Overview
In this unit, you will develop the skills to recognise, diagnose and manage patients with commonly encountered acute and life-threatening disease processes, throughout their life span. You will integrate your developing knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology with patient assessment, diagnostic evaluations and clinical history taking to formulate a provisional diagnosis. You will use this information to design and implement the most appropriate clinical management in line with contemporary professional guidelines and protocols, and emerging evidence-based practices. You will also build and apply appropriate communication styles, including verbal, non-verbal and written, to communicate with patients and other professionals to convey information. Case-based learning combined with simulation will contextualise your essential clinical skills, clinical decision making and problem-solving abilities. You will also begin to explore the legal, ethical and professional responsibilities required to practice as a paramedic.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite – BMSC11010 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 or BMSC11001 Human Body Systems 1Pre-requisite – PMSC11002 Foundations of Paramedic Clinical PracticeCo-requisite - PMSC12001 Procedures & Skills in Paramedic Care
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2022
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Moodle
Moodle layout was excellent and easy to navigate.
The unit used the new Tiles layout this term, and within each tile all material was placed beneath clear headings. Lecture recordings and files were placed within a folder for easy download and to avoid cluttering each tile. The unit should continue using this approach in future offerings.
Feedback from Moodle
The inclusion of Ambulance Victoria protocols was confusing, given that the rest of the course teaches only to Queensland Ambulance Service guidelines.
The inclusion of Ambulance Victoria content to show how they risk-manage the decision to transport or leave patients at home was explained to students, but still resulted in confusion. The team has since determined to remove reference to interstate protocols in future offerings.
Feedback from Moodle
The weekly practical lab sessions are excellent, and the Tutors & Lecturers at each campus location were supportive and informative.
Recommend to maintain the one-to-six teacher-student ratio for weekly lab sessions and residential schools. This enables great interaction between teacher and all students, and prevents any one student being lost within a larger or louder group, or not getting enough hands-on practice.
Feedback from Moodle
Most lectures were excellent, with great detail and presentation style and very interesting to follow. Some however did not go into enough depth overall, or the slides were cluttered whilst the narration was brief.
Ensure consistency in lecture quality across multiple Unit Coordinators.
- Evaluate patients systematically and comprehensively, including clinical history and assessment data, in a safe, ethical and culturally appropriate manner
- Formulate a provisional diagnosis by applying knowledge of underpinning foundational anatomy and pathophysiology of disease processes and patient assessment data
- Propose and demonstrate appropriate clinical management, including the use of basic pharmacology, through comprehensive knowledge and demonstration of best-practice clinical interventions with consideration to safe and ethical practice
- Analyse and apply the principles of safe, ethical and professional practice with reference to legislative and regulatory requirements and the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
It is now a requirement of the Paramedicine Board of Australia that units align with the AHPRA Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics. These are broken down into five (5) domains. Below aligns the proposed learning outcomes with these domains, with each domain also listed below:
- Learning outcome 1 aligns with professional capabilities for registered paramedics Domain 1, 3 & 5
- Learning outcome 2 aligns with professional capabilities for registered paramedics Domain 3 & 5
- Learning outcome 3 aligns with professional capabilities for registered paramedics Domain 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
- Learning outcome 4 aligns with professional capabilities for registered paramedics Domain 1, 2, 4 & 5
Domain 1 - Professional and ethical conduct:
- Practice ethically and professionally, consistent with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements
- Provide each patient with an appropriate level of dignity and care
- Assume responsibility, and accept accountability, for professional decisions
- Advocate on behalf of the patient, when appropriate within the context of the practitioner's practice as a paramedic
Domain 2 - Professional communication and collaboration:
- Communicate clearly, sensitively and effectively with the patient and other relevant people
- Collaborate with other health practitioners
Domain 3 - Evidence-based practice and professional learning:
- Make informed and reasonable decisions
- Use clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills to determine clinical judgements and appropriate actions
