Master of Specialist Paramedic Practice - 2018

Postgraduate - Course

Commencement year

This course entry applies to students commencing this course in 2018 and should be read in conjunction with information provided in the 'Faculty information' section of this Handbook by the Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

Other commencement years for this course: 2017

Unit codes that are not linked to their entry in the Handbook are not available for study in the current year.

Course code

M6015

Credit points

72

Abbreviated title

MSpecParamed

Managing faculty

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Admission and fees

Australia

Course progression map

M6015 (pdf)

Course type

Specialist
Master by coursework

Standard duration

1.5 years FT, 3 years PT

You have a maximum of 5 years to complete this course including any periods of intermission and suspension, and must be continuously enrolled throughout.

Mode and location

Off-campus (Alfred Hospital)

Multi-modal (Alfred Hospital)

Award

Master of Specialist Paramedic Practice

Alternative exits

Graduate Certificate of Specialist Paramedic Practice

Graduate Diploma of Specialist Paramedic Practice

Refer to 'Alternative exits' entry below for further requirements and details.

Notes

  • This course is not available to international students who are holders of an Australian student visa, for study onshore in Australia. However holders of some other categories of Australian visas living in Australia, and students studying off-campus by distance learning (where this option is available) and living outside of Australia, may be eligible for this course.

Description

The Master of Specialist Paramedic Practice will support current and experienced paramedics in improving their clinical practice and knowledge related to the delivery of emergency health services. In this course you will be prepared for clinical leadership, education and research positions. You will extend your clinical practice by initially undertaking specialist aeromedical and retrieval training, extended care, or paramedic intensive care. You will complete training in advanced clinical leadership and decision-making as well as advanced techniques enabling you to provide the highest level of pre-hospital care for your specialist area of paramedic practice. You will explore clinical practice within an integrated emergency medical system and consider the issues and trends that influence scope of practice and service delivery. You will complete study in clinical research methodology for emergency health and have the option of undertaking a clinical project or other electives from the electives suite in order to facilitate clinical practice at an advanced or extended-care level.

Specialisations

Aeromedical and retrieval

This specialisation is designed to provide paramedics with the necessary education and training for the specialist aeromedical and retrieval role as well as leadership, education and research positions. You will initially undertake specialist aeromedical and retrieval education and training as well as education in advanced integrated healthcare practice before going on to completing specialty elective study. The aeromedical and retrieval specialisation will provide you with the necessary education and training to successfully complete an aeromedical and retrieval internship/program with your specified retrieval service provider in order to provide specialist aeromedical, retrieval, rescue and coordination roles in the providers' area of clinical practice.

Extended care

This specialisation is designed to provide paramedics with the necessary education and training for the specialist extended care paramedic role as well as leadership, education and research positions. You will initially undertake specialist extended care paramedic education and training as well as education in advanced integrated healthcare practice before going on to completing specialty elective study. The extended care specialisation will provide you with the necessary education and training to successfully complete an extended care internship/program and provide an extended range of out of hospital assessment, referral, prescription and management services in the community.

Intensive care

This specialisation is designed to provide paramedics with the necessary education and training for the specialist intensive care paramedic role as well as leadership, education and research positions. You will initially undertake specialist intensive care paramedic education and training as well as education in advanced integrated healthcare practice before going on to completing specialty elective study. The intensive care specialisation will provide you with the necessary education and training to successfully complete an intensive care internship and provide the highest level of paramedic care for cardiac, respiratory, medical, trauma, paediatric and obstetric as well as environmental emergencies.

Outcomes

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. demonstrate safe practice and clinically justifiable decisions based on advanced theoretical and practical knowledge and cognitive skills
  2. apply an appropriate ethical and professional construct as an emergency care provider to the field of community based emergency health
  3. demonstrate personal and professional development through critical review of their own clinical practice, and identification of suitable learning experiences to meet their developmental needs
  4. identify local and global networks that support and enhance community based emergency health practice
  5. exercise initiative, clinical competence and expert judgment in a community based emergency health setting using a patient-centric, systematic clinical approach, that utilises effective communication techniques and advanced clinical problem solving
  6. provide advanced analytical skills in the application of a specific field of specialist paramedic practice in the community
  7. evaluate current research, and critically apply the results in their specialist area of paramedic practice for the benefit of the community
  8. identify, describe, design and evaluate enhancements to community based emergency health practice and clinical practice guidelines using the best available evidence and appropriate frameworks.

