Mr Jason Betson
Senior Lecturer
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Areas of expertise: shift work; sleep; stress; fatigue; paramedicine
Phone: +61 3 9953 3503
Email: Jason.betson@acu.edu.au
Location: ACU Melbourne Campus
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9883-8586
Jason Betson is a Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator for the Bachelor of Paramedicine at the Australian Catholic University, Melbourne campus. Jason has completed a Research Masters degree with the University of Tasmania and is a current PhD Candidate with the University of Southern Queensland. His current research focus is centred on improving undergraduate paramedicine education, a field that is emerging from a traditional vocational training background. Jason's PhD focusses on building teaching modalities that encourage students to adopt a challenge appraisal stance in high acuity situations. To gain quantitative data that objectively measures stress responses, this research employs wearable biosensors to gather physiological data whilst a student is undertaking a high fidelity scenario. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), peripheral skin moisture and temperature changes, along with Blood Volume Pulse (BVP), Heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), total peripheral resistance (TPR), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability, and changes to respiratory rate and effort are all interpreted to determine a physiological responses to stress in the clinical scenario setting.
Additional research interests for Jason centre on the health and welling of the paramedic and paramedicine students, a field that has historically lacked innovative research. His recent research project published in Sleep Health was the first quantifiable investigation of sleep and health of graduate paramedics from anywhere in the world. Jason also supervises Honour students and co-authored a recent systematic review published in the Emergency Medicine Journal.
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Publications:
- Betson, J, Kirkcaldie, M, Zosky, G & Ross, RM. (2022). Transition to shift work: Sleep patterns, activity levels, and physiological health of early-career paramedics, Sleep Health, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2022.06.001
- Wilkinson-Stokes M, Betson J, Sawyer S. (2022). Adverse events from nitrate administration during right ventricular myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- BMJ Open, doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-EMS.1
- Wilkinson-Stokes M, Betson J, Sawyer S (2022). Adverse events from nitrate administration during right ventricular myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Emergency Medicine Journal Published Online First: 30 September 2022. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2021-212294
Conference papers:
- Betson, J. 'A scoping review: Threat versus challenge appraisal in paramedicine higher education.' Poster presentation - ACPIC22: October 2022, Brisbane, Australia.
- Betson, J. Transition to shift work: Sleep patterns, activity levels and physiological health of early-career paramedics. Oral presentation - Inaugural Canadian Paramedicine Research Day: May 2022, Virtual.
- Betson, J. Adaptation to shift work by Graduate Paramedics in Victoria. Oral presentation - EMS Conferences Australia: August 2019, Bali, Indonesia.
- Betson, J, Kirkcaldie, M, Edwards, D & Dwyer, RM. Sleep Patterns and Physiological markers of stress in Graduate Paramedics. Poster presentation - UTAS Research Week: September 2015, UTAS Hobart Campus.
Accolades and Awards
- Awarded a 2016 ACU Teaching Development Grant ($6000). This funded a project titled "The quality of sleep in final year Paramedicine students" via a competitive application process. This project allowed final year students to develop an understanding their quality and quantity of sleep and establish mechanisms to improve the sleep in preparation for shift work.
- Awarded a 2015 UTAS School of Medicine Research Committee Research Development Grant ($5000) via a competitive application process. This funded a project title "Sleep Patterns and Physiological markers of stress in Graduate Paramedics" which has since gone on to be the basis for my Masters research.
Appointments and Affiliations
- Registered Paramedic with AHPRA. Registration number: PAR0002208372
- Member: Australasian College of Paramedicine (ACP)
- Fellow: Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