- Draw on appropriate knowledge and skills in order to make professional judgements
- identify ongoing professional learning, developmental needs and opportunities
Domain 4 - Safety, risk management and quality assurance:
- Protect and enhance patient safety
- Maintain safety of self and others in the work environment
- Operate effectively in an emergency care environment
- Maintain records appropriately
- Monitor and review the ongoing effectiveness of their practice and modify it accordingly
- Audits, reflects on and reviews practice
- Participate in the mentoring, teaching and development of others
Domain 5 - Paramedicine practice:
- Use patient information management systems appropriately
- Assess and monitor the patient capacity to receive care
- understand the key concepts of the bodies of knowledge which are specifically relevant to paramedicine practice
- Conduct appropriate diagnostic or monitoring procedures, treatment, therapy or other actions safely
- Demonstrate the requisite knowledge and skills to participate in mass casualty or major incident situations
- Formulate specific and appropriate patient care and treatment actions
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Case Study - 50% | ||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 50% | ||||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 0% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
Textbook of Adult Emergency Medicine
Edition: 5th (2020)
Authors: Cameron, P. , Little, M. ,Mitra, B. & Conor, D.
Elsevier
Sydney Sydney , NSW , Australia
ISBN: 9780702076244
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
Both the paper and eBook versions can be purchased at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.hodgetts@cqu.edu.au
n.shepley@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Patient assessment and clinical approach
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Assessment and management of the ALOC patient
Chapter
Textbook of Adult Emergency
Medicine Section 8.2, 8.4, 8.6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Oxygenation, Ventilation and Perfusion
Chapter
Textbook of Adult Emergency
Medicine Section 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Respiratory emergencies
Chapter
Textbook of Adult Emergency
Medicine Section 6.2, 6.5,
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 1 Open
Module/Topic
Diabetic emergencies
Chapter
Textbook of Adult Emergency
Medicine Section 11.1, 11.2
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Break Week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Pain management
Chapter
Textbook of Adult Emergency Medicine
Section 22.1,
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Seizures and Anaphylaxis
Chapter
Textbook of Adult Emergency
Medicine Section 8.5, 2.8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 2 Open
Module/Topic
Gastrointestinal emergencies
Chapter
Textbook of Adult Emergency
Medicine Section 7.2, 7.5, 7.8, 7.9, 7.10
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Assessment of the older patient
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Intimate partner and family violence
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Professionalism and requirements of registered paramedics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Consolidation Week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz 3 Open
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Students enrolled as On-campus will be required to attend compulsory lab sessions during the term. Students must nominate their preferred lab session location and time via the student portal. Lab numbers are capped per session, you are not guaranteed a place at your preferred session, but you are guaranteed one session per week. Students may be requested to move lab sessions to maintain appropriate student numbers to enhance the overall student experience, and learning and teaching requirements.
Students enrolled as Distance will be required to attend a compulsory residential school. Students must nominate their preferred residential school location via the student portal. Numbers at residential schools are capped and a position at your preferred residential school is not guaranteed. Geographical proximity to and/or previous attendance at a residential school location does not guarantee placement at your preferred residential school location. You must allocate for your preferred residential school by the end of week four of the term. If student numbers are considered low at a particular residential school, you may be requested to change the date of your attendance to enhance the overall student experience, and learning and teaching requirements. The unit coordinator will play no role in assisting in residential school changes if you did not receive your preferred residential school allocation. Attendance at internal tutorials and residential schools is compulsory. If for any reason you cannot attend a tutorial or day at residential school you must provide appropriate evidence, as per Assessment Policy and Procedure, to justify your absence. You will be responsible for making arrangements, with the unit coordinator, to make up for the missed learning and teaching, if appropriate.
