Clinical Practice Radio (CPR)
St John WA has launched its first ever public podcast, Clinical Practice Radio (CPR). Designed by clinicians for clinicians, the show discusses a range of clinical and management topics using the latest evidence-based research and inviting subject matter experts to share their insights. Hosted by St John WA Deputy Director of Paramedicine Andy Bell alongside Clinical Leads Megan Currie and Nick Overington.
Listen on:
Meet the hosts
Andy Bell:
Andy Bell is the first Deputy Director of Paramedicine for St John WA. Andy is a registered Paramedic, has held senior lecturer positions in several Australian universities and has formed and lead high performance clinical teams for TacMed Australia and The Royal Flying Doctors Service of WA.
He has published numerous articles on the development of the Paramedic education paradigm, is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Paramedicine, Editor on the Journal of High Threat and Austere Medicine, and an Adjunct Research Fellow with Curtin University.
Andy provides consultancy and sits on the teaching cadres for speciality medical training providers, Blacksmiths and Ragged Edge Solutions and in his spare time he loves lifting heavy barbells, walking his two dogs and drinking good coffee.
Meet the hosts continued
Megan Currie:
Megan Currie has more than nine years’ experience as a Paramedic at St John WA and currently works as a District Clinical Lead in the North West.
Passionate about clinical leadership, staff development, and mentoring, Megan has been actively involved in these areas throughout their career mentoring student paramedics and teaching in the College of Pre-Hospital Care, consistently supporting others in building clinical confidence and capability.
Megan has also worked across the South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia, developing strong relationships within volunteer communities and contributing to ongoing education and training efforts.
Nick Overington:
Nick began his journey with St John WA as a cadet, progressing through volunteer roles in ambulance and Event Health Services before achieving his goal of becoming a Paramedic.
Over the past nine years, he has worked across metropolitan and rural settings in a variety of roles. Now serving as a Clinical Lead, Nick is passionate about all aspects of pre-hospital care. He has a strong interest in clinical leadership, mentoring, and supporting his colleagues to provide the best care possible.
Nick is committed to developing others and fostering a culture of clinical excellence which shapes his approach to leadership in the field.
Episodes
Episodes
Oct 14, 2026
Oct 14, 2026
26 min
Every second counts during a cardiac arrest, and the actions taken before an ambulance arrives can make a critical difference.
In this Shocktober episode of Clinical Practice Radio (CPR), the team is joined by St John WA Community Response Manager Caitlyn Pavey-Smith and Resuscitation Improvement Specialist Jason Belcher to explore the importance of early intervention and the role our community plays in strengthening the chain of survival.
Together, they discuss St John WA's First Responder app and State Defibrillator Network, and how these initiatives help connect people experiencing cardiac arrest with trained community responders and accessible defibrillators in those crucial first few minutes. Through real-life examples, they highlight the importance of early CPR, defibrillation and the collective effort involved in responding to cardiac arrest.
The conversation also explores how everyone can play a part, from learning CPR and completing first aid training to registering a defibrillator or becoming a community first responder. A great discussion about how the chain of survival helps save lives.
Oct 1, 2026
Oct 1, 2026
32 min
It's Shocktober! In this episode, the team is joined by St John WA Resuscitation Improvement Specialist Jason Belcher to take a deep dive into the science of defibrillation and the small changes that can help make the first shock the best shock.
The conversation focuses on the three Ps – placement, prep and perfusion – exploring why correct pad placement matters, how preparing the patient can improve pad contact, and why minimising interruptions to chest compressions is so important when delivering a shock.
The team also discusses the differences between public AEDs and the defibrillators used by paramedics, high-performance CPR and some of the emerging approaches to defibrillation, including vector change and double sequential defibrillation. They unpack what current research tells us, where the evidence is still developing and why getting the fundamentals right remains key.
A practical discussion on the science behind defibrillation and how clinicians can optimise everything within their control to give patients the best possible chance during cardiac arrest.
References
ANZCOR BLS Guideline 7 – Automated External Defibrillation in Basic Life Support
ANZCOR ALS Guideline 11.4 – Electrical Therapy for Adult Advanced Life Support
Cheskes et al (2011) Perishock Pause: An Independent Predictor of Survival From Out-of-Hospital Shockable Cardiac Arrest https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.010736
Cheskes et al (2022) Defibrillation Strategies for Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation [DOSE-VF study] https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJMoa2207304
Other ongoing Double Sequential External Defibrillation (DSED) trials
German Clinical Trials Register
NCT06672159 | Initial Double Sequential External Defibrillation in Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (DUALDEFIB)
NCT06447805 | Early Double Sequential Defibrillation in Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest (DOUBLE-D)
NCT06781892 | Strategies for Defibrillation During Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (STRAT-DEFI)