The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
Overview
This unit is one of three (3) clinical placement units within the course. It facilitates a maximum of five (5) weeks of clinical placement in a healthcare setting with an approved provider. You will apply clinical knowledge, reasoning, and practical skills at a novice level in the clinical environment while engaging in reflective practice activities to support self-directed learning. You will engage in preparation activities that will increase your workplace literacy and provide guidance on navigating the student-mentor relationship, ensuring you enjoy a positive and successful first clinical placement.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite: PMSC11002 Foundations of Paramedic Clinical Practice. Co-requisites: PMSC11004 Paramedic Medical Emergencies 1. PMSC12001 Procedures and Skills in Paramedic Care. Please note: Any student who has not successfully completed a PMSC residential school within the preceding 12 months or undertaken a clinical placement unit, should consult with the Head of Course to discuss completing a PMSC12001 Procedures & Skills refresher. This ensures currency with all contemporary skills and procedures in line with industry standards and professional capabilities.
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 1 - 2025
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
Unfortunately, getting in contact with a unit coordinator became increasingly more difficult as the unit continued.
Request an increase in staff allocation to this unit to account for emergency sick leave, mandatory study leave and annual leave. The addition of another permanent lecturer be attached to this unit to allow the UC to prioritise student contact and responses.
Feedback from SUTE
Unit co-ordinators unavailable to answer queries regarding assessment via email or forum.
Responses to forum questions and concerns will be responded to within 2 business days for future offerings. With the availability of more teaching staff to access this forum and provide support in times of unscheduled lecturer absences.
- Apply clinical reasoning and practical skills at a novice level in a clinical setting
- Employ reflective practice principles associated with clinical reasoning and conduct whilst supporting diverse client groups in the healthcare setting
- Discuss the ethical, legal, and professional requirements, responsibilities, and boundaries associated with paramedic practice.
The Paramedicine Board of Australia requires that units align with the Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics, which consist of five (5) domains. The below section aligns the proposed learning outcomes with these domains. In addition, the learning outcomes have been aligned with the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.
Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics
| Standard/Attribute/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
| Domain 1: The professional; and ethical practitioner - 1.1.2, 1.1.4, 1.1.5, 1.1.8, 1.1.9, 1.1.10, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.2.7, 1.2.8, 1.2.9, 1.2.10, 1.3.1, 1.4.1, 1.4.2 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Domain 2: The communicator and the collaborator - 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.1.7, 2.2.1. | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Domain 3: The evidence-based practitioner - 3.1.2, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.6, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.4.2, 3.4.3, 3.4.4, 3.4.5. | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Domain 4: The safety and risk management practitioner - 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3, 4.1.4, 4.1.5, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.4, 4.3.1, 4.3.3, 4.4.1, 4.4.2, 4.4.3, 4.4.4, 4.5.2, 4.6.4, 4.6.5, 4.6.6, 4.7.2, 4.7.4. | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
|
Domain 5: The paramedicine practitioner - 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 5.1.3, 5.1.4, 5.1.5, 5.2.2, 5.2.4, 5.3.1, 5.3.5, 5.4.1, 5.4.2, 5.4.3, 5.4.4, 5.4.6, 5.6.1, 5.6.2, 5.6.3, 5.6.4. |
LO1, LO2, LO3 |
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards
| Standard | Learning Outcomes |
| Partnering and Consumers | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Preventing and Controlling infections | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Medication safety | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Comprehensive care | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Communicating for Safety | LO1, LO2 |
| Recognising and responding to Acute Deterioration | LO1, LO2 |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Professional Practice Placement - 0% | |||
| 2 - Case Study - 0% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 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
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Sonia Online
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.