1 Online Quiz(zes)
Throughout the unit, you will be required to undertake three (3) online quizzes. These quizzes will assess your knowledge and understanding of any topic or material covered throughout the unit. The quizzes may consist of a combination of multiple-choice, short answers, fill-in-the-blanks or labelling a diagram questions. The quizzes align with the relevant Unit Learning Outcomes and will be open in week 4, week 7 and week 12.
3
Other
Please refer to the unit Moodle page for quiz opening and closing dates and times.
- Please refer to the Assessment tile on the unit Moodle page for opening and closing dates and times for each quiz, and the length of time for your quiz attempt.
- Please ensure you read each question carefully.
- You will only be given one attempt per quiz.
- When the due date and time for the quiz expires, any open attempts are automatically submitted. You must therefore commence the quiz allowing the appropriate amount of time to complete your attempt.
- This is an individual assessment task, no collaboration is permitted.
- For each quiz, no late submissions will be accepted and the quiz will close and become unavailable from the close date and time. In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the quiz after the close date and time.
- If you experience technical issues during the quiz you must immediately contact TaSAC and notify the Unit Coordinator.
The minimum pass mark for this assessment is 50%, and marks will accumulate across all three (3) quizzes.
- Formulate a provisional diagnosis by applying knowledge of underpinning foundational anatomy and pathophysiology of disease processes and patient assessment data
- Propose and demonstrate appropriate clinical management, including the use of basic pharmacology, through comprehensive knowledge and demonstration of best-practice clinical interventions with consideration to safe and ethical practice
2 Case Study
You will be provided with several case study scenarios. Based on the clinical assessment data and patient history information provided, you may be required to:
- Formulate a provisional diagnosis
- Provide a definition for the provisional diagnosis
- Explain the pathophysiology for the provisional diagnosis
- Propose a management plan, including the use of pharmacology, linking the management to the pathophysiology of the provisional diagnosis, based on the Queensland Ambulance Service Clinical Practice Manual
- Provide appropriate advice to the patient regarding your management plan and transport options
This assessment item aligns with the relevant Unit Learning Outcomes.
Week 8 Friday (9 Sept 2022) 5:00 pm AEST
The assessment must be submitted via the unit Moodle page, under the Case Study link in the Assessment tab.
Week 10 Friday (23 Sept 2022)
Please write your assessment using the following style and format and then upload it to the PMSC11004 Moodle page under the Case Study link in the Assessment tab.
Presentation: Your assessment should be formatted on A4 International Standard paper with margins of 2.54cm. Arial font and size set to 12 point, and line spacing set to 1.5.
Format:
Cover page: a cover page must be included for this assessment in the following format:
- Assessment name
- Unit number and name (PMSC11004 Paramedic Medical Emergencies 1)
- Your name
- Student number
- Word count (not including cover page, headings, in-text references and reference page)
- Assessment due date (if you have an approved extension this needs to be noted here)
Body of assessment:
- Headings may be used (i.e. Provisional Diagnosis, Definition, Pathophysiology etc.)
- Appropriately referenced using the APA 7th Edition format
Reference page:
- The reference list must be on a separate page at the end of your assessment
- References must be listed using the APA 7th Edition format
The word limit for this assessment is 1500 words (+/-10%, not including cover page, headings, in-text references and reference page).
The assessment will be marked against a rubric, which will be available on the Moodle page.
You must provide a reference list of no less than 10 reference sources, published after 2012, which can include peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, Australian and/or New Zealand ambulance service guidelines, expert textbooks and websites, as appropriate.
In the absence of an approved extension, a penalty of 5% of the total marks for the assessment will be deducted for each full or part calendar day the assessment is overdue, in accordance with the Assessment Policy and Procedure. The pass mark for this assessment is 50%
- Evaluate patients systematically and comprehensively, including clinical history and assessment data, in a safe, ethical and culturally appropriate manner
- Formulate a provisional diagnosis by applying knowledge of underpinning foundational anatomy and pathophysiology of disease processes and patient assessment data
- Propose and demonstrate appropriate clinical management, including the use of basic pharmacology, through comprehensive knowledge and demonstration of best-practice clinical interventions with consideration to safe and ethical practice
- Analyse and apply the principles of safe, ethical and professional practice with reference to legislative and regulatory requirements and the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
3 Practical Assessment
You will be required to attend an assessment day/s at your nominated campus for Internal students, or at your nominated residential school for Distance students.
