Undergraduate - Course3445 - Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedic)

This course prepares students for potential employment as paramedics in ambulance and community-based emergency health services (CBEH). Paramedics provide unscheduled health care for individuals experiencing a health emergency in the community. Paramedics initiate care and determine appropriate referral of patients to enable continuing care needs. A paramedic is also required to work with other emergency services to respond to mass casualty incidents in a range of situations.

A graduate of the Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedic) will be expected to demonstrate the generic attributes of a Monash graduate, the specific attributes expected by the industry and the profession, and to have the ability to adapt to change and develop their career as leaders while making a contribution to the community-based emergency health services. The objectives of the Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedic) have been classified according to the themes of the course. The five themes within the course are:

• personal and professional development
• population health and illness in society
• foundations of the paramedic clinician
• community-based emergency health in integrated health and emergency systems
• science, knowledge and evidence.

On successful completion of the course the student will be expected to demonstrate all attributes within these themes.

Special requirements

Medical and fitness assessment

Students must complete a medical and fitness assessment. This is a prerequisite for clinical placements offered by Victorian ambulance services.

Police checks and Working with Children checks

Organisations that host clinical and community placements require students to have current police and Working with Children checks regarding their suitability to undertake such placements. All enrolled and prospective students are advised that they will be required to obtain police checks prior to commencing their course. Working with Children checks are valid for five years and are available free. Police checks must be applied and paid for annually, however, in some community partnered programs there may be a requirement to have a police check renewed every six months.

Clinical practice units

This course requires students to undertake off-campus rural and metropolitan clinical placements. In the clinical setting students will have an opportunity to apply theory to practice under supervision. Attendance is mandatory for the clinical component of each unit.

Where a student's skill or knowledge is found to be inadequate, access to the clinical component of the unit will be denied. A student may be withdrawn from a clinical practicum if required skills and knowledge are deemed inadequate, or on other grounds deemed appropriate by the head of school.

Clinical expenses

Students are responsible for all travel and accommodation expenses during clinical placement. Uniforms and accessories are required for clinical placements and students will be notified regarding costs and purchase arrangements upon commencement.

This course comprises 24 compulsory units, including one unit taken over the summer semester between second and third year.

Students must complete all units, except when credit is granted.

First year

First semester

• BEH1041 Human development and health across the lifespan
• IPE1011 Foundations of health in primary clinical care
• BMA1901 Human structure and function 1
• BEH1011 Clinical concepts of paramedic practice

Second semester

• BEH1102 Clinical concepts of paramedic practice 2
• BEH1022 Pharmacotherapy in community-based emergency health
• BMA1902 Human structure and function 2
• NUR1202 Legal issues and concepts

Second year

First semester

• BEH2011 Professionalism and community based emergency health systems
• BEH2021 Evidence based practice, research and population health within community based emergency health services
• SRH3001 Rural health issues 1: Health in the rural context
• BEH1041 Human development and health across the lifespan

Second semester

• BEH2012 Paramedic management of cardiac and respiratory conditions
• BEH2022 Paramedic management of trauma and environmental conditions

Summer semester

• BEH2032 Paramedic clinical practice 1

Third year

First semester

• BEH3011 Paramedic management of medical conditions
• BEH3021 Paramedic management of health conditions at life stages
• BEH3031 Paramedic clinical practice 2
• BEH3051 Paramedic management of mental health

Second semester

• BEH3012 Clinical education, leadership and emergency preparedness
• BEH3022 Research and contemporary challenges in community based emergency health
• BEH3032 Paramedic management of critical care specialty situations
• BEH3042 Advanced paramedic clinical practice 3

Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedic)