Overview
This unit is the first of three work-integrated learning units within the Paramedic Course, comprising a total of five weeks of clinical placement at an urban station with an approved ambulance service. Student Paramedics will apply clinical knowledge, reasoning and practical skills at a novice level in the acute prehospital care environment, engaging in reflective practice activities to support self-directed learning. Preparation activities increase workplace literacy and provide guidance on navigating the student-mentor relationship, ensuring students enjoy a positive and successful first clinical placement.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
PMSC12001 Procedures and 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 - 2021
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).
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 pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.
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 SUTE
More flexibility for the skills sign off sheet due to extra pressure put on student and mentor during constant high workload in order to get as much done as possible. In the end, another officer offered to come into the station on their day off to assist with outstanding skills
The total number of sign offs were reduced for the following offering.
Feedback from SUTE QAS
Some questions had obviously not been reviewed to match how we had not done pharmacology yet, and it even frustrated my mentors marking it.
Since this offering, there has been a course restructure to include pharmacology in 3 new unit proposals. As this was also feedback received from our Industry partner - QAS.
- Demonstrate clinical reasoning and practical skills at a novice level within the acute prehospital care setting.
- Employ reflective practice principles to self-evaluate clinical performance and identify learning needs.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |
| 1 - Portfolio - 0% | ||
| 2 - Professional Practice Placement - 0% | ||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |
| 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 | ||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Portfolio - 0% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Professional Practice Placement - 0% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
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.
j.d.taylor@cqu.edu.au
r.mceachern@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Orientation to Clinical Placement One
- Unit structure and assessments.
- Placement policies and guidelines.
- How to transition from classroom to clinical practice.
Chapter
Read the clinical placement guide before your placement begins.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Clinical & academic preparation
- Pre-placement clinical knowledge & performance expectations.
- Improving clinical performance - tips & strategies.
- Performance goals for the end of Placement One.
- Self-assessment & Learning Needs Analysis.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Clinical Placement prep week
- Reflective practice and self-directed learning.
- Time management.
- Critical incidents, support services and networks.
- Expectations of the placement host.
- Communication, teamwork, and creating a positive student-mentor relationship.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
PLACEMENT WEEK ONE
Ensure documentation entries are made weekly or as required.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
PLACEMENT WEEK TWO
Ensure documentation entries are made weekly or as required.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
PLACEMENT WEEK THREE
Ensure documentation entries are made weekly or as required.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
POTENTIAL PLACEMENT WEEK FOUR
Ensure documentation entries are made weekly or as required.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
POTENTIAL PLACEMENT WEEK FIVE
Check that your Mentor Reports are complete before leaving placement.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Placement review period
- Ensure your Mentor Reports are complete with no blank fields.
- Scan all Mentor Reports as a single PDF document and submit no later than 1 week from placement completion.
- Work on completing your Portfolio.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Mentor Reports Due.
For non-standard clinical placement dates, your Mentor Reports are due one week after completion of placement.
Module/Topic
Portfolio completion time. Please ensure that you post any questions or problems to the forum or email to the Lecturer before your Presentation is due.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Portfolio due.
For non-standard clinical placement dates, your Portfolio is due two weeks after completion placement.
Module/Topic
No further task for standard placement date students.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Considerations for non-standard clinical placement dates (if applicable)
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Considerations for non-standard clinical placement dates (if applicable)
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Considerations for non-standard clinical placement dates (if applicable)
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Considerations for non-standard clinical placement dates (if applicable)
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Clinical placement dates may be affected by COVID-specific guidelines enforced by State and Federal Governments, State ambulance services and CQUniversity. Where possible, disruptions will be minimized and students informed if any changes need to take place. The requirements pertaining to this are:
- You must adhere to all State ambulance service and State-related policies, procedures and communiques in relation to COVID, which can change without notice;
- If you are travelling for placement, travel restrictions may impact your ability to attend placement and/or return home, so please take care in planning travel and check restrictions for your home and placement area;
- If you cannot attend placement due to COVID, we will try for alternative arrangements for you, in conjunction with the industry partner, when biologically safe;
- If you experience any COVID symptoms at all, you MUST NOT attend placement and MUST seek medical advice;
- If you have any concerns or questions whatsoever about your ability to attend placement, please contact your Unit Coordinator for guidance.
There is to be no correspondence between the student and the industry provider outside of clinical placement dates, as all aspects of clinical placement coordination MUST be performed by the university on behalf of the student.
