Graduate Certificate in Emergency Health (Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management)

Course code: 3875 + Course abbreviation: GradCertDisasterMed + Total credit points required: 24 + 2 semesters part-time

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Peninsula- P/T only)

Course description

This program, offered by the Department of Community Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice, is aimed at the needs of paramedics, doctors employed by ambulance services in Australia, doctors with sessional appointments in the State Disaster Plan in Australian states, doctors who are volunteers in other community-based emergency health agencies, general practitioners, nurses and other health care professionals who may be involved in emergency preparedness and disaster medicine at a community level.

The course considers the perspectives of international disaster epidemiology, the disaster cycle, and contemporary models of emergency preparedness and disaster medicine. National and international organisations, academic resources, multidisciplinary approaches and the social and political concepts of disasters and disaster medicine are introduced. The principles of risk assessment and vulnerability reduction, emergency management and the management of multiple casualties will be applied to a sample of recent major events in Australia, Oceania and/or Asia to develop the principles of emergency preparedness and capacity building. Table-top exercises will be used to demonstrate and apply the principles of major incident management. The general principles of recovery following major events will be outlined using a sample of recent events and the ongoing community health support need will be explored.

Course objectives

On completion of this course, the graduate will demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to: 1. Contribute to and utilise outcomes from quality management and clinical audit strategies, information technology and research programs; 2. Practice within an evidence-based paradigm within the context of community-based emergency health; 3. Critically evaluate the relevance of research findings within the context of community-based emergency health; 4. Apply the principles of risk-based planning and risk management in disaster medicine; and 5. Apply an appropriate ethical and professional construct as an emergency care provider to the management of the health care service response to major incidents or disasters.

Course structure

The course consists of four core units:

MDM4010 Introduction to the principles of emergency preparedness and disaster medicine
MDM4020 Emergency preparedness
MDM4030 Major incident management
MDM4040 Disaster recovery

Assessment

Assessment consists of competency-based assessment tasks, written assignments, literature review.

Contact details

Postgraduate course administrator: telephone: +61 3 9904 4177; email: enquiries.paramedics@med.monash.edu.au or visit www.med.monash.edu.au/mucaps

Course coordinator

Associate Professor Frank Archer

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