LARU skills benefit island-hopping paramedic QAS paramedic Jamie Paul explains in this special report how his LARU qualifications are benefiting the island jobs he attends in the Southern Moreton Bay Islands (SMBIs). Jamie became the OIC of Macleay Island in January this year following a three-year stint in the country at Injune. Right
This process can be very stressful to island residents, so by being extended scope qualified, it has enabled me to provide extended care to residents especially outside of regular business hours to enable them to stay home. Since working at Macleay, I have been called to residents for skin tears, wound management and suturing. These procedures would normally have needed to be done at a medical facility on the mainland. Recently I sutured wounds with patients who would normally refuse to go to the mainland and wait for Monday to have their wounds treated which would have increased the risk of infection.
Flashback: QAS paramedic Jamie Paul at Injune in the South West LASN. Below
The Kitty Kat allows QAS officers, such as Jamie, to transport patients to the mainland for further assessment or treatment. Opposite, top
Jamie loves working on the islands. Opposite, below
Flashback: Jamie watches on proudly as his daughter, Holly, competes in an equestrian event at Injune.
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I am LARU qualified and carry out my duties on Macleay, Karragarra and Lamb Islands as a single responding officer. I am also required to assist with responses to Coochiemudlo and Russell Island when needed. As an Advanced Care Paramedic with extended scope of practice, I can provide care for residents so they do not have to leave the islands which can cause a lot of distress for them due to logistical reasons. The SMBIs do not have any after-hours care available, and if a resident requires further treatment or assessment, they must be transported by us on the Kitty Kat boat (QAS boat) to Redland Bay to hand over to another crew, then be transported to a hospital on the mainland.
One patient was a 70-year-old male I attended on a Friday night. The patient was injured after he cut the top off his left thumb just below the knuckle with a clean kitchen knife when trying to open an ice cream container. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, and the fact that he was in an at-risk group due to his age and low immunity, he did not want to leave home let alone leave the island. The patient called QAS for wound management. On arrival, I cleaned the wound and consulted for authorisation to suture or glue the wound. After consulting for authorisation to suture the wound, I was contacted by the Operations Centre and dispatched on another case. After responding to that case and transporting the patient to the mainland via boat, I returned to the initial case. The patient’s wound was again cleaned and assessed as directed by the on‑call QAS specialist emergency physician. The patient’s wound was then successfully closed with three sutures. Another case involved a patient who had accidentally cut the left index finger just above his knuckle with a clean knife late on a Saturday afternoon. On QAS arrival the patient had an obvious deep laceration approximately two to three centimetres across his finger with bleeding controlled. The patient’s wound was irrigated, cleaned and dressed initially whilst I called the consult line to get authorisation for
Winter 2020
