Unit rationale, description and aim
As a prospective graduate paramedic, transitioning to the health workforce can be an exciting and daunting. Therefore, it is essential that students understand the environment and processes that can arise during the transition to practice and ongoing career. Furthermore, it is vital that students develop knowledge, skills, and habits that will support the transition and create a foundation of professional aptitude. Drawing on student’s development and experience over the course of the degree, students will reflect and extend the concepts of practitioner health, wellbeing, research and innovation. Additionally, students will understand the concepts of transition, professionalism, registration, industrial relations, and the role professional/representative bodies. Furthermore, it will aim to develop skills in continuing professional and personal development, networking, preceptorship, and engaging with the profession. The learning process will create a sense of shared knowledge, mimic the professional environment, and be supported by contemporary methods. Information technology will enable the delivery of peer created content, invited professionals' teachings and assessments.
The aim of this unit is to prepare the transition in practice and professionalism and instil skills that will enable students to have a fulfilling career as a paramedic.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Discuss the challenges and associated skills requi...
Learning Outcome 01
Demonstrate foundational concepts of preceptorship...
Learning Outcome 02
Showcase knowledge in an engaging and informative ...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
- Personal and Career Longevity
- Practitioner Health
- Review of personal health and fitness in comparison to PARA114
- Physical training program planning and implementation
- Psychological health strategies
- Social health strategies
- Resilience
- Transition to Practice
- Transition Theory
- Transition Shock
- From novice to expert
- Barriers and enablers of transition and transformation
- Organisational and professional socialisation
- Workplace culture
- Reality of practice
- Lifestyle impacts
- Professional Development
- Registration
- Continuing professional development
- Audits and complaints
- Communicating within and for the profession:
- Conference submissions;
- Posters;
- Presentations;
- Stage craft;
- and other contemporary mediums.
- Professional and Representative Bodies
- Mentoring/Preceptoring
- Professional Relationships/Networking
- Creating and maintaining professional relationships
- Contributing to the profession’s body of knowledge
- Industrial relations
- Submitting research for presentation and publication
- Postgraduate qualifications
- Future of Paramedicine
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment items consistent with University assessment requirements and policy will be used to ensure students achieve the unit learning outcomes, attain the graduate attributes and the meet professional capabilities required in paramedicine. With the ethos that assessments support and guide learning, students will see a direct relationship between each task and student development.
The written assessment will build on previous assessments by further assimilating key concepts pertinent within paramedicine and the transition to practice. It’s context will be centred around real-world environment to a provide a deeper understanding of the profession and practice, while developing communication and critical thinking skills. This enables students to articulate and discuss identified challenges and solutions to Transition to Paramedic Practice and Professionalism.
A key aspect of being a professional is the ability to foster the development of future generations and contributes to the knowledge base of the profession. The mentorship/preceptorship portfolio and the showcase are designed to support students’ development in these areas. The mentorship/preceptorship portfolio allows students to demonstrate the skills pertinent mentorship/preceptorship the while creating a sense of community and assisting someone in their learning journey.
The showcase can be comprised of unique knowledge that have developed within an aspect of the course or an original topic. Either option could be considered to contribute to the development of peers and the profession. The delivery will be contemporary and engaging that reflects methods used within the broader professional environment.
To pass the unit, students must demonstrate that they have achieved each learning outcome and obtained a total mark of 50% in the unit as the minimum standard.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Written Assessment Provides ...
Assessment Task 1: Written Assessment
Provides the opportunity to identify real-world problems and discuss solutions while supporting development of academic communication and critical thinking skills.
30%
Assessment Task 2: Preceptor Assessment Task Pr...
Assessment Task 2: Preceptor Assessment Task
Provides the opportunity to demonstrate foundational knowledge and skills in mentorship/preceptorship.
30%
Assessment Task 3: Presentation The presentatio...
Assessment Task 3: Presentation
The presentation allows students to showcase their knowledge and developments within paramedicine that is informative, creative and contemporary.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
PARA329 Transition to Paramedic Practice and Professionalism provides teaching and learning strategies that engage students with materials, concepts and experiences that support the achievement of the aims and objectives of the Unit as well as relevant Graduate Attributes and professional capabilities.
This unique unit will consolidate skills of becoming both an independent and social learner. As learning and continuing professional development deliver styles vary in the professional and practice environment, PARA329 aims to align with these methods to maximise learning.
Online learning will assist students in acquiring the fundamental theoretical concepts necessary for paramedicine and transitioning to professionalism and practice. The information delivery and exercises will be constructed in digestible portions which allow for ease of understanding, flexibility and respect for individual learning styles.
The workshops will allow students to use the fundamental concepts acquired from online learning, apply analytical thinking, and engage in discussion and group work so students can begin to solve the case-based challenges posed. Additionally, they will allow for experimentation and practice of skills delivered in the unit, where students will be able to receive feedback and guidance. This will support achievement for the required assessments in the unit.
