1. Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Student Paramedics Building
Rapport with the Elderly
Linda Ross

2. 28 April 2014
RAPPORT
Interpersonal
Communication
Skills
Experience
Attitudes
And
Preconceptions
Treatment Adherence
Clinical Decision
Making
History Gathering
Patient Outcome & Satisfaction

3. Where were we?
 Communication
– Theory
– Simulation practise with
peers as patients
– Clinical placements
28 April 2014
 Elderly
– Life span
– Mental health
– Clinical placements

4. 20 year old Melissa
28 April 2014
80 year old Maureen
What do they have
in common?
Names and details have been altered for privacy

5. 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.
28 April 2014

6. • 6 x 10 minute one-on-one conversations
28 April 2014

7. 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

8. 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.”
28 April 2014

9. 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

10. 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

11. Questions
28 April 2014
Acknowledgements
Brett Williams Head of Community Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice Department
All participants in the original project