Undergraduate - UnitBEH3032 - Paramedic management of critical care specialty situations

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Synopsis

The unit addresses the paramedic management of patients with critical care conditions
at the Advanced Life Support level. It will also introduce students to specialty situations, including extended care due to entrapment or environmental barriers, medical retrieval and inter-hospital transfers. The unit will include clinical skills laboratory and simulation scenarios to develop essential communication, assessment clinical problem solving, decision-making and management skills.

Outcomes

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

1. Identify and interpret the evidence-base supporting the paramedic management of critical care specialty conditions.
2. Describe the epidemiology, natural history and pathology related to selected critical care specialty conditions.
3. Describe the clinical highlights of the selected critical care specialty conditions commonly encountered by paramedics.
4. Demonstrate the required standard in each of the core practical skills expected at the basic and advanced life support level relating to the assessment and care of patients with selected critical care specialty conditions.
5. Explain the pharmacology of drugs commonly used in the management of selected critical care specialty conditions.
6. Use a model of paramedic clinical competence to demonstrate the integration of theoretical knowledge and clinical skills in order to assess and manage patients with selected critical care specialty conditions in 'real time' work simulation using clinical problem solving and clinical decision making, patient safety, communication and teamwork skills.
7. Explain the range of potential behaviour of patients, their carers and bystanders in situations of critical care specialty events.
8. Demonstrate the required skills to facilitate care of patients in situations where access or egress problems mandate extended care in the environment in which the injury or illness occurred.
9. Outline the structure of medical retrieval systems in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region and demonstrate the required clinical skills to participate in medical retrieval and/or inter-hospital transfers.

Assessment

Assignment (2000 words): 50%
Examination (2 hour): 50%
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE): pass/fail
Case simulation: pass/fail
The examination AND OSCE AND Case simulation must be passed (hurdle) to successfully complete this unit.

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Kathryn Eastwood

Contact hours

6 hours per week involving lectures, tutorials, simulation, clinical laboratory and small group exercises.

Prerequisites

Must have passed BEH3011 and BEH3021, OR Must have passed one of BEH2012 or BEH2022

Co-requisites

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