Overview
In this unit you will address the paramedic management of patients with medical and trauma conditions at the critical care level. Upon completion of this unit you will be able to identify the indications, precautions, risks and contraindications of the skills and interventions involved in critical care practice; employ critical thinking and clinical decision making; and demonstrate the skills and interventions required at a critical care level. The unit will include clinical skills laboratory and simulation scenarios designed to enable you to develop the essential communication, assessment, clinical problem-solving, decision making and management skills required at a critical care level.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites PMSC20001 Advanced clinical assessment and decision making PMSC20003 Pharmacological application in the critical care setting
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 Postgraduate 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 Informal student feedback and Unit Coordinator's self-reflection.
The use of simulated scenarios helped to improve the student's ability to think critically and make the appropriate clinical decisions in the application of critical care skills.
It is recommended that we will continue to allocate one day at the Residential School for scenario-based teaching. This amalgamation of knowledge should allow each student the opportunity to address the gaps in their understanding and application of critical care skills, with the confidence that their decisions will be supported by evidence in clinical practice.
Feedback from Unit Coordinator's self-reflection.
Students benefited from a national and international practice approach.
It is recommended that we will continue to cover a large range of skills in this unit to ensure that we adequately meet the needs of the high acuity scopes utilised across all the Australian State Ambulance Services and future proof our graduates with exposure to international and extended skill sets.
Feedback from Unit Coordinator's self-reflection.
The use of low to high fidelity simulation equipment during the skills training helped to develop the students' knowledge and skills in a way that was as realistic as possible while mitigating ethical dilemmas and resolving practical dilemmas without patient risk.
It is recommended to continue to use both low and high-fidelity equipment in the training of critical care skills.
- Articulate the concepts and theoretical underpinnings, including the anatomical and pathophysiological reasons, for the application of critical care skills and interventions in the management of a critically ill or injured patient
- Identify the indications, precautions, risks and contraindications of the skills and interventions involved in critical care practice
- Employ critical thinking and clinical decision making for the use of critical care skills and interventions
- Demonstrate the skills and interventions involved in critical care practice.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | ||||
| 2 - Off-campus Activity - 60% | ||||
| 3 - On-campus Activity - 0% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||
| 4 - Research | ||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||
| 8 - 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 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | ||||||||
| 2 - Off-campus Activity - 60% | ||||||||
| 3 - On-campus Activity - 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: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
g.cousens@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Perfusion Procedures
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Perfusion Procedures
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cardiac Procedures
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cardiac Procedures
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Electrical Therapies
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Self-study period
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Airway Management
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
First Online Quiz: Opens Monday (22 Aug 2022) 8:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Airway and Ventilation procedures
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Ventilation Management
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Ventilators and Cricothyrotomy
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Residential School
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Mechanical and Chemical Restraints
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Review of skills and knowledge learnt throughout the term.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Second Online Quiz: Opens Monday (26 Sep 2022) 8:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz(zes) Due: Review/Exam Monday (10 Oct 2022) 8:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
This unit contains a compulsory residential school. All residential school days must be completed as outlined in the timetable program. There will be no opportunity to request an extension or attend the school in another location or at an alternative time. The inability to participate in the residential school must be brought to the attention of the unit coordinator at the students' earliest convenience.
1 Online Quiz(zes)
You will be required to complete two (2) online quizzes; the first will close in Week 7; the second will close in Week 12. The quizzes will open in the preceding week to when the quiz is due, and each will have a specific time limit.
The quizzes will be made up of multiple-choice questions exploring content based on the previous weeks of content (including lecture materials, online modules, links & required readings). Quiz 1 will cover content from Weeks 1 – 5, and Quiz 2 will cover Weeks 6-11.
The quiz will assess your ability to identify the concepts and theoretical underpinnings, including the anatomical and pathophysiological reasons, for the application of critical care skills and interventions in the management of a critically ill or injured patient, identify the indications, precautions, risks and contraindications of the skills and interventions involved in critical care practice and employ critical thinking and clinical decision making for the use of critical care skills and interventions.
2
Other
Week 7 Monday (29 Aug 2022) 8:00 am AEST
Quiz 1 - Quiz will be available on Monday of Week 6 08:00 AEST (QLD Time) and is due on Monday of Week 7 08:00 AEST (QLD Time). Quiz 2 - Quiz will be available on Monday of Week 12 08:00 AEST (QLD Time) and is due on Monday of Review/Exam Week 08:00 AEST (QLD Time).