PARA329’s learning and teaching strategy culminates with a contemporary method that mimics the professional learning and development environment and creates a shared sense of knowledge and community.
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (Second Edition)
In connection to the learning outcomes, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Standards developed in this unit are:
Relating to
Partnering with Consumers Standard
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
Clinicians use the safety and quality systems from the Clinical Governance Standard when:
a. Implementing policies and procedures for partnering with consumers
b. Managing risks associated with partnering with consumers
c. Identifying training requirements for partnering with consumers
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation applies the quality improvement system from the Clinical Governance Standard when:
a. Monitoring processes for partnering with consumers
b. Implementing strategies to improve processes for partnering with consumers
c. Reporting on partnering with consumers
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation uses a charter of rights that is:
a. Consistent with the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights
b. Easily accessible for patients, carers, families and consumers
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation ensures that its informed consent processes comply with legislation and best practice
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation has processes to identify:
a. The capacity of a patient to make decisions about their own care
b. A substitute decision-maker if a patient does not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation has processes for clinicians to partner with patients and/or their substitute decision-maker to plan, communicate, set goals, and make decisions about their current and future care
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation supports the workforce to form partnerships with patients and carers so that patients can be actively involved in their own care
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation uses communication mechanisms that are tailored to the diversity of the consumers who use its services and, where relevant, the diversity of the local community
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
Where information for patients, carers, families and consumers about health and health services is developed internally, the organisation involves consumers in its development and review
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation supports clinicians to communicate with patients, carers, families and consumers about health and health care so that:
a. Information is provided in a way that meets the needs of patients, carers, families and consumers
b. Information provided is easy to understand and use
c. The clinical needs of patients are addressed while they are in the health service organisation
d. Information needs for ongoing care are provided on discharge
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation:
a. Involves consumers in partnerships in the governance of, and to design, measure and evaluate, health care
b. Has processes so that the consumers involved in these partnerships reflect the diversity of consumers who use the service or, where relevant, the diversity of the local community
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation provides orientation, support and education to consumers who are partnering in the governance, design, measurement and evaluation of the organisation
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation works in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to meet their healthcare needs
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation works in partnership with consumers to incorporate their views and experiences into training and education for the workforce
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
Communicating for Safety Standard
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
Clinicians use the safety and quality systems from the Clinical Governance Standard when:
a. Implementing policies and procedures to support effective clinical communication
b. Managing risks associated with clinical communication
c. Identifying training requirements for effective and coordinated clinical communication
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation applies the quality improvement system from the Clinical Governance Standard when:
a. Monitoring the effectiveness of clinical communication and associated processes
b. Implementing strategies to improve clinical communication and associated processes
c. Reporting on the effectiveness and outcomes of clinical communication processes
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
Clinicians use organisational processes from the Partnering with Consumers Standard to effectively communicate with patients, carers and families during high-risk situations to:
a. Actively involve patients in their own care
b. Meet the patient’s information needs
c. Share decision-making
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation has clinical communications processes to support effective communication when:
a. Identification and procedure matching should occur
b. All or part of a patient’s care is transferred within the organisation, between multidisciplinary teams, between clinicians or between organisations; and on discharge
c. Critical information about a patient’s care, including information on risks, emerges or changes
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation:
a. Defines approved identifiers for patients according to best-practice guidelines
b. Requires at least three approved identifiers on registration and admission; when care, medication, therapy and other services are provided; and when clinical handover, transfer or discharge documentation is generated
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation specifies the:
a. Processes to correctly match patients to their care
b. Information that should be documented about the process of correctly matching patients to their intended care
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation, in collaboration with clinicians, defines the:
a. Minimum information content to be communicated at clinical handover, based on best-practice guidelines
b. Risks relevant to the service context and the particular needs of patients, carers and families
c. Clinicians who are involved in the clinical handover
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
Clinicians use structured clinical handover processes that include:
a. Preparing and scheduling clinical handover
b. Having the relevant information at clinical handover
c. Organising relevant clinicians and others to participate in clinical handover
d. Being aware of the patient’s goals and preferences
e. Supporting patients, carers and families to be involved in clinical handover, in accordance with the wishes of the patient
f. Ensuring that clinical handover results in the transfer of responsibility and accountability for care
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
Clinicians and multidisciplinary teams use clinical communication processes to effectively communicate critical information, alerts and risks, in a timely way, when they emerge or change to:
a. Clinicians who can make decisions about care
b. Patients, carers and families, in accordance with the wishes of the patient
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation ensures that there are communication processes for patients, carers and families to directly communicate critical information and risks about care to clinicians
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The health service organisation has processes to contemporaneously document information in the healthcare record, including:
a. Critical information, alerts and risks
b. Reassessment processes and outcomes
c. Changes to the care plan
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Paramedicine Board of Australia Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics
The Paramedicine Board of Australia is responsible for assessing, consulting on and setting the standards for paramedics practicing in Australia. These standards and relevant domains are articulated in the Professional Capabilities for a Registered Paramedic document. The learning outcomes of this unit are matched to the relevant capabilities, in order to align your development with the requirements of a paramedic.
