What is this article about?
The inclusion of paramedics into the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) for Health Practitioners acknowledges the growth and development of what was once a volunteer service that has since gained status as an occupation and is now recognised as a profession. Prehospital care in Australia began with ambulance services that were developed to provide a safe, fast and efficient method of patient transport to hospital, rather than for the provision of medical care. However, over time, and partly in response to an acute need for high-level prehospital care, the role of the stretcher-bearer developed into that of the ambulance driver and then the ambulance officer as these workers began to undertake on-the-road and vocational training.
What do others think?