frameworks, commonly called global frameworks or gl... more In the present world, International Consensus Frameworks, commonly called global frameworks or global agendas, guide international development policies and practices. They guide the development of all countries and influence the development initiatives by their respective governments. Recent global frameworks, adopted mostly post-2015, include both a group of over-arching frameworks (eg, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction [SFDRR]) and a group of frameworks addressing specific issues (eg, the Dhaka Declaration on Disability and Disaster Risk Management). These global frameworks serve twin purposes: first, to set a global development standard, and second, to set policies and approaches to achieve these standards. A companion group of professional standards, guidelines, and tools (ie, Sphere’s Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards) guide the implementation and operationalization of these frameworks on the ground.This paper gathers these global frameworks and core pro...

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2011

This is a commentary on two article included in this issue.

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2018

Introduction Today in Australia, university degree programs provide the education pathway into th... more Introduction Today in Australia, university degree programs provide the education pathway into the paramedic profession reflecting a more than 50-year process of transition from on-the-job first aid training. The formal organisation of paramedic education began in the early 1960s with the establishment of ambulance service training centres. The factors that contributed to this transition are poorly described when compared with that of paramedics in other parts of the world such as the United States and England. The history of Australian paramedic education is important to capture for the benefit of the profession in Australia and to situate it within a global context of modern emergency medical services. This paper examines the peer reviewed and grey literature to chart the transition of Australian paramedic education from vocational to higher education and uncovers signposts of change leading to this transition. Methods Following a systematic search of MEDLINE and CINAHL Plus datab...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:This research identified a gap in understanding the lived experience of long-term di... more Introduction:This research identified a gap in understanding the lived experience of long-term disaster resilience (LTDR). Increasing disasters could influence more people. Therefore, understanding LTDR becomes imperative. Little research documents men and women’s reflections following disasters. Current research highlights survivors’ mental health, particularly clinical diagnoses like PTSD. Research remains limited on the social impacts long after disasters.Aim:Research aimed to identify a gendered perspective of the lived experience about what contributes to LTDR three years after Ash Wednesday in 1983, the Victorian floods in 1993 and 2010-11, and the 2009 Black Saturday fires.Methods:A comprehensive, systematized search was conducted of peer-reviewed, grey, and secondary literature for a narrative review and thematic analysis.Results:106 references were identified. After removing duplicates and papers not fitting the inclusion criteria, two papers met the criteria. However, two ...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:Between 2015 and 2018, a number of influential disaster-related International Consen... more Introduction:Between 2015 and 2018, a number of influential disaster-related International Consensus Frameworks evolved.Aim:To locate these Frameworks and identify commonalities, potential interactions, and possible implications for WADEM.Methods:A targeted literature review and thematic analysis.Results:The review identified the following Frameworks: Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030; Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda; Paris Climate Change Conference; WADEM Position Statement on Climate Change; World Humanitarian Summit; Core Humanitarian Standards; Sphere Handbook, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response; Habitat111 - the new Urban Agenda; Sphere Guidelines for Urban Disasters; Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Project; New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants; Dhaka Declaration on Disability and Disaster Risk Management; WHO Emergency Medical Teams and Accreditation; WADEM’s Disaster Research and Evaluatio...

A literature review, in advance of designing a survey of cultural competency in Australian and Ne... more A literature review, in advance of designing a survey of cultural competency in Australian and New Zealand paramedic education courses, provides the focus of this paper. The review sought to explore the extent to which other health professions include cultural competency in their undergraduate curriculum. The literature review identified specific research papers that used survey methods to determine the status of cultural competency training in other health professions. With no paramedic specific information available to inform paramedic education, these research papers formed a basis for designing a survey that would examine the extent to which paramedic education includes cultural competency in its curricula. This paper is timely for informing paramedic education about surveys on cultural competency in health professional education. It is particularly timely for the paramedic profession, which is currently in transition from a vocationally based occupation to a professionally base...

The Australian journal of emergency management, 2018

This paper evaluates four pilot training sessions conducted in August 2015 by Women’s Health Goul... more This paper evaluates four pilot training sessions conducted in August 2015 by Women’s Health Goulburn North East, Women’s Health In the North and the Monash University Disaster Resilience Initiative as part of the Gender and Disaster Pod initiative. The Lessons in Disaster Program promotes the understanding of the role that gender plays in survivor responses to disasters. The program embeds these insights into emergency management practice through training delivered to emergency management practitioners. This paper describes an independent evaluation of the program and reveals positive outcomes for participants in the emergency management and community sectors as well as highlighting key areas for further improvements. Understanding the role gender plays in survivor responses to disasters: evaluating the Lessons in Disaster Program Dr Caroline Spencer1, Naomi Bailey2, Dr Carlyn Muir1, Dr Saadia Majeed1, Dudley McArdle1, Emma Keech2, Alyssa Duncan2 and Dr Debra Parkinson1, 2, 3 1. Mo...

