Honours Paramedicine

The student will undertake a literature review focussing on Solution Focussed Brief Therapy (SFBT) which is used in a variety of settings to guide an individual’s existing strength, future focused, goal setting, partitioning and relationship focused. What remains unresolved is the application and efficacy of paramedics in using SFBT with patients experiencing mental-ill health.

Supervisors:

Louise Reynolds Louise.Reynolds@acu.edu.au
Michelle Price Michelle.Price@acu.edu.au

Lisa Hobbs Lisa.Hobbs@acu.edu.au

Campus: Hybrid, Brisbane and/or Melbourne

The student will undertake a scoping review focusing on paramedics’ understanding of spirituality and the provision of spiritual care.

Supervisors:

Dr Katie Tunks Leah Katie.TunksLeach@acu.edu.au

Professor Scott Devenish Scott.Devenish@acu.edu.au

Dr Robbie King robbie.king@acu.edu.au

Campus: All

In collaboration with Safer Care Victoria, the student will undertake a scoping review of the literature looking at design and development of clinical governance models for newly graduated paramedics in community and primary care roles. With the Unleashing the Potential for the Health Workforce Scope of Practice review recommendations, there is a need to identify appropriate clinical governance models for paramedic practice in non-jurisdictional settings.

Supervisors:

Louise Reynolds Louise.Reynolds@acu.edu.au
Andrew Van Noordenburg Andrew.VanNoordenburg@acu.edu.au
Robbie King robbie.king@acu.edu.au

Campus: Hybrid, Brisbane and/or Melbourne

In collaboration with Safer Care Victoria, the student will undertake a scoping review of the literature looking at the design and development of a clinical governance model for newly graduated paramedics into primary care roles that considers the recommendations from the Unleashing the Potential for the Health Workforce Scope of Practice review.

Supervisors:

Louise Reynolds Louise.Reynolds@acu.edu.au
Andrew Van Noordenburg Andrew.VanNoordenburg@acu.edu.au
Robbie King robbie.king@acu.edu.au

Campus: Hybrid, Brisbane and/or Melbourne

Collaborating with Safer Care Victoria and Ambulance Victoria’s Clinical Practice Guideline team, the student will undertake a scoping literature review to evaluate the best evidence which informs current practice guidelines relating to the recognition and care for the deteriorating patient care standard.

Supervisors:

Louise Reynolds Louise.Reynolds@acu.edu.au
Jessica Molhuysen Jessica.Molhuysen@acu.edu.au
Michelle Price Michelle.Price@acu.edu.au

Campus: Hybrid, Brisbane and/or Melbourne

Collaborating with Safer Care Victoria, the student will undertake a scoping literature review to evaluate the best evidence which informs current practice guidelines relating to the use of sedation in patients who present with acute behavioural disturbance.

Supervisors:

Louise Reynolds Louise.Reynolds@acu.edu.au

Robbie King robbie.king@acu.edu.au

Andrew Van Noordenburg Andrew.VanNoordenburg@acu.edu.au

Campus: Hybrid, Brisbane and/or Melbourne

Collaborating with Ambulance Victoria’s Clinical Practice Guideline team, the student will undertake a scoping literature review to evaluate the strength and best evidence which informs current practice relating to maternity care.

Supervisors:

Amanda Hlushak <Amanda.Hlushak@acu.edu.au> 
Ashleigh Finn <Ashleigh.Finn@acu.edu.au>

Louise Reynolds Louise.Reynolds@acu.edu.au

Campus: Hybrid, Brisbane and/or Melbourne

Collaborating with Ambulance Victoria’s Clinical Practice Guideline team, the student will undertake a scoping literature review to evaluate the best evidence which informs current practice guidelines relating to treatment of snakebite and envenomation.

Supervisors:

Louise Reynolds Louise.Reynolds@acu.edu.au

Robbie King robbie.king@acu.edu.au

Andrew Van Noordenburg <Andrew.VanNoordenburg@acu.edu.au>

Campus: Hybrid, Brisbane and/or Melbourne

Collaborating with Ambulance Victoria’s Clinical Practice Guideline team, the student will undertake a scoping literature review to evaluate the best evidence which informs ambulance service clinical practice guidance relating to efficacy of including droperidol as a second agent in the treatment of nausea and vomiting.

Supervisors:

Louise Reynolds Louise.Reynolds@acu.edu.au

Jessica Molhuysen Jessica.Molhuysen@acu.edu.au

Michelle Price Michelle.Price@acu.edu.au

Campus: Hybrid, Brisbane and/or Melbourne

• The application of Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREM) for paramedic-led healthcare – a scoping review

• What measures should be used to report outputs and evaluate extended practice and community paramedicine models of care? – a mixed-methods study

Various research projects are available relating to the broadening scope of paramedic practice for the non-emergency presentations to ambulance services. This includes community-based care and how paramedics integrate into multidisciplinary health teams. The research particularly focuses on enhancing paramedics' role in supporting patients with complex and chronic patient's, care for older people, and structurally marginalised patients within the community. This also includes referral to healthcare teams and "hospital avoidance" strategies. Various projects are available that involve exploring the adoption of underlying theories of health behaviour into paramedic undergraduate education, biopsychosocial patient assessment, development of patient reported experience measures and extended practice roles and community paramedicine models of healthcare.

