Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Ambulance crews generally work in pairs, so at the scene of the incident the patient can be managed by you and your partner, and then en route to hospital one paramedic drives the ambulance while the other continues patient care in the back. To be a functional team member it is vital that you grow as a student paramedic in a two officer crew environment. This unit is the second in a series of five that provide the work integrated learning experience. During this unit you will have the opportunity to apply practical theory and understanding from clinical management units.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to continue your development as a student paramedic and ambulance crew member in a supervised out of hospital environment.

Objectives

On the successful completion of this unit you should be able to demonstrate:

1. The ability to apply standard ambulance management at non-complex scenes and with straight forward clinical presentations;
   
2. Increasing confidence in managing patients and the ability to take initiative in the out of hospital phase;
   
3. Self assessment and prioritisation of learning needs;
   
4. A reasoned and reflective approach to your patient care in association with an ability to effectively communicate in a variety of contexts and modes with your team members, members of the public and other healthcare professionals;
   
5. An appreciation of the ageing population and how this influences your patient care;
   
6. An awareness of the necessary coping strategies and resources available to paramedics in order to provide an effective means of meeting the professional and personal challenges of paramedic work;
   
7. An ability to empathise and show compassion toward the sick and injured who are in need of paramedic assistance
   

Content

Clinical Practice in the out of hospital phase.

Clinical Practice will be conducted in the pre-hospital environment under the supervision of an appropriately qualified clinical mentor.

This unit will include the application of the following content:

1. Effective scene management, including, logistics, safe access and egress, and patient extrication techniques;
   
2. The assessment, diagnoses, planing, implementation, and evaluation of basic patient care in the out of hospital phase;
   
3. Written and oral communication including, patient interviews, radio procedures, writing ambulance report forms (eARF's) and patient handover at hospital;
   
4. Functioning as an operational crew member under the direction of a clinical mentor.
   

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Field Practicum
Your mentored clinical experience is vital. It is during this time you begin to transfer your knowledge and skills into the environment where you will practise as an ambulance paramedic. Your clinical instructor will guide and support you throughout this and your future field practicum's. In your clinical placement 1 you made the transition from observer to student paramedic crew member. Patient contact continues to be the key in this unit and unfortunately remains unpredictable. While a minimum number of patient contacts are needed to give you the necessary experience, real patients with the appropriate clinical presentations may not present. If this is the case, simulation will make up the patient contact shortfall.

This clinical field placement will be of six weeks duration..

Assessment

Formative Assessment

Off Campus
You will receive continuous ongoing feedback and support from your clinical instructor identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement. It is also expected that you will begin to demonstrate self assessment and identification of your learning needs.

You will be required to maintain a journal of your supervised clinical experience. Education staff will review your journal and if necessary extra clinical placements and/or simulation will be arranged. Adequate mentored clinical experience is vital for completing this unit.

This unit will be assessed as satisfactory/unsatisfactory and both items of assessment must receive a satisfactory to gain an overall satisfactory in the unit.

Note: This is a designated unit. Designated units are units which are deemed to be critical in a student's progress in the course. Such units include professional experience units, units requiring the development of particular skills and units requiring the demonstration of certain personal qualities. At the end of each year students who have failed to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit on two occasions will be eligible for exclusion. A satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit is a grade of 4 or higher, or S - Satisfactory, where appropriate. Supplementary Assessment will NOT be granted to students enrolled in designated units.Feedback will be provided by the clinical mentors throughout the practicum via the interim and final clinical assessment tool (CAT). Feedback will be provided on reflective case study via blackboard grade book.

Assessment name: Assessment (Written)
Description: You are required to submit one reflective case study via Blackboard under the section "Reflective Case Study". This case study must be based on the John's or Gibb's models of reflection, and is to be no fewer than 2500 words, and no longer than 3000 words.

You must select a case you have personally attended during your Clinical Practice 2.

Your reflective case study must explore the pathophysiology and treatment of the illness/injury, and reflect on the nature of the job, and the management provided. Referencing for the pathophysiology and treatment component of the case study must follow the APA 6th referencing style.

Due date: Friday on the completion of week 4 of the placement.
Relates to objectives: The learning outcomes the assessment relates to are 1 through to 7.
Weight: 25%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Throughout Semester

Assessment name: Assessment (In-Field)
Description: You will also be assessed in aspects of Advanced Care Paramedic Clinical Practice, including your knowledge of selected patient care principles, patient assessment competencies, case management guidelines, performance of skills validations and recall drug therapy protocols.


The 'satisfactory' standard required is based on the current QAS Clinical Practice
manual.

You are also required to complete some new mandatory tasks which requires you to obtain and interpret 5 (five) diagnostic quality 12 lead ECGs under the guidance of the mentor.

There is no requirement to supply evidence of the ECGs. Completion of the form on the CAT tool will be sufficient to indicate that these have been completed satisfactory.

Due date: Friday on the completion of week 6 of the placement.
Relates to objectives: The learning outcomes the assessment relates to are 1 through to 7.
Weight: 75%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Throughout Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

All texts, references and equipment used in previous units will be required for this clinical placement.

The uniform as purchased from 'What's in a Name' (www.whatsinaname.net.au ) must be worn during this placement.

Risk assessment statement

Out of hospital care can be hazardous. You are required to work as part of an operational crew responding to emergency calls. There is regular exposure to high speed driving, body fluids, medical sharps, defibrillators and sometimes aggressive patients in the off campus phase of the unit. Your clinical practice is supervised at all time during this unit and appropriate personal protective equipment will be supplied.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 26-Oct-2012