Course Outline Code: PAR103 Title: Paramedic Foundation Practicum 1 Faculty of: Science, Health, Education and Engineering School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine Teaching Session: Session 8 Year: 2017 Course Coordinator: Chantal Perera Email: cperera@usc.edu.au Tel: 07 5456 3745 1. What is this course about? 1.1 Description This course is designed upon the concept of situated learning wherein you engage in learning and practice through simulation and a supervised clinical environment. During this clinical practicum, you will be exposed to a range of emergency and non-emergency cases in the paramedic practice setting and will also undertake placements in the community setting. Qualified clinicians will supervise you to utilise opportunities to practice and apply knowledge and skills learnt within the foundation paramedic courses. 1.2 Course content This course will commence with a 5 day on-campus simulation workshop followed by a 5 week full time clinical practice experience (roster equivalent to approx. 40hrs per week) within the pre-hospital, aged care and disability settings. Students will be supervised by qualified paramedics during their pre-hospital placement and experienced clinical supervisors during their aged care and disability components. This course is designed to be an experiential learning opportunity where students are provided with a position to assist where possible, ambulance paramedics as a member of an operational crew undertaking their practice in the prehospital emergency environment. Students will also undertake supervised health assessments and activities in aged care and disability settings. Students will be required to work through a range of learning support activities outlined within a specifically designed student clinical and professional objectives learning tool. All students will complete and submit a portfolio assessment which will form the basis of assessment for this course 2. What level is this course? 100 level Introductory - Discipline knowledge and skills at foundational level, broad application of knowledge and skills in familiar contexts and with support. Normally associated with the first full-time year of an undergraduate program 3. What is the unit value of this course? 12 units Session 8 2017) Recfind File Number: F14981
Page 2 4. How does this course contribute to my learning? Specific Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course you should be able to: Participates under supervision in work integrated learning and paramedic activities while demonstrating appropriate professional behaviours and adherence to Code of Conduct. Identify and report on barriers to effective communication with the health team members and patients observed while undertaking clinical practicum and propose strategies to improve communication Reflect on professional paramedic practice using ethical and professional codes of conduct while adhering to medico-legal responsibilities Analyse and report on clinical or operational experiences that demonstrates an understanding of the factors associated with patient outcomes Assessment Tasks You will be assessed on the learning outcome in task/s: Task 2 Task 3 Task 1 Task 1 Task 1 Graduate Qualities or Professional Standards mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming: Engaged. Ethical. Empowered. Engaged. Ethical. Empowered. Creative and critical thinkers. 5. Am I eligible to enrol in this course? Refer to the USC Glossary of terms for definitions of pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites. 5.1 Enrolment restrictions Enrolment restricted to students in SC395 5.2 Pre-requisites PAR101 and PAR102 5.3 Co-requisites Nil 5.4 Anti-requisites Nil 5.5 Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable) N/A
Page 3 6. How am I going to be assessed? 6.1 Grading scale Limited Pass (PU), Fail (UF) 6.2 Assessment tasks Task Assessment Tasks No. Individual or Group Weigh -ting What is the duration / length? 1 Reflective Journal Individual PU/UF Completed workbook 2000 words 2 Part A. Completion of Clinical Hours Log Part B. Professional Behaviour Evaluation 3 WIL experience in accordance with the Codes of Conduct Individual PU/UF Completed by student and clinical supervisor throughout placement and OIC at end of placement. 1000 words Individual PU/UF Completed by clinical supervisor throughout and at completion of placement period. When should I submit? Due on completion of clinical practicum Due on completion of clinical practicum Compliance with and adherence to the Code of Conduct will be assessed throughout clinical placement period. Where should I submit it? Pebble Pad Scan hard copies and submit to Pebble Pad N/A WIL or PC Yes Yes Yes Assessment Task 1: Reflective Journal Goal: The aim of your journal is to reflect on current paramedic clinical practice; help socialise you into a paramedic workplace through work integrated learning whilst developing clinical practice. Product: Clinical practicum portfolio Format: Individual portfolio online submission to Pebble Pad Criteria: Empowered. Identify and report on barriers to effective communication with the health team members and patients observed while undertaking clinical practicum and propose strategies to improve communication Ethical Reflect on professional paramedic practice using ethical and professional codes of conduct while adhering to medico-legal responsibilities Creative and critical thinkers. Analyse and report on clinical or operational experiences that demonstrates an understanding of the factors associated with patient outcomes Generic skill assessed Skill assessment level Communication Introductory Organisation Introductory
Assessment Task 2: Page 4 Part A: Completion of Clinical Hours Log Part B: Professional Behaviour Evaluation Goal: Demonstrate professional behaviours associated with working in a professional work setting and maintain a record of attendance Product: Clinical practicum clinical hour s logbook and industry professional feedback on performance. Format: Individual workbook scanned and submitted online to Pebble pad Criteria: Engaged Participates under supervision in work integrated learning and paramedic activities while displaying appropriate professional behaviours. Generic skill assessed Skill assessment level Communication Introductory Assessment Task 3: Codes of Conduct Goal: This task enables you to become familiar with the codes of conduct for your discipline and profession, and work within its guidelines during a work integrated learning (WIL) experience. Product: WIL experience in accordance with the codes of conduct Format: During your WIL experience, you are required to complete two weeks of clinical placement. To be eligible to pass, you are required to complete the clinical placement satisfactorily according to the criteria below. See Blackboard for the link to the Code of Conduct. Criteria: The academic placement supervisor and course coordinator will evaluate your standard and quality of your work and make an assessment against the following criteria: Behaviour that is in accordance with the code of conduct Adherence to the code of conduct Completion of the required hours Generic Skill assessed Skill Assessment Level Communication Graduate Collaboration Graduate Organisation Graduate 7. What are the course activities? 7.1 Directed study hours Workshop: 5-day mandatory workshop on-campus. This workshop must be attended and runs for five full days from November 20-24 (inclusive). Practicum: 5 weeks of rostered clinical practicum (Paramedic Clinical Experience) in Aged Care, Disability and Ambulance settings. 7.2 Teaching semester/session(s) offered Sippy Downs: Session 8
