ca-copr-pcp key terms

The skills, interventions, and decisions a paramedic is legally and professionally authorized to perform at their certification level, as defined by provincial legislation, regulator standards, and employer policy.

A patient's voluntary agreement to assessment or treatment after being told, in terms they understand, the nature of the care, its risks and benefits, and the alternatives, including the option to refuse.

A written statement made while a person is capable that records their wishes about future health care, such as refusing resuscitation or specific treatments when they can no longer speak for themselves.

The legal obligation of a paramedic to provide care once a responder-patient relationship has begun, such as when dispatched or when assessment starts, and not to abandon the patient without a proper handover.

A failure to provide the standard of care a reasonable paramedic would give in similar circumstances, resulting in harm; it requires a duty, a breach of that duty, causation, and damages.

The professional and legal duty to protect a patient's personal health information and to share it only with those who need it for care, legal, or safety reasons.

A legal requirement to notify an authority about specific situations, such as suspected child or elder abuse, impaired colleagues, or certain communicable diseases, even without the patient's permission.

A patient's ability, at the moment of a decision, to understand relevant information, appreciate the consequences of their choices, and communicate a consistent decision about their own care.

A purposeful style of interaction that builds trust and supports the patient's wellbeing, using plain language, empathy, respect for privacy, and attention to the patient's concerns rather than casual small talk.

Fully concentrating on what a patient says and how they say it, then reflecting or summarizing to confirm understanding, rather than planning a reply or interrupting.

A structured handover format covering Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation, giving receiving clinicians a brief, organized picture of the patient and what is needed next.

A team communication technique in which the receiver repeats back an order or message and the sender confirms it, so misunderstandings are caught before an action is carried out.

Confirming that a patient understands instructions by asking them to explain or demonstrate the steps in their own words, then re-teaching anything that was missed or confused.

A collaborative conversation style that helps a patient find their own reasons to change a health behaviour, using open questions, reflections, and affirmation instead of advice-giving or confrontation.

A person's ability to obtain, understand, and use health information to make decisions; low health literacy calls for plain language, short sentences, and checking understanding.

A rapid, systematic first check for immediately life-threatening problems, usually following airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure, with treatment started as each problem is found.

A focused head-to-toe examination and history taken after life threats are managed, aimed at finding injuries or illnesses not yet identified and guiding further care and transport decisions.

A memory aid for patient history: Signs and symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last oral intake, and Events leading to the current problem.

A tool for exploring a symptom such as pain: Onset, Provocation and palliation, Quality, Radiation, Severity, and Time, giving a clear picture of how the problem started and changed.

The forces and events that caused a patient's injuries, such as a fall height or steering-wheel deformation, used to predict hidden injuries and decide how urgently to treat and transport.

A paramedic's informed expectation that serious injury or illness may be present despite few obvious signs, based on the mechanism, history, and patient factors, prompting cautious assessment and care.

A rapid look at a child's Appearance, work of Breathing, and Circulation to the skin, used from the doorway to judge how sick the child is before touching them.

A device such as an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway that helps keep the upper airway open in an unresponsive patient; correct sizing and insertion technique are essential to avoid harm.

A hand-held device with a self-inflating bag, one-way valve, and mask used to deliver positive-pressure breaths to a patient who is not breathing adequately; two rescuers improve seal and volume.

A portable device that analyses a cardiac rhythm and delivers a shock for shockable cardiac arrest rhythms, with voice and visual prompts guiding the rescuer through pad placement and safety steps.

Techniques such as manual stabilization, a collar, and careful handling used to limit movement of the head and spine in patients at risk of spinal injury, applied only when indicated.

Steps taken to stop serious bleeding, starting with direct pressure, then wound packing or a tourniquet when needed, along with monitoring the patient for signs of shock.

A therapy that delivers pressurized air or oxygen through a tight-fitting mask to keep small airways open, used in conditions such as pulmonary edema or severe asthma when the patient is breathing.

A non-invasive measurement of oxygen saturation in arterial blood using a finger or ear probe; readings can be misleading in poor circulation, cold limbs, or with certain substances.

Checking and continuously re-checking the environment for hazards such as traffic, violence, fire, or unstable structures before and during care, so responders do not become additional patients.

Gloves, eye protection, masks, gowns, and high-visibility clothing chosen for the expected exposure risk, protecting the responder from blood, body fluids, and environmental hazards.

The approach to scenes involving chemicals, gases, or other dangerous substances, using isolation zones, distance, and specialist resources, with treatment delayed until the scene is made safe.

Practices such as hand hygiene, safe sharps handling, equipment cleaning, and appropriate isolation measures that reduce the spread of infection between patients and responders.

Driving an ambulance under emergency or non-emergency conditions with due regard for public safety, including speed limits, sirens, intersection checks, and the decision of when to use warning devices.

Using proper body mechanics, lift equipment, and teamwork to move patients without injuring the patient or the responder, avoiding awkward lifts, reaching, and twisting.

A state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged work demands, showing up as cynicism, detachment, and a reduced sense of accomplishment; it builds gradually rather than from a single event.

Emotional and physical weariness that develops from repeatedly caring for people who are suffering, which can reduce empathy and increase errors, irritability, and avoidance of patients.

The strong physical and emotional reactions that can follow an unusually disturbing event, such as the death of a child; reactions are normal but may need support or referral if they persist.

A program in which trained colleagues offer confidential listening, practical help, and referral after difficult calls, based on shared understanding of the work rather than clinical treatment.

Being physically and mentally able to perform duties safely at the start of a shift, which requires reporting illness, fatigue, medication effects, or impairment that could affect patient or crew safety.