Welcome to the PRIME course, a training programme designed to prepare rural health practitioners for their role as members of the emergency response team in the PRIME system of out-of-hospital emergency care.

The purpose of PRIME is to supplement the ambulance service to provide timely access to clinical skills that have the potential to improve outcomes for patients in rural areas. PRIME aims to ensure access to high-quality out-of-hospital emergency care in areas where there is a shortage of suitably trained paramedics, or where ambulance service rural response times may be longer than usual.

The course has a predominately practical focus to consolidate skills such as high performance CPR, trauma and acute medical emergency management. The course includes principles of triage, major incident management, teamwork with ambulance and fire officers, patient extrication and transport considerations as they apply in the rural setting.

Important information about course bookings

The initial course is five days, Mon – Fri (40 hours), the refresher is one day (Sat or Sun) 8 hours.

The PRIME course booking system will prioritise those who are employed by a medical practice that holds a PRIME contract, so other bookings may be put onto a waiting list to accommodate this. We do not guarantee a place on a course for non-PRIME contract holders and they may be moved to waiting lists even once confirmed if we require that space.

You must hold a NZ Medical Registration (HPCA 2003) to attend this course and it is recommended that you also hold at least a resuscitation certificate to Level 6, and have had some other experience in emergency medicine. IV certification is required for attending this course.

If you have any queries with regard to your booking please email PRIME.support@stjohn.org.nz.

Christchurch 19.05.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 20.05.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 21.05.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 22.05.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 23.05.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Auckland 09.06.2025 - 8.30am to 5.00pm 10.06.2025 - 8.30am to 5.00pm 11.06.2025 - 8.30am to 5.00pm 12.06.2025 - 8.30am to 5.00pm 13.06.2025 - 8.30am to 5.00pm Book now Dunedin 07.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 08.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 09.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 10.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 11.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Feilding 21.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 22.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 23.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 24.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 25.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Tauranga 28.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 29.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 30.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 31.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 01.08.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Christchurch 22.09.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 23.09.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 24.09.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 25.09.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 26.09.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Auckland 13.10.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 14.10.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 15.10.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 16.10.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 17.10.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Dunedin 24.11.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 25.11.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 26.11.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 27.11.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm 28.11.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Whangarei 23.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 24.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 25.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 26.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 27.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Christchurch 23.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 24.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 25.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 26.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 27.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Dunedin 16.03.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 17.03.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 18.03.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 19.03.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 20.03.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Tauranga 13.04.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 14.04.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 15.04.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 16.04.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 17.04.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Auckland 08.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 09.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 10.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 11.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 12.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Christchurch 15.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 16.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 17.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 18.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm 19.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now

The PRIME Refresher course embraces a blending learning approach comprising of one day (8 hour) face-to-face delivery supplemented by on-line activities. The course is practically based that reviews the emergent management principles and procedures encountered on the PRIME Initial Course. PRIME practitioners are required to attend the refresher programme every two years after the PRIME Initial course.

Dunedin 17.05.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Go on wait list Kerikeri 17.05.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Go on wait list Cambridge 07.06.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Whangarei 07.06.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Waiheke Island 05.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Palmerston North 12.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Christchurch 19.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Go on wait list Christchurch 20.07.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Greymouth 02.08.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Auckland 09.08.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Amberley 16.08.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Wanaka 30.08.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Go on wait list Tauranga 30.08.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Dunedin 06.09.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Feilding 20.09.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Christchurch 04.10.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Kerikeri 04.10.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Westport 11.10.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Cromwell 18.10.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Te Anau 01.11.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Dunedin 08.11.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Whangarei 08.11.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Christchurch 15.11.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Alexandra 06.12.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Auckland 06.12.2025 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Fairlie 31.01.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Kaikoura 14.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Tauranga 14.02.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Auckland 07.03.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Tauranga 04.04.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Christchurch 11.04.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Kerikeri 18.04.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Queenstown 09.05.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Dunedin 16.05.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Auckland 23.05.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now Motueka 06.06.2026 - 8.30am to 5pm Book now