For this task you must review contemporary literature to determine best practice management of a trauma presentation, and produce a report on your findings. The purpose of this report is to contribute pre-reading material for a clinical learning session being held at your station, and your audience is therefore fellow qualified paramedics in your region. Suggested topics include:

• Airway management in trauma
• Burns management
• Electric shocks
• Haemorrhage control
• Trauma resuscitation.

Ideally you should focus on one specific area of that topic rather than giving a broad overview. For example, if considering electric shock, you might focus your research on either low-tension electric shocks, such as those received within domestic settings, or high-tension shocks, such as those from industrial environments or powerlines. Or, for any topic you might wish to look specifically at cases involving particular populations, such as obstetric, paediatric, or geriatric patients. We shall discuss topic options early in the term for further ideas and guidance, but you absolutely have the ability here to pursue a specific clinical area of genuine interest to yourself.

Regardless of topic, the body of your report must cover the following areas. 

• The pathophysiology and clinical features of this presentation
• Current best-practice management as reported in contemporary literature, with clear explanation of how the best-practice treatments work at the physiological level to manage the given presentation
• Report upon any recent developments in management of this condition, for example new pharmacological adjuncts or updated guidelines on interventions
• Since your audience comprises on-road paramedics, you should discuss not only the theoretical aspects of clinical best practice but also practical considerations in applying treatment recommendations to prehospital practice. For example, are your best practice findings different to current treatment guidelines in your State? If so, do you recommend adjustment to existing treatment guidelines, or the purchase of new equipment, or some other alteration to current approach?

Content and structure:

In researching current best practice you should review peer-reviewed literature published within the last five years, and may also include papers and reports from relevant government or medical authorities. At this level, undergraduate textbooks and public information websites should not be used as primary resources. Your report should be 2,000 words in total, with a clear logical structure comprising at a minimum the following sections:

• Cover page
• Introduction to your chosen topic
• Report body, which you should break up into subsections and name as best suits your content
• Conclusion
• Reference list.

The body of the report may vary as best suits your research findings, so feel free to use subheadings as you please to internally structure the report body.

Content:

• Sections: Your report should contain at a minimum the following sections: cover page, introduction, report body, conclusion, and reference list. (You may add subsections to the body if you wish.)
• Topic: Your report should focus on one clear topic. This should not be a shallow summary of treatment guidelines but a deeper synthesis of recent literature on best-practice management.
• Style: This task requires writing at a professional standard, with information presented in a clear & logical sequence, and written in academic style with correct grammar, syntax, and spelling in Australian English.
• Research: You must demonstrate critical appraisal of current best practice by presenting recent literature and synthesising your findings into a coherent report.
• Citations & references: All statements must be correctly cited and referenced in APA 7th Edition style, using reference sources appropriate to the task level.

Report Formatting

• Cover page: State the title of your paper, your name and student number, your course of study, this unit code and title, and the word count excluding title page, in-text citations, reference list and any appendices. Start these 1/3 down from the top, and make them horizontally centred. Use the same font and size as for the rest of the document and do not apply any frames.
• Margins: One-inch margins (2.54cm) on all sides (usually MS Word default margins).
• Page numbers: Top right in the header, starting from the cover page.
• Alignment: Left margin alignment throughout; do NOT use justified margins.
• Body indentation: The first line of each paragraph of the report body is indented 3-5 characters.
• Font: Times New Roman or Arial font, size 12. Either is fine, but use just one font for the entire document.
• Spacing: Double spacing throughout the entire document; no extra returns after each paragraph or reference (this is why we have the indentations, headings, and hanging indents).
• Headings: Section headings are centred and bolded in title case; use APA style headings for any subheadings.
• Content: All required subsections are present and completed as directed.
• Referencing: All sources must be cited and referenced appropriately throughout this task in correct APA 7th Edition style; ensure that you use the Library guide for APA 7E style.
• Word count: 2,000 words +/-10%, excluding the cover page, in-text citations, the reference list and appendices. Calculate your word count minus exclusions prior to submission and include this on the cover page; if you do not do this, your submission will be returned.
• File format: Submit your document in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx).

Grading:

• Pass mark: You must achieve a pass mark of 50% in order to pass this assessment, and you must pass all assessment tasks to pass the unit.
• Grading rubric: Please refer to the Moodle site for additional task information such as assignment marking rubric.
• Turnitin: All submissions are subject to Turnitin scans, and all Turnitin reports are scrutinised. All instances of plagiarism are reported to the Academic Misconduct Board for review.
• Late submissions: Late submissions will be accepted, but penalties will accrue at 5% for every part or full calendar day past the due date for submissions without an approved extension.

