PARA217 - Paramedicine in Practice: Medical 1

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

For BP students - BIOL121 Human Biological Science 1 AND (PARA127 Paramedicine in Practice: Primary Care OR PARA108 Paramedic Practice: Trauma Emergencies )

For BNBP students - BIOL121 Human Biological Science 1 AND (PARA128 Paramedicine Theory and Practice: Primary OR PARA108 Paramedic Practice: Trauma Emergencies )

Incompatible

PARA202 Paramedic Practice: Medical 1

Unit rationale, description and aim

It is pertinent that a paramedic will be able to integrate medical theory into clinical practice. To achieve this, PARA217 will introduce students to the practical clinical assessments, skills, management and decision making required for the medical aetiologies explored in PARA216 Paramedic Theory: Medical 1. This unit will translate knowledge and theory acquired in PARA216 Paramedicine Theory: Medical 1 into practice and environmental context. Continuing with case-based learning, students will explore, experiment, reflect and refine their ability to assess, identify and care for individuals effected by varying medical aetiologies and presentations explored in PARA216. Students will continue to develop and incorporate therapeutic and social skills into a paramedic decision making framework, both in the laboratory environment and while undertaking clinical placement.    

The aim of this unit is to provide students with the knowledge to accurately assess, recognise and apply people-centred care principles for various medical aetiologies within clinical and dynamic environments.   

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.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Demonstrate appropriate clinical assessments, therapeutic, social and cognitive skills for the management and care of people affected by a range of medical aetiologies within the context of clinical paramedicine (GA5, GA10) 

LO2 - Integrate appropriate clinical assessments, therapeutic, social and cognitive skills into a paramedic decision making framework in order to assist people affected by a range of medical aetiologies within the context of clinical paramedicine (GA1, GA5, GA6) 

LO3 - Reflect upon the application of a paramedic decision making framework, therapeutic/social skills and professionalism in the practice environment for medical conditions (GA2, GA4, GA7) 

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Professional Capabilities for a Registered Paramedic

 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.  

Content

 Topics will include:  

• Cardiology 
• Haematology  
• Respiratory 
• Infectious  
• Immunology aetiologies 

For the selected lifespans and aetiologies, students will apply the relevant concepts and skills of: 

Approaches and Reasoning 

• People-centred care for life span health; 
• Clinical decision-making and reasoning; 
• Focused clinical assessments; 
• Relating pathophysiology to presentations;  
• Differential diagnosis; 
• Risks; 
• Acuity. 

Applying Care 

• Development and application of management and care principles; 
• Selected therapeutic and social skills; 
• Applied pharmacotherapy; 
• Interdisciplinary and team-based care; 
• Health care and referral pathways; 
• Advanced Life Support Approach and Cardiac arrest for associated aetiologies.  

Experiences and Outcomes 

• The individual’s experience of selected life-span health and interactions with health care, including those from Australian First Peoples’ experiences and perspectives; 
• Debrief, reflection and evaluation. 

Introduction to Advanced Life Support Care 

• Advanced Life Support Approach 
• Cardiac Arrest 
• Integrating into an Advanced Life Support team 
• Reversable causes of selected medical aetiologies   

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This Unit provides teaching and learning strategies that engage students with materials, concepts and experiences that will support achievement of the aims and objectives of the Unit as well as relevant Graduate Attributes and professional capabilities. PARA217, coupled with PARA216 Paramedicine Theory: Medical 1, will create foundational knowledge of medical conditions and students associated care within the discipline of paramedicine. 

Usually situated, in the first year, this Unit will be predominately delivered in a face-to-face style and the clinical practice environment. This, combined with online delivery, will provide opportunities for both independent and social learning. Online learning materials will assist in priming students for practice and will aid in reflection and conceptualisation. The materials will include readings and exercises that will support application of theory and help self-identify knowledge gaps.    