k.shearer@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Unit Introduction
Module 1 - Social Media, Professionalism & Ethics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Introductory Zoom Session
Module/Topic
Module 2 - Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics (Part 1)
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Drop-in Session
Module/Topic
Module 3 - Communication on Placement
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Drop-in Session
Module/Topic
Module 4 - Injury Prevention & Occupational Safety
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Pre-placement Zoom session
Module/Topic
Module 5 - Reflective Practice (Part 1)
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 1 of clinical placement
Module/Topic
Break week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2 of clinical placement
Module/Topic
Module 5 - Reflective Practice (Part 2)
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3 of clinical placement
Interim (Formative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment Due Monday (21/04/25)
Module/Topic
Module 6 - Cultural Safety
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4 of clinical placement
Module/Topic
Module 2 - Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics (Part 2)
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5 of clinical placement
Module/Topic
Module 7 - Vulnerable clients
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Drop-in Session
Professional Practice Placement Due: Week 9 Monday (12 May 2025) 9:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Module 8 - Legislation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom Drop-in session
Module/Topic
Revision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 9 - Post-Placement Surveys & WIL Compliance
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week one of placement:
Commencement of the Formative stage
Starts Monday 7th April 2025
Ends Sunday 13th April 2025
Week two of placement:
Starts Monday 14th April 2025
Ends Sunday 20th April 2025
End of the Formative stage
Week three of placement:
Commencement of Consolidation week
Starts Monday 21st April 2025
Ends Sunday 27th April 2025
End of Consolidation Week
NOTE: The Interim (Formative) Clinical supervisor assessment is due no later than 0900hrs (AEST) on Monday 21st April 2025.
Your own component is due by this time and date. The academic team will chase up responses from all clinical supervisors.
Consolidation week is when you reflect on your performance and the feedback from your clinical supervisor/s to formulate a plan for your Summative stage.
Week four of placement:
Commencement of the Summative stage
Starts Monday 28th April 2025
Ends Sunday 4th May 2025
Week five of placement:
Starts Monday 5th May 2025
Ends Sunday 11th May 2025
Marks the end of the Summative stage
NOTE: The Final (Summative) Clinical supervisor assessment is due no later than 0900hrs (AEST) on Monday the 12th May 2025. Your component is due by this time and date. The academic team will chase up responses from all clinical supervisors.
1 Professional Practice Placement
In this unit, you are required to complete approximately 200 hours of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement with a jurisdictional ambulance service. This placement offers you the opportunity to apply your underpinning knowledge, clinical reasoning, and practical skills to paramedic practice.
For this assessment, you must complete a clinical supervisor assessment which has two components. First is the Interim (Formative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment, which is followed by the Final (Summative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment. The Interim (Formative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment acts as a mid-placement checkpoint to assist with identifying if you are potentially 'at-risk', while the Final (Summative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment is to be submitted at the end of your clinical placement. Please refer to the Generative AI Permission document available on your Moodle site for guidelines on the acceptable and unacceptable use of generative AI in this unit.
The Clinical Supervisor Assessment contains sections gathering feedback from you and your mentors on your performance in areas such as:
- Professional capabilities for registered paramedics.
- Professionalism.
- Skills log.
- Case type log.
- Clinical activity.
- Assessment submission and forwarding to clinical supervisor.
There is also a section where you are expected to critically reflect upon your clinical placement.
The Professional Practice Placement report is accessible via Sonia.
Week 9 Monday (12 May 2025) 9:00 am AEST
For non-standard clinical placement dates, your due date for this assessment is one week after the completion of your clinical placement/s.
Week 12 Monday (2 June 2025)
For non-standard clinical placement dates, your return date for this assessment is two weeks after submission.
The Final (Summative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment will be marked in accordance with the rubric provided on the unit Moodle page, covering the following areas:
- Professional capabilities for registered paramedics.
- Professionalism.
- Skills log.
- Case type log.
- Clinical activity.
- Assessment submission and forwarding to clinical supervisor.
Your Final (Summative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment is a PASS/FAIL task.
To pass this assessment, you must achieve a pass in all of the following:
- Professional capabilities for registered paramedics: Obtains 3’s or 4’s, in all questions across all Domains in the Final (Summative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment.