The Australian journal of emergency management, 2015

The aim of this study was to reach a consensus among stakeholders on the characteristics that the... more The aim of this study was to reach a consensus among stakeholders on the characteristics that they consider relevant for developing a disaster-resilient Victoria. Key stakeholders were defined as members of organisations involved in emergency management activities in Victoria (i.e. federal, state and local government, emergency services organisations, businesses, non-government organisations, community groups and researchers). A literature review was conducted to identify an initial set of characteristics. Using the Delphi technique, three surveys were conducted to identify any additional characteristics stakeholders considered relevant. This was used to achieve consensus on which of the characteristics from the literature and additional characteristics are relevant for the Victorian context. The findings indicate that stakeholders perceive that a systemic approach, which encompasses both formal structures and grass roots efforts, is required to develop a disaster resilient Victoria...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:Despite the influential Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks, risk remains poorly understood ... more Introduction:Despite the influential Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks, risk remains poorly understood in the emergency preparedness sector. Hazard assessment and risk management are usually considered before events. An alternative view considers risk as a cascade of potential consequences throughout an event. The 2014 fire in the Victorian rural community of Morwell included a three-phased event: a small bush fire, from which embers ignited a persistent fire in a disused open cut brown coal mine fire. The consequent air pollution precipitated a public health emergency in the nearby community of 15,000 people.Aim:To examine this event as a case study to investigate concordance with accepted definitions and key elements of a cascading event.Methods:Selected literature informed a risk cascade definition and model as a framework to examine the key post-event public inquiries available in the public domain.Results:Informed by a Conceptual Framework for a Hazard Evolving into a Disaster (Birnb...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:The term “profession” to describe the people who carry out emergency management (EM)... more Introduction:The term “profession” to describe the people who carry out emergency management (EM) in Australia continues to gain momentum. Many emergency managers see themselves and are seen by others as professionals, yet little evidence exists to confirm this proposition. Unlike other professions, there is no peak body or overarching organization in Australia to help the diverse group of emergency managers to identify standards of performance and to lobby decision-makers on their behalf.Aim:This study identifies criteria that define a profession and considers how the emergency management sector in Australia reflects them.Methods:A literature review and review of established professions informed criteria of what constitutes a profession. Using these criteria, a survey was conducted to identify the demographic profiles of Australian emergency managers, their perception of the criteria of a profession, and their attitudes towards professionalization of their sector. Semi-structured i...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2019

Introduction:The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (NSDR) characterizes resilient communi... more Introduction:The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (NSDR) characterizes resilient communities as having strong disaster and financial mitigation strategies, strong social capacity, networks, and self-reliance. Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) embrace many characteristics of a disaster resilient community. NPOs do not operate for the profit of individual members. Community groups like Lions and Rotary Club have long histories, and while not established to respond to disasters, they frequently have heavy involvement in preparing for or recovering from, disasters.Aim:The study aims to address the question, “What is the potential role of nonprofit organizations in building community resilience to disasters?”Methods:An applied research project was carried out, using theories of resilience, social capital, and the Sendai framework to conceptualize the frameworks and guide the process. Qualitative research methods, thematic analysis, and case studies helped identify Lions, Rotary, an...

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2015

Attracting more than 900 delegates from 60 countries, the theme of Preparedness: Knowledge, Train... more Attracting more than 900 delegates from 60 countries, the theme of Preparedness: Knowledge, Training, and Networks, at the 15th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine offered 130 sessions and 285 posters on a wide range of topics. The Congress delivered very clear products to enable experts, organisations, and governments to be better prepared for the next disaster or crisis as a critical need for consistent standards and benchmarks in emergency preparedness around the world. To address this need, intense workshops were held to develop recommendations on a focused subset of hospital emergency preparedness benchmarks; define and implement an ongoing process to pilot and evaluate those benchmarks, and promote a consensus building process that would be used to develop and implement these and additional benchmarks in the future. Pre-Congress workshops The local organising committee offered three different courses to Congress participants. These internationally accredited and certified courses covered all aspects of disaster and emergency medicine in: •

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2015

Getting the methodology right-Evaluating projects and sharing the findings 3.3 The model in actio... more Getting the methodology right-Evaluating projects and sharing the findings 3.3 The model in action-scenarios Scenario 1-National media campaign promotes healthy eating Scenario 2-State Department supports cultural competency in language service provision Scenario 3-Focus on overweight and obesity in a rural region Scenario 4-Dealing with diabetes in a small community Scenario 5-Focus on physical activity and Muslim women in a local government area Scenario 6-Improving uptake of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation among Lebanese patients Professor Elizabeth Waters Chair, Increasing Cultural Competency Working Committee

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2015

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2015

Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 2009

Designing a questionnaire to review cultural competency in Australian and New Zealand paramedic e... more Designing a questionnaire to review cultural competency in Australian and New Zealand paramedic education courses provides the focus of this paper. The paper emerged from a larger research project, which sought to explore the extent to which health professions include cultural competency in their curricula. The purpose of designing a questionnaire was to review Australian and New Zealand paramedic education courses to discover the presence and coverage of cultural competency in the paramedic curriculum. To the best of our knowledge, no current research explores this theme. The absence of such research provided an opportunity to rectify this gap and contribute to the development of the paramedic curriculum, particularly with the proliferation of cultural competency courses in other health professions. This research makes an important contribution to the new academic discipline of paramedic research. The methods used for designing a questionnaire utilised three statements and guidelin...

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2017