Unit rationale, description and aim
Primary care is typically the first contact an individual with a health concern has with the health system, and as such, it is imperative that paramedics understand their roles, responsibilities and scope of practice involved with providing care to individuals and communities who present with primary care conditions. Building from the foundational knowledge and skills developed in PARA118 and using case-based learning, student's clinical decision-making abilities will further be developed in this unit. In addition, students will start to understand the individuals’ journey through the health care system. By assimilating the concepts of epidemiology, pathophysiology and evidence-based management for range of primary health care conditions that a paramedic will encounter, students will be able to incorporate this into a validated paramedic decision making framework. Students will begin to translate theory into practice while incorporating culturally safe therapeutic and social skills into a paramedic decision making framework, this will be undertaken both in the laboratory environment and while undertaking clinical placement.
The aim of this unit is to introduce students to the theory, practice and people-centred care required of primary care presentations that is commonly encountered by a paramedic.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Identify the underlying principles of basic life s...
Learning Outcome 01
Discuss evidence-based practice principles and app...
Learning Outcome 02
Integrate appropriate clinical assessments, therap...
Learning Outcome 03
Reflect upon their application of a paramedic deci...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Primary care
- Continuum of Care/ Health Pathways
- Interdisciplinary roles and teams in primary care
- Introduction to technology in health care
- Introduction to models of primary health care
- Prevention and promotion
- Reporting systems and documentation
- Primary care presentations, epidemiology, pathophysiology, implications clinical-decision making and applied management principles:
- Minor injuries
- Falls
- Wounds
- Burns
- Fractures/Dislocation
- Minor head injury
- Illness
- Ear, nose and throat
- Introduction to infectious diseases
- Pain
- Gastroenterological
- Urology
- Introductory concepts of fluid loss
- Applying primary care and associated aetiologies assessments:
- Physiological;
- Social;
- Psychological assessments.
- Foundational therapeutic skills to support primary care:
- Principles of safe drug administration
- Intravenous access
- Intramuscular administration
- Intranasal administration
- Introduction drug dose calculation
- Analgesic agents
- Antiemetic agents
- Fluid therapy
- Vaccinations
- Introduction to Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Airway clearance techniques
- Primary airway adjuncts
- Oxygenation
- Ventilation
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- Defibrillation
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment items consistent with University assessment requirements and policy will be used to ensure students achieve the unit learning outcomes, attain the Graduate Capabilities and the meet professional capabilities required in paramedicine. With the ethos that assessments support and guide learning, students will see a direct relationship between each task and their development.
The theory portfolio is made up of multiple quizzes occurring across the semester. These quizzes will enable students to demonstrate their acquisition of knowledge throughout the unit and provide a strong foundation to further integrate skills into a paramedic-decision making framework and application within the clinical environment. Each quiz requires you to achieve 100%. The quizzes are not timed, and you will have unlimited attempts within a defined window. This will allow students to test and build their knowledge across the semester, in a scaffolded learning environment.
The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is considered an important component within the paramedicine profession. It contributes to learning by providing the opportunity to apply theory and demonstrate skills in an isolated manner and/or integrated within a decision-making framework and practice. It aims to emulate real-world clinical presentations and problems where students will be tasked with providing solutions and care. The OSCE allows for quick feedback on the students’ stage of development and competencies, which will assist with future clinical practice. Students will have a total of two attempts to successfully pass this assessment.
The Work Integrated Learning (WIL) portfolio allows an opportunity for students to document their clinical placement experience, receive feedback and develop good record management skills. This is imperative for students to achieve as a registered paramedic. Furthermore, reflection is a cornerstone attribute of a health professional and therefore the associated reflection gives students the opportunity to reflect and subsequently develop their application of decision-making skills, culturally safe care and therapeutic skills and professionalism within a real-world environment. Students must demonstrate they have met the learning outcomes associated with their clinical placement experience and are allowed unlimited attempts to submit a satisfactory WIL portfolio.