- Professionalism: Obtains 3’s or 4’s, in all questions in the Final (Summative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment.
- Skills log: Accurately completes the skills log section of the Final (Summative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment.
- Case type log: Accurately completes the case log section of the Final (Summative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment.
- Clinical activity: Accurately completes the clinical activity section of the Final (Summative) Clinical Supervisor Assessment.
- Apply clinical reasoning and practical skills at a novice level in a clinical setting
- Employ reflective practice principles associated with clinical reasoning and conduct whilst supporting diverse client groups in the healthcare setting
- Discuss the ethical, legal, and professional requirements, responsibilities, and boundaries associated with paramedic practice.
2 Case Study
Preamble
In this case study, you will be presented with a case involving aspects including vulnerable clients and cultural safety. You will be asked to address a set of questions relevant to your paramedic practice. Please refer to the Generative AI Permission document available on your Moodle site for guidelines on the acceptable and unacceptable use of generative AI in this unit.
The Case
You are presented with a 45-year-old male patient who has experienced a recent bilateral below-knee traumatic amputation. The patient has fallen from his wheelchair in a private residence. There are no reported injuries following the fall, however, the patient is unable to get themselves up.
There are no hazards or safety issues on arrival at the scene, and the patient is easily accessible in their front room. The patient has the following history:
Social history
- The patient is a returned services veteran who had a forced medical retirement after 25 years of service.
- His wife and children live interstate, as they have recently separated.
- The patient lives alone in a single-story residence.
- The garden appears unkept with weeds exceeding gate height and overflowing bins.
- There is a private vehicle in the driveway which is not in use.
- The patient states he frequently seeks ‘telehealth appointments’ but has no in-home support services as he finds the system ‘too hard to navigate’ and does not want to bother his general practitioner (GP).
Past medical history
- Depression, anxiety, service-related trauma.
- Chronic pain in the shoulders and lower back.
- Traumatic bilateral lower limb amputations.
- Heavy drinker, non-smoker.
- Various medications that are neatly packaged in an ice cream container.
From a clinical support perspective, the patient is under the care of a psychiatrist and trauma counsellor, however, the patient frequently cancels his appointments. Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs occupational therapist has also reduced visits due to frequent patient cancellations.
You are to address the following questions in a narrative format:
1. What are different ways that paramedics can create a safe and supportive environment for this patient who has experienced complex trauma?
2. What ethical considerations should paramedics consider when providing acute care to patients in a situation such as this?
3. Discuss different factors that contribute to this patient being considered vulnerable.
4. Consider now that this patient has a cultural background that differs from your own, for example, Muslim, Indigenous, African etc (you may select one). What additional strategies or supports could you as a paramedic implement to align with the patient’s cultural background?
Week 11 Monday (26 May 2025) 9:00 am AEST
Exam Week Friday (20 June 2025)
The expected word count for your case study is 1600 words, excluding references. You will be assessed in accordance with the rubric provided on the unit Moodle page. Criteria include:
Overall presentation
- Organisation of paper.
- Writing mechanics.
- Appropriate word count.
Content
- Different ways that paramedics can create a safe and supportive environment for patients experiencing complex trauma.
- The ethical considerations paramedics should consider when providing acute care to patients in vulnerable situations.
- Discussion of different factors that contribute to patient vulnerability.
- Consideration of strategies or supports paramedics could implement to align with the selected cultural background.
References
- Use of in-text referencing.
- Use of APA style reference list.
Please save/upload your file in a Word format (.doc or .docx).
This is a PASS/FAIL task.
- Apply clinical reasoning and practical skills at a novice level in a clinical setting
- Employ reflective practice principles associated with clinical reasoning and conduct whilst supporting diverse client groups in the healthcare setting
- Discuss the ethical, legal, and professional requirements, responsibilities, and boundaries associated with paramedic practice.
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?