Practical classes will allow students to experiment with concepts developed during PARA216. Cases and management plans discussed and created in PARA216 will be further explored and refined by providing the opportunity to develop and enact skills, paramedic clinical decision making, communication strategies and attributes of teamwork. Varying levels of realism will engage students senses to advance psychomotor, emotional, social and cognitive skills. Within the practical class environment, methods of learning will include skills stations, role-play, facilitated scenarios and simulations, peer-to-peer learning, audio and visual practice recordings analysis, and/or structured feedback and debriefs.   

The tutorial will capstone both theoretical and practical units by building on students’ knowledge and experiences created throughout the unit and degree. This process will be structured yet organic. It will be facilitated to promote discussion and provide clarification and guidance for examining and reflecting upon experimentation and application of patient care plans, skills, emotions and paramedic clinical decision making. 

As the practice of paramedicine relies heavily on social interaction and cooperation, it is expected that students will emulate this within the learning environments.  

Simulations will then provide an authentic and engaging opportunity to apply students developing skills in a dynamic and challenging, but safe environment. Given the uncontrolled and unpredictable nature of paramedicine, this will allow focus and consolidate knowledge for students to be optimally prepared to negotiate the challenges encountered in a career in paramedicine.  

To extend learning, students will have the opportunity to explore and apply knowledge and skills of paramedicine in the real-world environment. A total of 80 hours of supervised clinical placement will be provided within an appropriate emergency, urgent care, primary health care, simulated or other relevant environment. The supervised and facilitated clinical placement provides a safe environment where students can provide people centred care which is essential for successful practice within paramedicine. Clinical placement experience will enable to reflect on practice and the principles of paramedicine   

It is expected that students will undertake a total 150 hours of study for this unit. The hours will comprise of the face-to-face methods, online learning and self-directed study in which students will engage with a range of online resources, readings, and prepare for and/or undertake assessments. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

The practice portfolio will enable students to showcase and reflect on practice throughout the unit. Authentic tasks and requirements within the practice portfolio will be targeted to the learning outcomes of the unit and stage of development. The practice portfolio will provide a strong foundation for further practice units and maximise clinical experience. 

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is considered important component within the paramedicine profession. It contributes to learning by providing the opportunity to apply theory, demonstrate skills in an isolated manner and/or integrate them within a decision-making framework and practice. It aims to emulate real-world clinical presentations and problems where students will be tasked with providing solutions and care. The OSCE allows for quick feedback on the students’ stage of development and competencies, which will assist with future clinical practice. 

The clinical logbook allows an opportunity for students to document their clinical placement experience, receive feedback and develop good record management skills. This is imperative to achieve as a registered paramedic. Furthermore, reflection is a cornerstone attribute of a health professional. Thus, the associated reflection gives the opportunity to reflect and subsequently develop application of decision-making skills, therapeutic skills and professionalism within a real-world environment. 

Given the nature of paramedicine and its associated risks, it is pertinent that students are able to demonstrate that they are fit and safe to practice within in the clinical practice environment. Thus, passing all three assessments in this unit is required. These assessments assess knowledge that is essential to the unit of study that students cannot progress in the course without.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Bryant, B., & Knights, K. (2015). Pharmacology for health professionals (5th ed). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia. 

Bullock, S., & Hales, M., (2018) Principles of Pathophysiology (2nd ed.). Melbourne, VIC: Pearson Australia. 

Curtis, K., & Ramsden, C. (2019). Emergency and trauma care for nurses and paramedics (3rd ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia. 

Hall, J.E., (2015). Guyton And Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. (13th ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. 

Phalen, T. (2019) The 12-lead ECG in acute coronary syndromes (4th ed.). St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier   

Talley, N.J. & O’Connor, S. (2018). Talley & O’Connor’s Clinical Examination. (8th ed.). Volumes 1 and 2. Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier. 

Tortora, G., & Derrickson, B. (2016). Principles of anatomy and physiology (15th ed). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons. 

Townsend, R., & Luck, M. (2019). Applied paramedic law and ethics (2nd ed.). Australia and New Zealand. Sydney: Elsevier.