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Designed to equip the paramedic with the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake a leadership role in providing essential care to urgent, low acuity patients in the out of hospital, community, urgent and primary healthcare settings. A Paramedic Practitioner or Advanced Care Practitioner (Paramedic) is a healthcare professional who has highly developed clinical reasoning, advanced assessment skills and knowledge who can work collaboratively within the healthcare system. Paramedic Practitioners are able to provide specialist clinical care to people with urgent illness and injuries and low acuity patients in the out of hospital, community and primary care environments within urban, rural and/or remote populations. 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 reasoning, assessment and 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 skills provides students with the ability to continuously improve their own clinical practice, as well as positively impact the organisation they are employed by, the broader paramedicine community and healthcare system.
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 part of this course students will be required to undertake practical work experience in a community paramedicine or primary health care setting. Students will be required to complete a clinical practice logbook and specific clinical learning outcomes for their placement location and learning goals. A minimum of 100 hours is required across the unit. Students are required to seek clinical placement with a community paramedic or within primary health care with a provider approved by the Unit Coordinator. Students may only complete a maximum of 50% of their placements with their employment organisation. The university may assist students to establish placement relationships within primary health care providers outside of their employment organisation. The preference would be for students to identify a relevant provider who has an appropriate clinician willing to mentor a Paramedic to achieve the learning goals of their placement; the university will assist with relevant risk assessments and contractual agreements.
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-paramedic-practitioner-coursework-j78'>https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/medical-and-health-sciences/placements/disciplines/master-paramedic-practitioner-coursework-j78</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 these requirements 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 paramedics working in primary health care, 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 the inherent requirements of the course. ECU's 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>
Students will undertake professional practice experience during the hours laid down by their host clinical agency. Clinical placement periods may change with minimal notice to students due to circumstances outside the control of the university.
Students are to enroll in the Paramedic Advanced Care Practicum Unit PSP6450
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 behaviour 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 will need to be registered with the Paramedicine Board of Australia for the duration of their studies.
English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
All applicants are required to have a Bachelors degree or Graduate Diploma in Paramedicine, with equivalents considered. Alternatively applicants can apply with a minimum of 5 years full time equivalent experience as a registered Paramedic in a direct patient facing role. Additionally applicants must have Paramedic Registration with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) or similar international regulatory agency, with equivalents considered.
This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 9 Masters Degree (Coursework) Award.
In the event that practical components of this course are not able to be completed in the student's home location, they may be required to attend practical workshops and/or clinical placements in Western Australia.
Students must complete eight core units and one core unit option.
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| PST6110 | Advanced Clinical Examination and Leadership for Paramedics | 20 |
| MMP6100 | Evidence-Based Practice | 20 |
| PST5300 | Paramedic Advanced Practice 1 | 20 |
Students studying part time should ensure that their first unit of study is PST6110 Advanced Clinical Examination and Leadership for Paramedics with or followed by MMP6100 Evidenced-based practice.
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| PST5301 | Paramedic Advanced Practice 2 | 20 |
| PST5302 | Paramedic Advanced Practice 3 | 20 |
| PSP6450 | Paramedic Advanced Care Practicum | 20 |
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| HST6355 | Ageing, Health and Wellbeing | 20 |
| NRB5112 ^ | Translational Science | 20 |
| Students must select one of the following units | ||
| PST5107 ^ | Advanced Obstetrics for Paramedics | 20 |
| CMH5216 ^ | Community Mental Health | 20 |
| PST5110 ^ | Advanced Cardiac Studies | 20 |
| HST6337 ^ | Communicable Disease | 20 |
| HST6350 ^ | Drug Use and Addictive Behaviours | 20 |
| OHS6138 ^ | Occupational Health Management | 20 |
| DER6101 ^ | Introduction to Emergency Management | 20 |
Notes: The practicum unit is a full year unit that spans two semesters. Units may not be available every semester, please check timetable for offerings of units. Students who cannot complete the Masters degree may be able to exit with a Graduate Certificate or a Graduate Diploma with Course Coordinator approval. Students who commence the course in Semester 2 or those studying part-time will follow a slightly different sequencing of units.
^ Core Option
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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