Structure

The course is structured in two parts: Part A. Advanced healthcare and specialist studies and Part B. Specialist elective studies. All students complete Parts A and B.

Note: If you are eligible for credit for prior studies you may elect not to receive the credit.

Part A. Advanced healthcare and specialist studies

These studies will extend your clinical practice in your chosen specialisation (aeromedical and retrieval training, extended care, or paramedic intensive care) through advanced training. You will gain knowledge of advanced techniques that will enable you to provide the highest level of pre-hospital care in your specialist area of paramedic practice. You will explore clinical practice within an integrated emergency medical system and examine the issue and trends that influence scope of practice and service delivery. These studies will prepare you for clinical leadership, education and research positions.

Part B. Specialist elective studies

These studies will further advance and broaden your knowledge and skill development. You can select the units to suit your own interests with options including: a clinical practicum in extended care or clinical care paramedicine; advanced specialty study units from outside your specialist stream; units from other specialities including ethics and law or radiography interpretation; or research units. If you wishing to use this master's course as a pathway to a higher degree by research you should choose the research units.

Requirements

The course comprises 72 points structured into two parts: Part A. Advanced healthcare and specialist studies (42 or 48 points), Part B. Specialist elective studies (24 or 30 points).

Units are 6 credit points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Advanced healthcare and specialist studies (42 or 48 points)

You must complete a. and b. below.

a. One of the following:

  • MPH5040 Introductory epidemiology and MPH5041 Introductory biostatistics

or

  • MAP5003 Essentials of advanced healthcare practice and research (12 points)

b. The following units for your specialisation:

Aeromedical and retrieval (30 points)

Students complete:

  • PAR5200 Introduction to aeromedical and retrieval concepts
  • PAR5210 Aeromedical and retrieval professional practice
  • PAR5230 Aeromedical and retrieval coordination
  • PAR5240 Aeromedical retrieval rescue
  • PAR5220 Aeromedical and retrieval clinical 1 - Advanced life support/critical care or PAR5250 Aeromedical and retrieval clinical 2 - Intensive care

Extended care (30 points)

  • PAR5400 Principles of advanced care paramedic practice
  • PAR5410 Pharmacotherapy and clinical toxicology in advanced care paramedic practice
  • PAR5320 Extended care paramedicine 1
  • PAR5330 Extended care paramedicine 2
  • PAR5340 Extended care paramedicine 3

Intensive care (36 points)

  • PAR5400 Principles of advanced care paramedic practice
  • PAR5410 Pharmacotherapy and clinical toxicology in advanced care paramedic practice
  • PAR5420 Intensive care management of cardiac conditions
  • PAR5430 Intensive care management of respiratory conditions
  • PAR5440 Intensive care management of trauma and environmental conditions
  • PAR5480 Intensive Care Management of medical conditions

Part B. Specialist elective studies (24 or 30 points)

Students complete electives from the following lists to take the total to 72 points.

Paramedic-specific elective units

  • PAR5450 Advanced care paramedic management of paediatric and obstetric patients
  • PAR5460 Transition to practice in the intensive care simulated environment
  • PAR5470 Transition to intensive care clinical practicum
  • PAR5370 Extended care paramedicine clinical practicum
  • other advanced specialty study units from Part A outside of the student's specialisation

Other specialty coursework units

  • ASC5002 Socio-cultural perspectives of addiction
  • FOR4001 Medical evidence
  • FOR4003 Ethics, medicine and the law
  • MPH5267 Principles of health care quality improvement
  • MPH5286Not offered in 2018 Applying and practicing the principles of patient safety and quality improvement
  • RAD4502 Principles of general radiography image interpretation

Research unit

  • MEH5050 Emergency health project (12 points)

Alternative exits

You may exit this course early and apply to graduate with one of the following awards, provided you have satisfied the requirements for that award during your enrolment in the master's course:

  • Graduate Certificate of Specialist Paramedic Practice after successful completion of 24 points of study with a minimum of 18 credit points at level 4 or above, from the clinical units in Part A of the aeromedical and retrieval specialisation
  • Graduate Diploma of Specialist Paramedic Practice after successful completion of 48 points of study with a minimum of 36 credit points at level 4 or above from the clinical units in Part A of the intensive care specialisation or from the clincal units in Part A of the extended care specialisation.

Progression to further studies

You can choose to complete a research stream that will provide a pathway to a higher degree by research.