Non-technical attributes in paramedicine: Is situational judgement testing the solution?

Abstract

Non-technical attributes have been identified as important and desirable qualities for all paramedics. Despite this, there is currently little research exploring the assessment of non-technical attributes in paramedicine.  Situational judgement tests (SJT) have been identified as a valid and reliable assessment of non-technical attributes in medical education, however, it appears there is no research exploring the use of SJTs in the field of paramedicine. This paper outlines the background information on SJTs, what they are and their successful implementation in medicine. Additionally, this paper identifies potential uses for SJTs in paramedicine including admission and mental health screening based of previous research in medical education.  This paper concludes that SJTs could be utilised in the field of paramedicine to measure non-technical attributes.