BEH1011 - Clinical concepts of paramedic practice

Leader(s): TBA

Offered

Peninsula First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit introduces fundamental clinical concepts underpinning paramedic practice and includes a clinical placement that provides a context for paramedic practice. Students will develop essential analytical, information seeking and communication skills, and will apply these skills in a supervised practice setting. The unit develops basic life support skills and builds understanding of the principles of patient care and transport in the pre-hospital setting. Essential clinical skills will be developed in the clinical laboratory prior to a one week supervised clinical placement with emergency or not emergency ambulance services.

Objectives

By the completion of this unit, the student should be able to:

1. describe the essential elements of a contemporary model of paramedic practice;
2. locate and evaluate the evidence-base that informs the paramedic management of common health emergencies;
3. demonstrate the required standard in each of the core clinical skills of clinical approach, clinical problem solving, clinical decision-making and scene management at the standard required of a novice practitioner;
4. discuss the principles of occupational health and safety in the workplace with particular emphasis on safe lifting techniques and principles of standard precautions and other aspects of infection control;
5. describe the standards of care and essential components of a patient-centred safety framework;
6. demonstrate methods for recognising, avoiding and removing dangers at an incident scene, achieving safe access and egress, and managing the scene to control and mitigate risk, under supervised routine and emergency situations;
7. demonstrate appropriate communication skills with patients, relatives, co-workers and the multidisciplinary health care team;
8. identify sources of potential stress within the work environment and develop appropriate strategies to minimise and manage these stressors; and
9. investigate and describe variables within the work environment, scope of practice, teamwork and community that contribute towards successful deliver of care within the emergency medical service/ambulance service sector.

Assessment

Written exam (3 hour): 60%
Written assignment (2 x 1000 words): 40%
Essential practical skills: Pass/Fail

Co-requisites

Must be enrolled in Bachelor of Emergency Health(Paramedic) or
Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Emergency Health(Paramedic)