A Nagambie resident is one of 30 lucky paramedics in the first cohort at Monash University taking on the new Paramedic Practitioner master’s degree.
For the last seven years, Norieul Kinross has worked closely with the Strathbogie community as a Paramedic Community Support Co-ordinator.
In her current role, she advocates for patient care, and aims to reduce the burden on the health care system.
A new bill the Victorian Government has introduced to create Australia's first Paramedic Practitioners, will help Miss Kinross and other paramedics to deliver advanced care and further reduce pressure on ambulance services and emergency departments.
The Paramedic Practitioners Bill 2024 will allow qualified paramedics to independently assess, diagnose, and treat various conditions locally, often eliminating the need for hospital transfers.
A key feature of the new specialised role is the ability to handle and administer scheduled medicines, enabling on-the-spot prescriptions.
After completing the three-year master’s degree, Miss Kinross will be able to treat patients in the comfort of their own home, freeing up overcrowded emergency departments.
Miss Kinross said she decided to apply for the program so she can build on what she’s doing now, and help people during times when it can be difficult.
“In regional and rural areas, it can be hard to get a hold of a doctor or specialist after hours,” she said.
“For a lot of people, we’re it.
“There’s a lot of barriers to people receiving health care, this will be another step towards reducing those barriers.”
The 2023-24 Victorian Budget allocated $20 million to establish the role, including funding the degree for eligible paramedics with over five years of experience.
Miss Kinross said the funding is one of the biggest reasons she can participate in the course.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own,” she said.
“I’m a mother and I have a family. It’s expensive to go back and study.
“(The funding) has taken that pressure off.”
The 30 paramedics currently studying will be deployed to different regional Victorian locations in 2026.
Premier Jacinta Allan said having the first paramedics in Australia who can deliver advanced on-the-spot care and prescribed medicines is a “big deal”, and will save many people a trip to the hospital.
State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the government created the degree to help reduce demand on busy hospital emergency departments, while giving regional Victorians the care they need.
The initiative is part of the government's broader investment in ambulance services, which includes recruiting more than 2200 additional paramedics and establishing 41 new or upgraded ambulance stations since 2014.