Students will gain experience and be mentored in qualitative research and survey-based approaches that have real-world impact to enhance patient outcomes. Students may be expected to conduct research, perform literature review, analyse data, write manuscripts, all under close supervision and guidance.

Supervisor: Dr Robbie King <Robbie.King@acu.edu.au>

Campus: Hybrid or Brisbane

This project explores the effectiveness of co-teaching models that involve students as teaching partners in intensive courses. It aims to investigate how student involvement in teaching impacts engagement, learning outcomes, and the overall educational experience for both students and educators. The study will employ a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews with students and faculty to assess perceptions, benefits, and challenges of this model. Findings will provide insights into best practices for integrating students into teaching roles, fostering collaborative learning environments, and enhancing intensive course delivery.

Supervisor: Associate Professor Fathimath Shifaza Fathimath.shifaza@acu.edu.au

Campus: all campuses

This project investigates educators' perspectives on using escape room experiences as a pedagogical tool to enhance student engagement, critical thinking, and teamwork. The student will explore teachers' experiences, perceptions, and challenges in implementing escape room activities within a unit. The study will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys and interviews with educators to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. A literature review will inform the study design, and data analysis will identify best practices and barriers. The findings will provide valuable insights into how educators perceive gamified learning strategies and their impact on teaching effectiveness and student outcomes.

Supervisor: Associate Professor Fathimath Shifaza Fathimath.shifaza@acu.edu.au

Campus: all campuses

Neurodivergent students—those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences—often face significant barriers in higher education due to rigid institutional structures and standardized teaching methods. Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), commonly used in primary and secondary education, offer tailored support to accommodate diverse learning needs. However, the implementation of such plans in higher education remains complex and contested. This literature review explores the benefits and disadvantages of IEPs in postsecondary education, assessing their effectiveness in promoting accessibility while considering potential limitations and challenges.

Supervisor – Dr Clare Cole clare.cole@acu.edu.au

Campus: Melbourne

Quality Simulation Assurance Framework (QSAFe) is an evidenced based self- assessment tool to help academics/educators and organisations benchmark the quality of their simulation activities to industry and accreditation standards.

This is an existing project that will initially pilot the tool within higher education nursing programs.

Student opportunities include:

• Review literature on non-statistical tool validation
• Review feedback from the QSAFE tool pilot and inform recommendations for improvement
• Opportunity to co-author a paper of the pilot results

Other opportunities:

• Apply the tool to the midwifery accreditation standards
• Apply the tool to paramedicine accreditation standards

Supervisor: Associate Professor Melanie Barlow: Mel.Barlow@acu.edu.au

Campus: Melbourne campus and may be available for other campuses

Application of SimCapture® in a teaching and learning environment to encourage development and mastering of practical and professional skills.

Student opportunities include:

• Explore the nature and characteristics of a simulated learning experience, including the application of technology to enhance learning. The learning platform, SimCapture®, will provide educators and learners with measurable learning outcomes and the opportunity to identify further learning needs and celebrate success.
• Review literature on simulation design, peer-to-peer learning, applying technology to enhance learning, and evaluating student performance and learning experience.
• Design and run a learning experience, collect, and interpret data using SimCapture, and present the results.
• Opportunity for students to write a research project and be a coauthor in a paper.

Supervisor: Associate Professor Melanie Barlow: Mel.Barlow@acu.edu.au

Campus: Melbourne campus and may be available for other campuses

(An ethics clearance submission is required) Supervisor: Associate Professor Melanie Barlow: Mel.Barlow@acu.edu.au Campus: Melbourne campus and may be available for other campuses

This project explores the use of a virtual escape room experiences as an innovative teaching and learning strategy to enhance student engagement, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. The student will implement an escape room activity tailored to a specific to the unit evidence for practice, interdisciplinary learning. They will evaluate its effectiveness through student feedback, engagement metrics, and learning outcomes. The project will involve literature review, data collection, and analysis, providing valuable insights into active learning strategies and gamification in education.

Supervisor: Associate Professor Fathimath Shifaza Fathimath.shifaza@acu.edu.au

Campus: all campuses

This project explores the role of classroom and environmental design in supporting neurodivergent students in higher education. Traditional learning spaces often fail to accommodate diverse cognitive and sensory needs, creating barriers to academic success. Drawing on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and neurodiversity theory, this study examines how factors like lighting, acoustics, and spatial layout impact learning experiences. The project aims to provide practical recommendations for higher education institutions to create learning environments that foster accessibility, comfort, and academic engagement for neurodivergent students.

Supervisor – Dr Clare Cole clare.cole@acu.edu.au

Campus: Melbourne

Conduct a scoping review on the outcomes of postgraduate (PG) education programs, focusing on their impact on clinicians’ competency, confidence, job satisfaction and career progression. Postgraduate education programs include any studies completed after a bachelor's degree, covering areas such as clinical practice, clinical education, and leadership and management. The last systematic review published in 2020 provided limited evidence with a focus in nursing, highlighting the need for an updated analysis. The findings of this review will influence healthcare education in higher education, advanced practice, and the broader healthcare workforce.

Supervisors

Dr Nancy Zhang Nancy.Zhang@acu.edu.au

Jessica Stewart Jessica.stewart@acu.edu.au

Campus: All