1 Professional Practice Placement
Your first clinical placement will see you enter the clinical environment as a novice clinician, and begin applying your clinical skills and judgement under the support and guidance of your supervising paramedic or health mentor. A major aspect of your continued development is mentor feedback, providing you with independent commentary on your current clinical performance from the point of view of industry colleagues. The Mentor Reports capture supervisor feedback on performance and attendance in written format for assessment and progress tracking.
This assessment task guides you and your work team through a review process designed to promote self-assessment on your part and to prompt the most practical and useful type of feedback from mentors. You will complete these reports together with your supervising mentor so that you can discuss the feedback and grade choices. Your mentors or OIC are also required to complete details of shift attendance and professional conduct for the purpose of academic verification. Students are expected to uphold the standards and requirements of the Clinical Placement Guidelines as provided within Moodle.
This task is designed to enhance the educational quality and value of your clinical placement by:
- Establishing clear expectations of students’ clinical performance and knowledge, enabling mentors to frame assessment, feedback, and support at the appropriate level.
- Providing a framework for communication and feedback to guide and strengthen the student - mentor relationship.
- Recording your performance on a week-by-week basis, to demonstrate achievement of unit learning objectives and assessment requirements.
- Ensure adherence to required standards of conduct and attendance during clinical placement.
It is important to note that these documents are not solely to confirm your completion of unit requirements; they are equally valuable as evidence logs of your professionalism, conduct, and clinical performance that will support your future employment applications. For these reasons they are arguably the most valuable documents from your clinical placement, and it is imperative that you are diligent in completing them with your mentors as instructed.
Mentor Reports are due one week after the completion of your clinical placement.
Assessments will be marked and returned two weeks after submission.
- You must attend all scheduled shifts.
- You will submit the Mentor Reports on the first Friday following completion of your clinical placement.
- All fields must be completed in full according to directions on the Information Sheet at the front of the document.
- Your Shift Attendance Log must be verified as true and correct by either one of your mentors or your station OIC.
- You must complete the Submission & Marking Checklist prior to submission of your Mentor Reports.
- Notify the placement host by phone asap of any unplanned absenteeism and notify the Unit Coordinator via email with Absenteeism Report attached. Absences must be logged in the shift log, and arrangements made to complete missed shifts.
- Minimum expectations of clinical performance grades are detailed within the assessment rubric on Moodle.
- Minimum expectations of professional conduct grades are detailed within the assessment rubric on Moodle.
- Students are expected to uphold the standards and requirements of the Clinical Placement Guidelines as provided within Moodle.
- Direct reports from the industry of student misconduct, or of significant concerns regarding professional or clinical performance, are investigated fully and may impact successful completion of this assessment task.
- Please scan all pages of your Mentor Reports, and compile into ONE SINGLE PDF file, that is consecutive regarding page numbering and all the same page orientation.
- Attendance and Mentor Reports are subject to validity checks with placement hosts.
- Demonstrate clinical reasoning and practical skills at a novice level within the acute prehospital care setting.
- Employ reflective practice principles to self-evaluate clinical performance and identify learning needs.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Portfolio
This unit is divided into three main phases: pre-placement preparation, the 3-5 weeks of clinical placement, and post-placement review. The activities of this assessment task span all three phases, and are designed to lead you confidently through your first paramedic clinical placement.
- The pre-placement activities ensure adequate preparation for all aspects of clinical placement and establish performance goals and expectations. You will learn about the concept of reflective practice for paramedics, and through a process of self-assessment and planning will begin to proactively manage your own clinical learning and development.
- During your 3-5 weeks of clinical placement you will be performing assessment and assisting with treatment of patients, and during downtime complete a placement workbook. The workbook is designed to complement your professional experience by leading you through self-review tasks.
- Finally, on completion of your placement, you will review your overall clinical development and placement outcomes this term. This involves reviewing the experiences and achievements that you have gained and identifying what you must continue working upon to adequately prepare for Clinical Placement Two next year.
Portfolios are due for submission two weeks after the completion of your clinical placement.
Two weeks after submission date.
To pass the Reflective Practice Portfolio assessment you must complete your portfolio to the given instructions and include all required documents.
- All components of your completed Placement Workbook.
- Completed Submission Checklist.
Please see the unit Moodle for a complete description and discussion of this assessment task, including completion guidelines and examples.
Your Portfolio is due at 5 pm on the second Friday following your final week of clinical placement.
- Demonstrate clinical reasoning and practical skills at a novice level within the acute prehospital care setting.
- Employ reflective practice principles to self-evaluate clinical performance and identify learning needs.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
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?