Relating to
The professional and ethical practitioner
This domain covers paramedics’ responsibility to be professional and ethical, and to practise with professional autonomy and accountability within the current medico-legal framework. It also addresses their responsibility for ensuring that patient confidentiality and privacy is always maintained, while recognising the potential role as a patient advocate.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
Practise ethically and professionally, consistent with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements
- Demonstrate understanding of: reporting obligations, legal responsibilities, legal requirements, ethical and professional responsibilities, and the legal and ethical boundaries of paramedicine practice.
- Manage personal, mental and physical health to ensure fitness to practice.
- Follow mandatory and voluntary reporting obligations. • Apply the Paramedicine Board of Australia’s Code of conduct to their practice.
- Provide relevant information to a patient and demonstrate appropriate methods to obtain informed consent.
- Demonstrate knowledge of Australia’s healthcare systems, their standards and requirements.
- Demonstrate understanding of the basic principles underpinning bio- ethics in paramedicine practice.
- Demonstrate culturally safe practice when providing healthcare services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
- Exercise appropriate levels of autonomy and professional judgement in a variety of practice settings.
- Operate within the current legislation applicable to paramedicine practice.
- Practise in accordance with the applicable legislation governing the safe use of scheduled medicines by paramedics in the jurisdiction of practice.
Legal responsibilities may include an understanding of responsibilities contained in relevant Commonwealth, state and territory legislation and regulations, specific responsibilities to maintain confidentiality, confirm informed consent and exercising duty of care.
Informed consent is a person’s voluntary decision about healthcare that is made with knowledge and understanding of the benefits and risks involved.
Principles underpinning bio-ethics must include: respect the rights of the individual, respect the autonomy of the individual, cause no harm, and advance the common good.
Relevant aspects of the Australian health care systems may include knowledge of service provision arrangements, the structure of the health system, points of access and the range of roles that paramedics may play within that structure.
Key elements of fitness to practise must include competence, professionalism, including a sense of responsibility and accountability, self-awareness and professional values, sound mental health and the capacity to maintain health and wellbeing for practice.
Reporting obligations must include making a notification about the health (impairment), conduct or performance of a registered health practitioner that may be placing the public at risk; as well as of their own impairments to practice.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
Provide each patient with an appropriate level of dignity and care
- Demonstrate understanding of the influence of socio-cultural factors on patient attitudes and behaviour.
- Display appropriate professional behaviour in patient interactions.
- Provide culturally safe care for all patients.
- Identify and respect appropriate boundaries between patients and health professionals.
- Assess each situation, determine the nature and severity of the problem and apply the required knowledge and experience to provide a response that is in the best interest of the patient/s.
- Facilitating advance care planning where appropriate.
Socio-cultural factors may include those related to cultural and linguistic diversity, age, gender, disability, socio-economic, geographic locations; and identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Appropriate professional behaviour must include behaviour that:
- is culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients to access safe and responsive healthcare, free of racism
- respects socio-cultural difference, is empathetic and non-discriminatory, regardless of individuals’ or groups’ race, culture, religion, age, gender identity, sexuality, physical or mental state, and
- respects, and so far as possible, upholds the rights, dignity, values and autonomy of every patient. This includes their role in the diagnostic and therapeutic process and in maintaining health and well being.
Cultural Safety is determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities. Culturally safe practise is the ongoing critical reflection of health practitioner knowledge, skills, attitudes, practicing behaviours and power differentials in delivering safe, accessible and responsive healthcare free from racism.
- To ensure culturally safe and respectful practice, health practitioners must:
- acknowledge colonisation and systemic racism, social, cultural, behavioural and economic factors which affect individual and community health
- acknowledge and address individual racism, their own biases, assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices and provide care that is holistic, free of bias and racism
- recognise the importance of self-determined decision- making, partnership and collaboration in healthcare which is driven by the individual, family and community, and
- foster a safe working environment through leadership to support the rights and dignity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and colleagues.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating to
The communicator and the collaborator
This domain covers paramedics’ responsibility to use appropriate, clear and effective communication. It also addresses their responsibility to ensure that they always function effectively with other healthcare team members.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2
Relating to
Communicate clearly, sensitively and effectively with the patient and other relevant people
- Establish a rapport with the patient to gain understanding of their issues and perspectives, and to encourage their active participation and partnership in care and/or treatment.