For this assessment task you will complete a two-hour (120 minute) online test on the Moodle website. The online test will assess your knowledge of the pathophysiology of trauma presentations, and your capacity to effectively manage trauma cases.

This test will comprise a mix of multiple-choice, true/false, and short answer questions related to the material in this unit. 

Please ensure that you read directions within this Unit Profile and upon the Moodle page prior to undertaking this quiz.

• Please ensure that you read each question carefully and that you provide as much information as you can in your response.
• It is not acceptable to copy the exact wording from the lecture notes to answer a question, you are required to demonstrate your own understanding of the question. 
• You will only be given one attempt for this quiz.
• Once started, do not press BACK on your browser or REFRESH the page at any time; your work will be lost as responses are not saved until the quiz is submitted or the allotted time expires.
• You will have a time limit of two hours (120 minutes) to complete the quiz.
• When your time limit expires, any open attempts are automatically submitted.
• When the due date expires, any open attempts are automatically submitted; you must therefore start the quiz at least two hours before that deadline, or you will not receive your full time period.
• This quiz is worth 50% of your overall mark.
• You must achieve a minimum pass mark of 50% to pass this assessment, and you must pass all assessment tasks to pass the unit.
• For this assessment task no late submissions will be accepted and the quiz will close and become unavailable after the due date and time.
• In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after this date.
• If you experience a technical issue you must notify the Unit Coordinators immediately.
• This is an INDIVIDUAL TASK and must not be collaboratively completed. Quiz submissions are scrutinised to identify instances of collusion between students, and all such instances are reported to the Academic Misconduct Board for review.

During this residential school you will apply the knowledge and systematic approach required to effectively assess and manage trauma and multi-casualty emergencies. Due to the complexity of these cases and the depth of knowledge required to effectively triage and manage such emergencies, PMSC13011 is a capstone unit assessing all the critical elements of knowledge and practice prior to graduation. As all clinical practice is underpinned by the foundational learning that preceded it, the assessments for this unit necessarily incorporate not only the content learnt this term, but all elements of learning across the whole paramedic degree course.

This assessment task is undertaken during the compulsory four day Residential School held at the end of term. During Residential School you will practice correct clinical methods and systematic approach to effectively manage trauma emergencies, and then undertake the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE). Your assessment tasks will consist of four Clinical Management Exercises (CMEs), formatted as one (1) Long Case Management Exercise and three (3) Short Case Management Exercises.

All assessment tasks align with the learning outcomes for this unit, as described in the Unit Profile.

The CMEs are clinical scenarios, and are designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of unit content 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 commensurate with your current scope of practice. Scene management and effective communication skill, including the ability to deliver a clinical handover to a senior clinician (i.e. CCP/ICP/MICA) or other health care professionals, will also be assessed.

The practical assessment is a pass/fail assessment. You must achieve a cumulative mark of greater than 75% across all four (4) assessment tasks to pass this practical assessment. The practical assessments are

• One long CME, 20 minutes duration, worth 40% of the overall mark; and
• Three Short CMEs, all of 10 minutes duration, and worth 20% each of the overall mark.

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, and shall be available prior to the residential school. The Unit Coordinator shall facilitate a Zoom tutorial session to explain in detail the structure of these practical assessments.

Due to the use of aggregate scoring, there shall be no resits of any CME. All assessment attempts are videoed, and moderation, if required, can take place over the first two weeks following residential school through Unit Coordinator review of video footage.

Critical Errors:

Assessments with critical errors will be moderated by the Unit Coordinator and therefore feedback will not be made available immediately 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 has the potential to cause harm to yourself, partner, patient or bystanders and/or any procedure/skill or pharmacology administered, that is performed outside your scope of practice.

During any form of assessment, if any of the following critical errors are witnessed the assessment will continue and be moderated. Upon review and confirmation of a critical error, no marks will be awarded for that assessment item. Furthermore, any critical error discovered on review or moderation will result in no marks being awarded for that assessment item.

Critical errors are as follows:

• Unsafe defibrillation
• Incorrect joules delivered during defibrillation
• Defibrillation of a non-shockable rhythm
• Failure to recognise a cardiac arrest within one (1) minute
• Failure to defibrillate a shockable rhythm within two (2) minutes
• Failure to perform a complete drug check, including determining indications and all contraindications
• Incorrect sharps disposal or unsafe practice with a sharp
• Performing a skill or procedure outside your scope of practice taught to you in all previous and current units
• Administering pharmacology outside your scope of practice, or administering an incorrect drug or drug dose
• Failure to check indications and contra-indications before performing a skill or procedure
• Any grossly unsafe practice, as determined by the assessing academic.

If you do not understand any of the above, please clarify with your Unit Coordinator.

Failure to attempt/undertake an assessment task will result in a fail for this assessment.

If you fail this practical component you will fail the unit.