Your assessment tasks will consist of five (5) Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). The format of the OSCEs may include a blend of Case Management Exercises, skills stations or a viva voce.
All assessment tasks align with the relevant Unit Learning Outcomes, as described in the Unit Profile.
The Case Management Exercises (CMEs) will take the format of clinical scenarios (whole or in part) designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of any topic or material covered throughout the unit, by means of structured, simulated patient interactions. Furthermore, the CMEs are designed to assess your ability to perform a thorough and accurate patient assessment and use this information to formulate a provisional diagnosis. In combination with your patient assessment and provisional diagnosis, you will be required to implement appropriate and timely clinical interventions, procedures and/or skills and/or pharmacology, commensurate with your current scope of practice. Scene management and effective communication skills, including the ability to deliver a clinical handover to a senior clinician (i.e. CCP/ICP/MICA) or other health care professionals, may also be assessed.
Skills stations are designed to assess your ability to demonstrate a specific skill and/or procedures from any element present in your learning material.
The Viva Voce is a verbal or interview-style assessment where you will be required to answer a series of questions to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the material covered throughout the unit.
You will need to accumulate a score of 50% across the five (5) OSCEs to achieve a pass for this assessment.
All assessments will be administered at your nominated assessment day or residential school.
Results will be made available 2 weeks post your assessment day or residential school.
The practical assessment is a pass/fail assessment. You must achieve a cumulative mark of greater than 50% across all five (5) OSCEs to pass this assessment.
Multiple scoring tools/rubrics will be utilised, based on the format of the OSCE. The scoring tools/rubrics for each assessment are validated and reliable.
Assessments will be moderated by the Unit Coordinator, general feedback may be provided by the assessing academic, however, your final result will not be made available at the completion of your assessment day/s or residential school.
Critical errors in this unit will be classed as anything, by act or omission, that causes immediate harm or the potential to cause harm to yourself, partner, patient or bystanders, or any procedure performed outside your scope of practice. During any form of assessment, if any of the following critical errors are witnessed, if safety permits, the scenario will continue; however, the assessment will be graded as a fail.
Furthermore, any critical error discovered on review or moderation will also result in no marks being given for that particular assessment:
- Unsafe defibrillation.
- Incorrect joules were delivered during defibrillation.
- Defibrillation of a non-shockable rhythm.
- Failure to recognise cardiac arrest (>1minute).
- Failure to shock a shockable rhythm in a timely manner ( <2 minutes).
- Failure to perform a complete drug check, including dose, volume, indications and contra-indications.
- Failure to check indications and contra-indications before performing a skill or procedure.
- Performing a skill or procedure outside your scope of practice.
- Administering a drug or drug dose outside your scope of practice.
- Incorrect sharps disposal or unsafe practice with a sharp.
- Any grossly unsafe practice, as determined by the assessing academic.
If you do not understand any of the above, please do not hesitate to clarify with your unit coordinator.
Failure to attempt/undertake any assessment task will result in a fail for this assessment.
- Evaluate patients systematically and comprehensively, including clinical history and assessment data, in a safe, ethical and culturally appropriate manner
- Formulate a provisional diagnosis by applying knowledge of underpinning foundational anatomy and pathophysiology of disease processes and patient assessment data
- Propose and demonstrate appropriate clinical management, including the use of basic pharmacology, through comprehensive knowledge and demonstration of best-practice clinical interventions with consideration to safe and ethical practice
- Analyse and apply the principles of safe, ethical and professional practice with reference to legislative and regulatory requirements and the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
