Critical thinking in paramedic practice

The discipline of paramedicine is rooted in a working culture, having evolved from transporting patients to hospital, to carrying out a broad range of clinical skills in the out-of-hospital setting. However, while current paramedic practice continues to require clinical and soft skills, it is embedded in higher education and integrated with a growing culture of research and leadership.

One of the main factors that distinguishes the historical ‘ambulance man’ from the present-day paramedic is the ability to think critically, often under pressure. Today's paramedic is not simply carrying out a task or even a skill—he or she is required to apply a sophisticated set of cognitive abilities, problem solve and make competent clinical decisions rapidly. Contemporary paramedics are applying an evolving evidence base to day-to-day practice, and are required to be somewhat experimental, despite being systematic, asking themselves in a given situation whether a particular intervention is in fact the right one based on his or her clinical observations and gut intuition.