Application of theories of psycology, sociology in the context of (UK)paramedic practice - Essay Example

Advanced training for the extension of roles of paramedical professionals is essential (DoH (c), 2001), with training and education in skills needed for assessment and treatment of conditions among the elderly such as wounds, fractures, cervical spine injury and stroke, in the community setting (Mason et al, 2003). They thus reduce the National Health Service’s (NHS) problem of increasing expenditure on emergency medical admissions (Gray & Walker, 2008). New initiatives need to be developed to improve the assessment of elderly patients (DoH (a), 2001; DoH (b), 2001).

Ambulance Mrs. Thomas is a frail old lady of eighty years. She fell down, when her ankle twisted unexpectedly, causing severe pain in her left hip, which took her weight during the fall. She could not be moved to her bed. Her spouse dialled 999 and asked for paramedics to attend to her urgently. In this case, paramedics arrived quickly, and gently shifted her on to a stretcher, from where she was transferred to her bed. Using their knowledge and experience about hip fractures in the elderly, including a sprained ankle, the paramedics decided to immobilize her hip and support her ankle, while administering her a pain killer.

Integrated decision making with a multidimensional team helped them decide to provide medical treatment and nursing care in the home setting, without hospital admission. Knowledge which is linked to power is a sociological theory, based on knowledge having the power to have an effect on individuals, or more generally on society (Adams & Sydie, 2001). In the context of paramedic practice, a combination of both theory and practice are used in the exercise of judgment related to emergency medical cases, termed as “knowledge invested in action” (Dunne, 1999: 707; Hager, 2000).

An important theory that is applicable to paramedics’ work in relation to judgment, decision making and application