- Communicate with the patient and/or other relevant people to collect and convey information and reach an agreement about the purpose of any care and treatment.
- Convey knowledge and procedural information in ways that engender trust and confidence, and respects patient confidentiality, privacy and dignity.
- Respond appropriately to patient queries or issues.
- Use appropriate communication skills to effectively manage avoidance, confusion and confrontation particularly with those who cannot communicate verbally or physically.
- Identify and effectively manage communication barriers, including anxiety and stress, specific to individual patients and/or carers.
- Make appropriate adjustments to communication style to suit the needs of the patient including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
- Make provisions to engage third parties, including interpreters, to facilitate effective communication with patients whose first language is not English, whenever possible.
Communication needs may be influenced by English language skills, health literacy, age, health status and culture.
Appropriate adjustments may include the paramedic demonstrating an awareness of the ways that their own culture and experience affect their interpersonal style and having an awareness of strategies to ensure this does not present an impediment.
Communication techniques must include active listening, use of appropriate language and detail, use of appropriate verbal and non-verbal cues and language, written skills and confirming that the other person has understood.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2
Relating to
Collaborate with other health practitioners
- Establish and maintain effective and respectful collaborative working relationships as a member of a healthcare team.
- Demonstrate an understanding of professional roles and responsibilities of healthcare team members and other service providers and how they interact with the role of a paramedic.
- Follow appropriate protocols, procedures and guidelines to give and receive relevant and timely verbal and written communication.
- Effectively supervise tasks delegated to other healthcare team members.
- Consult effectively with healthcare team members and other relevant people to facilitate continuity of care.
- Make appropriate referrals, delegations and handovers to other healthcare team members and other service providers.
Healthcare team members may include registered health practitioners, accredited health professionals, volunteers, licensed and unlicensed healthcare workers, police, fire and other emergency service personnel.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2
Relating to
The evidence-based practitioner
This domain covers paramedics’ responsibility to engage in evidence-based practice and to critically monitor their actions through a range of reflective processes. It also addresses their responsibility for identifying, planning and implementing their ongoing professional learning and development needs.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating to
Identify ongoing professional learning, development needs and opportunities
- Demonstrate an understanding of legal and professional responsibilities to undertake continuing professional development(CPD).
- Critically reflect on personal strengths and limitations to identify learning and development required to improve and adapt professional practice.
- Seek input from others to confirm professional learning and development needs.
- Plan and implement steps to address professional learning and development needs, inclusive of culturally safe practice.
- Maintain records of involvement in both formal and informal professional learning and development activities.
Professional learning and development may be provided by the professional community and the broader healthcare network/practice.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating to
The safety and risk management practitioner
This domain covers paramedics’ responsibility to protect patients and others from harm by managing and responding to the risks inherent in paramedicine practice. It also addresses their responsibility to ensure high-quality professional services are provided for the benefit of patients and others.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating to
Maintain safety of self and others in the work environment
- Demonstrate knowledge of legal responsibilities for health and safety of self and others.
- Identify safety hazards in the workplace and apply knowledge of responsibilities for notification.
- Use dynamic risk assessment processes.
- Use appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment.
Responsibilities for notification of safety hazards may include protocols or instructions, legislation and regulations.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating to
Monitor and review the ongoing effectiveness of their practice and modify it accordingly
- Monitor and evaluate the quality of practice and the value of contributing to the generation of data for quality assurance and improvement programs.
- Consider feedback from colleagues and critically reflect on their own paramedicine practice.
- Make reasoned decisions to initiate, continue, modify or cease care or treatment, or the use of techniques or procedures, and record the decisions and reasoning appropriately.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating to
Audit, reflect on and review practice
- Demonstrate the principles, application and need for quality control and quality assurance in paramedicine practice.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the role of audit and review in quality management, including quality control, quality assurance, culturally safe practice and the use of appropriate outcome measures.
- Maintain an effective audit trail and work towards continual improvement.
- Participate in quality assurance programs, where appropriate or required.
- Reflect on practice and the application of such reflection to their future practice.
- Participate in case conferences and other methods of review.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating to
Participate in the mentoring, teaching and development of others
- Participate in guiding the learning of others.
- Share knowledge with colleagues.
- Support healthcare students to meet their learning objectives.
- Share knowledge and experience relating to individual/group/unit problems with colleagues.
- Contribute to orientation and ongoing education programs.
- Demonstrates a commitment to participating in and contributing to the research process.
- Display leadership and role modelling of culturally safe practice as members of the healthcare team.
- Participate, where possible, in coaching and mentoring to help and develop colleagues.
- Participate, where appropriate, in teaching others including paramedic students, those of other health and emergency services, disciplines and developing less experienced paramedics.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3