Page 5 7.3 Course content Teaching Week / Module Mandatory Workshop Aged Care Placement Disability Residential Service Placement QAS Clinical Practicum What key concepts/content will I learn? This week will reinforce clinical skills learnt in PAR101 & PAR 102 that students will observe in the clinical environment. Activities will be undertaken that relate specifically to personal safety, operational procedures and how these procedures impact other emergency services and healthcare agencies. This workshop is a mandatory requirement of industry prior to going on placement. The activities encompass specific WH&S industry requirements. Students who do not attend are not eligible for placement. Aged care placement will provide opportunities for students to experience the health and social needs of older clients. This placement setting enables student exposure to clients with communication difficulties and alterations to health associated with aging. Students will have the opportunity to be involved in and observe a multidisciplinary approach to health care in the community. Placement within the Disability Service sector provides an opportunity to experience the day to day life of a community member living with a disability. This placement setting enables student exposure to clients with physical and/or intellectual disability, communication difficulties and alterations to health associated with disability. Students will have the opportunity to experience the services available for adults living with a disability and observe a multidisciplinary approach to disability care in the community. Clinical practicum provides an opportunity for the student to be introduced to the QAS and the paramedic practice environment. The student will have the opportunity to consolidate theoretical learning through opportunities to observe and engage with key stake holders including emergency personnel, healthcare workers and other members of the public. Please note that the course activities may be subject to variation. What activities will I engage in to learn the concepts/content? Directed Study Independent Activities Study Activities Mandatory Workshop Clinical observation and participation in Aged Care environment Clinical observation and participation in Disability Residential Service environment Clinical observation and participation in industry n/a Workbook Workbook Portfolio
Page 6 8. What resources do I need to undertake this course? 8.1 Prescribed text(s) Author Year Title Publisher Ramsden, C & Curtis, K 2016 Emergency and Trauma Care 2e: for Nurses and Paramedics Mosby Elsevier Queensland Ambulance Service (2017) Web Ed. Available online - https://ambulance.qld.gov.au/clinical.html 2017 Clinical Practice Manual Guidelines Queensland Ambulance Service, Qld 8.2 Required and recommended readings Lists of required and recommended readings may be found for this course on its Blackboard site. These materials/readings will assist you in preparing for tutorials and assignments, and will provide further information regarding particular aspects of your course. 8.3 Specific requirements Please refer to the Undergraduate Clinical Placement Information Kit on Blackboard for specific QAS placement requirements. A current First Aid Certificate is required prior to commencing your Aged Care placement. A USC Student Paramedic uniform and safety equipment as outlined in the Clinical Practicum workbook is mandatory. 9. Risk management Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility as a student to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers, and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study. It is also your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the University s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online Health Safety and Wellbeing training module for students, and following the instructions of the University staff. 10. What administrative information is relevant to this course? 10.1 Assessment: Academic Integrity Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment. Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references. In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Blackboard, are electronically checked through SafeAssign. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work that SafeAssign has access to.
Page 7 10.2 Assessment: Additional requirements Limited Graded Course: This course will be graded as Pass in a Limited Grade Course (PU) or Fail in a Limited Grade Course (UF) as per clause 4.1.3 and 4.1.4 of the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Institutional Operating Policy of the USC. In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course. Supplementary assessment is not available in courses using Limited Grades. Mandatory and Professional Requirements Students need to be aware of the mandatory requirements outlined in the Clinical Practicum Handbook that must be completed prior to commencing participation in a work integrated learning placement. In addition, you must be aware of the conditions that may result in you being withdrawn from placement; please refer to the Student Clinical Practicum Handbook for detailed explanation policy and procedures. 10.3 Assessment: Submission penalties You must contact your Course Coordinator and provide the required documentation if you require an extension or alternate assessment. 10.4 Study help In the first instance, you should contact your tutor, then the Course Coordinator. Additional assistance is provided to all students through Academic Skills Advisers. To book an appointment or find a drop-in session go to Student Hub. Contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au 10.5 Links to relevant University policy and procedures For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including: Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs Review of Assessment and Final Grades Supplementary Assessment Administration of Central Examinations Deferred Examinations Student Academic Misconduct Students with a Disability Visit the USC website: http://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching 10.6 General Enquiries In person: USC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs USC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane USC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie USC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay Tel: +61 7 5430 2890 Email: studentcentral@usc.edu.au