Given the nature of paramedicine and its associated risks, it is essential that students are able to demonstrate that they are fit and safe to practice within in the clinical practice environment. Thus, passing all three assessments in this unit is required. These assessments assess knowledge that is essential to the unit of study that students cannot progress in the course without.
Assessment Task 1 is an ungraded hurdle task with unlimited attempts within a defined window.
Assessment Task 2 is an ungraded hurdle task with a maximum of two attempts.
Assessment Task 3 is an ungraded hurdle task. Students must demonstrate they have met the learning outcomes associated with their clinical placement experience and are allowed unlimited attempts to submit a satisfactory WIL portfolio.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1 (Ungraded Hurdle): Theory ...
Assessment Task 1 (Ungraded Hurdle): Theory Portfolio
Allows students to understand and demonstrate their theorical knowledge and understanding of paramedicine practice.
Pass/Fail
Assessment Task 2 (Ungraded Hurdle): Objective St...
Assessment Task 2 (Ungraded Hurdle): Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
Enables the student to demonstrate competency and incorporation of therapeutic, psychomotor, social and cognitive skills into paramedic practice to address clinical challenges.
Pass/Fail
Assessment Task 3 (Ungraded Hurdle): Work Integr...
Assessment Task 3 (Ungraded Hurdle): Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Portfolio
Enables students to evidence culturally safe practice and the application and reflection of their practice from the clinical environment.
Pass/Fail
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This Unit provides teaching and learning strategies that engage students with materials, concepts and experiences that will support achievement of the aims and objectives of the Unit as well as relevant Graduate Capabilities and professional capabilities. PARA128 will provide foundational knowledge of primary care within the discipline of paramedicine. PARA128 continues to build student's skills of becoming both an independent and social learner. Delivery methods will be multi-modal and comprised of virtual/online environments and face to face workshops.
Online learning will assist students in acquiring the fundamental theoretical concepts necessary for paramedicine. The information, delivery and exercises will be constructed in manageable portions which will allow for ease of understanding, flexibility and respect for individual learning styles. As students begin to apply the concepts in the subsequent workshops, it is expected that they will have completed the online learning before attending the face-to-face component.
The workshops will allow students to use the fundamental concepts acquired from online learning, apply analytical thinking, and engage in discussion and group work, to begin to solve the case-based challenges posed. These challenges are designed with a real-world focus to apply knowledge to relevant clinical contexts. As students progress through the cycle of theory to practice, the online learning and workshops will have a direct relationship to PARA128 practical classes and clinical placement.
Practical classes will allow students to experiment with concepts developed during this unit. Cases and management plans discussed and created in workshops will be further explored and refined by providing the opportunity to develop and enact skills, paramedic clinical decision making, culturally safe care and communication strategies and attributes of teamwork. Varying levels of realism will engage students' senses to advance psychomotor, emotional, social and cognitive skills. Within the practical class environment, methods of learning may include skills stations, role-play, facilitated scenarios and simulations, peer-to-peer learning, audio and visual practice recordings analysis, and/or structured feedback and debriefs.
To extend students’ learning, they will have the opportunity to explore and apply knowledge and skills of paramedicine in the real-world environment. Supervised clinical placement will be provided within an appropriate emergency, urgent care, primary health care, simulated or other relevant environment. The supervised and facilitated clinical placement provides a safe environment where students can provide people-centred care which is essential for successful practice within paramedicine. Clinical placement experience will enable students to reflect on practice and the principles of paramedicine.
It is expected that students will undertake a total 150 hours of study and complete the additional placement hours required for this unit. The hours will comprise of the face-to-face methods, online learning and self-directed study in which students will engage with a range of online resources, readings, and prepare for and/or undertake assessments.
Professional Capabilities for a Registered Paramedic
The Paramedicine Board of Australia is responsible for assessing, consulting on and setting the standards for paramedics practicing in Australia. These standards and relevant domains are articulated in the Professional Capabilities for a Registered Paramedic document. The learning outcomes of this unit are matched to the relevant capabilities, in order to align your development with the requirements of a paramedic.
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (Second Edition)
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Standards developed in this unit are: