Professional Standard «combat Medic» as a Factor of Quality Management in the Medical Supply System of the Ukrainian Defense Forces

Abstract

The article examines the complex problem of regulation the professional qualification of a combat medic / senior combat medic based on a standardized set of acquired competencies and their implementation into the professional standard «Combat medic» as a quality management factor in the system of medical support of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. It is determined the need to differentiate the system of recognition of the professional qualifications of a combat medic and a senior combat medic with corresponding changes to the professional standard of a combat medic by introducing professional qualification categories: a combat medic of the II category, without medical education with special standardized training in educational centers, which corresponds to 4th level of the national qualification framework; a combat medic of category I (senior combat medic), who must have an appropriate educational qualification corresponding to the 5th level of the national qualification framework, as well as a combat medic of the highest professional qualification category, corresponding to the 6th level of the national qualification framework. It is substantiated that the compliance of the professional standard «Combat medic» with the norms of the current legislation requires the separation of professional qualification categories in the corresponding professional standard, as well as further differentiation of the meaningful content of the functionality of staff positions of senior combat medic and combat medic, taking into account the corresponding work and professional competencies. The authors also substantiate the necessity of differentiation in the professional standard the labor functions and professional competences of combat medics without medical education and senior combat medics with a professional medical education based on the introduction of relevant professional qualification categories. It has been proven that the proposed differentiation of the professional qualification categories of the «Combat medic» profession is due to a significant difference in the competencies of servicemen who hold full-time positions of senior combat medics and have a bachelor's degree in higher education compared to servicemen who hold similar positions of senior combat medics in the presence of higher education qualification «Junior Bachelor» degree, or vocational pre-university education qualification «Professional Junior Bachelor», in particular with regard to the «responsibility and autonomy» descriptor of the national qualification framework. It is emphasized that the implementation of the mentioned proposals regarding the improvement of the professional standard «Combat medic» can be an effective tool and factor of quality management in the system of medical support of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.