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Designed to provide the paramedic with the necessary knowledge and skills for a career in critical care. The course focuses on the clinical issues directly related to practice and develops a greater depth of understanding to enhance clinical decision making and critical thinking. Students will learn advanced-level clinical knowledge to apply to their daily paramedical practice, while at the same time learning advanced skills in evidence-based practice and research. The combination of advanced clinical knowledge and applied research knowledge and skills provides students with the ability to continuously improve their own clinical practice, as well as impact on the organisation they are employed by and the broader Paramedicine community.
This course information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester. In particular please check the course requirements and the unit and unit set offerings, as these differ according to course delivery location.
As a part of this course, students will be required to undertake a clinical placement in anaesthetics and in an intensive care setting. Students will be required to complete a clinical practice logbook and specific clinical learning outcomes for their placement location. A minimum of 80 hours of clinical placement is required across the unit. All clinical placement hours must be completed in a supernumerary capacity and not in their existing registered paramedic role.
To be eligible to undertake professional practice experience and fulfil the duty of care, students are required to complete clinical practice orientation, risk management training and obtain various screening and clearances as required by the university and placement provider. The requirements for this course can be found at: <a href='https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/medical-and-health-sciences/placements/disciplines/master-critical-care-paramedicine-coursework-j84'>https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/medical-and-health-sciences/placements/disciplines/master-critical-care-paramedicine-coursework-j84</a> There may be vaccination or similar requirements including those imposed by government or third-party placement hosts that apply to clinical placements which form part of this course. Please consider this requirement before enrolling in this course and speak to the Course Coordinator if this raises any concerns. You may not be able to complete the placement unit if you are unable to meet the placement requirements, which may impact your ability to complete this course. Due to the practical nature of the paramedic profession, there are inherent requirements applicable to this course that may impact the success of some potential students. Applicants and students with a disability or other issue likely to impact on their ability to perform in practice are encouraged to contact the Course Coordinator to discuss support and inherent requirements of this course. The university inherent requirements can be found at: <a href='https://www.ecu.edu.au/future-students/course-entry/inherent-requirements'>https://www.ecu.edu.au/future-students/course-entry/inherent-requirements</a> It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the correct documentation is obtained and provided to the university prior to commencing clinical placement.
Students will be required to attend the practicum during the hours established by the clinical placement agency. These may occur at times outside the identified semester weeks or normal business hours. Clinical practice periods may change with minimal notice to students due to circumstances outside the control of the School.
You must maintain Ahpra registration as a Paramedic throughout the course. Parental leave and other types of leave are possible while maintaining registration. Students are responsible for ensuring their behavior aligns with Ahpra's Code of conduct (the code). Students will be expected to comply with the conduct requirements of their clinical placement provider.
Students are required to successfully complete all practicum requirements to graduate from the course.
English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
All applicants are required to have a Bachelor’s degree in Paramedicine, or have completed a Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Paramedicine, with equivalents considered. Alternatively applicants can apply if they have at least five years appropriate professional experience. Additionally applicants must Registration with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) or equivalent accredited professional registration body. , with equivalents considered.
This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 8 Graduate Diploma Award.
This course can be studied entirely online when suitable agreements have been established to provide supervision of the practical components of the course. If suitable supervisors and/or placement host facilities are not available at the time, attendance at Joondalup Campus will be required. In the absence of clinical placement settings, an on-campus intensive workshop will be provided to meet the learning outcomes of individual units.
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| PST5110 | Advanced Cardiac Studies | 20 |
| PST5111 | Advanced Medical Studies | 20 |
| PST5107 | Advanced Obstetrics for Paramedics | 20 |
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| PST6113 | Paediatrics for Critical Care Paramedics | 20 |
| PSP6101 | Critical Care Practicum (Intensive Care Phase) | 20 |
| PST6105 | Retrieval Medicine | 20 |
Students who are unable to complete the degree may be able to exit with a Graduate Certificate of Critical Care Paramedicine with Course Coordinator approval.
For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.
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