Next generation paramedics, agents of change, or time for curricula renewal?

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic distributions

Variable	Descriptor	n	Percentage (%)
Sex	Male	81	30.4
	Female	179	67.3
	Missing	6	2.3
Age	<21 years	119	44.7
	21–25 years	109	41.0
	26–30 years	21	7.9
	31–35 years	7	2.6
	36–40 years	3	1.1
	41–45 years	3	1.1
	>45 years	4	1.5
Year level	Year 1	51	19.2
	Year 2	134	50.4
	Year 3	76	28.6
	Year 4	5	1.9
Course type	Single degree	130	48.9
	Double degree	136	51.1

Table 2 Practice style inventory mean item results

	Mean	±SD
Evidence versus experience questions
1. Clinical experience is more important than randomized controlled trials	2.34	1.02
3. Evidence-based practice makes a lot of sense to me	1.67	0.69
9. Clinical experience is the most reliable way to know what really works	2.21	1.00
12. Patient care should be based where possible on randomized controlled trials, rather than on the opinion of respected authorities	2.66	0.97
16. The best practice guidelines are based on the results of randomized controlled trials	2.49	0.80
17. Evidence-based practice is not very practical in real patient care	2.24	0.79
Nonconformity questions
2. I am comfortable practicing in ways different than other health care professionals	2.44	0.76
5. It is best to change the way I treat a certain problem when my local colleagues are making the same changes	2.73	0.91
7. The opinions of respected authorities should guide clinical practice	2.32	0.80
11. I am often critical of accepted practices	3.02	0.85
13. My colleagues consider me to be someone who marches to my own drummer	3.51	0.86
15. It is not prudent to practice out of step with other health care professionals in my area	3.02	0.78
Pragmatic concerns questions
4. I do not have the time to read up on every practice decision	3.55	0.77
6. I follow practice guidelines if they are not too much hassle	3.24	1.09
8. I am too busy taking care of patients to keep up with the recent literature	2.57	0.82
10. I am uncomfortable doing things differently from the way I was trained	3.05	0.97
14. I follow practice guidelines as long as they do not interfere too much with the flow of patients	3.13	0.91

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.