Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Student Paramedics Building

Rapport with the Elderly

Linda Ross

28 April 2014

RAPPORT

Interpersonal

Communication

Skills

Experience

Attitudes

And

Preconceptions

Treatment AdherenceClinical Decision

Making

History Gathering

Patient Outcome & Satisfaction

Where were we?

Communication

– Theory

– Simulation practise with

peers as patients

– Clinical placements

28 April 2014

Elderly

– Life span

– Mental health

– Clinical placements

20 year old Melissa

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80 year old Maureen

What do they have

in common?

Names and details have been altered for privacy

Participants

• Eleven second year paramedic students

enrolled in Monash University’s Bachelor

of Emergency Health (Paramedic) degree

• Eleven independently living elderly

residents from Patterson Lakes Village.

• Pre & Post tests on communication,

rapport & attitudes towards the elderly.

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• 6 x 10 minute one-on-one conversations

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Results - Summary

Overall ability to develop rapport increased

– “I believe this experience has improved my ability to build

rapport with elderly individuals. It allowed me to develop my

approach and the easiest ways to begin to build rapport and

establish a good relationship.”

Confidence improved

– “I believe that this experience greatly improved my confidence in

interactions with elderly people. This confidence enables me to

establish rapport in a more efficient fashion.”

28 April 2014

Results - Summary

Exposure & Experience – to real patients in an authentic yet non-

threatening environment.

– “This activity gave me an opportunity to engage with the elderly

that I wouldn’t usually have had the chance to.”

Attitudes changed

– “I was pleasantly surprised at how independent they (elderly

participants) were.”

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20 year old Melissa

28 April 2014

80 year old Maureen

• Sense of humour

• Dislike football but like

watching tennis

• Volunteered with St

Johns Ambulance

• Have a niece and great

granddaughter the

same age

• Like holidaying on the

Gold Coast

Where are we now?

This program is now embedded into a 2nd year unit:-

‘The Paramedic in the Community’

Groups 3 or 4 students sit and engage with several elderly visitors

during tutorial time.

Students are also volunteering in the community with a focus on

interpersonal communication rather than clinical skills

Community Visitors Scheme

Salvation Army

Ronald McDonald House

28 April 2014

Questions

28 April 2014

Acknowledgements

Brett Williams Head of Community Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice Department

All participants in the original project