Have you heard of a LARU officer? It is a type of Paramedic called “Local-Area Assessment Referral Unit”.
In this video above, you can hear from Jamie who is currently a LARU Officer with Queensland Ambulance Service. It is a single officer role which is typically held by Paramedics who have 5+ years experience. They are usually assigned to low acuity or low-risk patients.
The LARU officer role was created to reduce the demand on the public hospitals, which means they are qualified to assess and treat patients, and then leave them in their home if it is safe to do so.
If the patient does require further care, the LARU officer is able to determine if the patient should attend a hospital, health hub or a GP.
In this video, Jamie from QAS discusses the different roles, the scope of practice and levels of paramedics within the service.
Some of the different roles within an ambulance service could include (this varies from state to state):
– Paramedic | Able to administer some drugs, basic airway management, resuscitation and ventilation.
– Advanced Care Paramedic or LARU officer (local-area assessment and referral unit) | Extended scope of practice in pharmacology, airway management, drug administration and trauma.
– Advanced Care level 2 and High Acuity Response Unit (HARU) | Extended scope of practice in advanced airways and procedures.
– Critical Care and Flight Paramedics | The highest level of Paramedics who deal with critically ill patients and flight transfers.
All of these roles require a Bachelor of Paramedical Science degree plus some extended training or qualifications.
Do any of these roles interest you? But maybe you don’t have the grades for direct entry into University? The Diploma of Paramedical Science is an excellent pathway into a long and rewarding career as any of the paramedic roles mentioned above
Study pre-hospital emergency health care qualifications online at APC; with the aid of clinical workshops as well as online and phone support from trainers and educators. Enjoy unlimited access to a student success team who are always ready to help and assist. Although paramedical pathway courses can be studied online; APC fosters a vibrant and passionate community which encourages students to engage and help one another.
Choose from three pre-hospital emergency health care qualifications:
HLT51020 – Diploma of Emergency Health Care
HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care
HLT31120 – Certificate III in Non-emergency Patient Transport