Review/Exam Week Monday (10 Oct 2022)
Results will be returned once the quizzes have closed.
There are two quizzes; each quiz is worth 20%. Marks are awarded if the multiple-choice question is answered correctly and the total marks are tallied after each attempted quiz. Non-attempts will score a zero mark. Quizzes may not be re-attempted.
Quizzes are open book, so the use of Clinical Practice Guidelines, book chapters and journal articles etc., are allowed.
Please take note that this is an individual assessment with no collaboration allowed. Each quiz will have a specific time limit imposed to complete the quiz.
In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after the due date, and there will be no opportunity to apply a late penalty of five per cent per day.
- Articulate the concepts and theoretical underpinnings, including the anatomical and pathophysiological reasons, for the application of critical care skills and interventions in the management of a critically ill or injured patient
- Identify the indications, precautions, risks and contraindications of the skills and interventions involved in critical care practice
- Employ critical thinking and clinical decision making for the use of critical care skills and interventions
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
2 Off-campus Activity
You would have witnessed firsthand some of the critical care skills undertaken by critical care clinicians during your career. By reflecting upon these skills, you will see how appropriate management plans are established from assessment findings such as history and physical examination; how critical thinking, clinical decision making, and medical evidence are used for the employment of critical care skills and interventions; the effect these skills and procedures have on the patient’s homeostasis and our ability to manage these patients at a critical care level.
Within your current practice, you will be required to directly observe critical care skills performed by clinicians on at least two (2) patients. You will be required to complete a case report on these patients and critically discuss the skill(s) observed (one report per patient).
Each case report must include the following:
-A description of the patient's clinical presentation and diagnosis
-Discussion of the clinical reasoning undertaken for use of this skill in the management of this critically ill or injured patient, as well as the evidence-based support behind the skill's application
-Articulation and justification of why this skill is clinically significant at a critical care level
-Discussion of changes in the patient’s clinical presentation (positive or negative) resulting from the application of the skill, providing reasons for this occurrence.
All patient management must be discussed in conjunction with the latest evidence. All sources of evidence must be provided and appropriately referenced.
Week 9 Monday (12 Sept 2022) 8:00 am AEST
Week 12 Friday (7 Oct 2022)
There is a minimum word count of 2000 words for each case report (a minimum of 4000 words in total) and a maximum word limit of 2500 words for each case report (a maximum of 5000 words in total). It is expected that each case report will be clear and concise. The case reports will be assessed in accordance with the information and rubric provided on the unit Moodle page. Each case should be presented in an essay format.
The case report document is worth 60% of your overall unit mark.
- Articulate the concepts and theoretical underpinnings, including the anatomical and pathophysiological reasons, for the application of critical care skills and interventions in the management of a critically ill or injured patient
- Identify the indications, precautions, risks and contraindications of the skills and interventions involved in critical care practice
- Employ critical thinking and clinical decision making for the use of critical care skills and interventions
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
3 On-campus Activity
For this assessment, you will be required to attend a compulsory residential school. There will be several assessment pieces, each designed to assess your declarative knowledge and application of the practical skills acquired during this unit.
Week 10 Friday (23 Sept 2022) 5:00 pm AEST
This assessment will occur on the final day of the compulsory residential school (24 Sep 2022)
Week 12 Friday (7 Oct 2022)
Informal feedback will be given at the end of the residential school. Formal feedback and rubrics will be provided via the Moodle page as outlined.
Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) sheets for specific skills will be provided on the unit Moodle page.
You will have a maximum of two attempts for each skill assessed.
The assessment will be based on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory marking criterion based on the following key points:
-Successful completion of the skill
-Demonstration of skill in a timely matter
-Ability to minimise missed steps or minor mistakes
-Completion of the skill without making a critical error (a critical error will result in a failed attempt).
If a critical error occurs during your assessment the assessment will immediately cease, no marks will be given for that item and will result in a failed attempt. A critical error includes:
-An action or inaction which causes immediate harm to yourself, partner, patient or bystanders
-Unsafe use of the defibrillator
-No or incomplete drug check
-Incorrect sharps disposal
-Performing a skill and/or procedure outside the scope of practice of a Critical Care Paramedic.
- Demonstrate the skills and interventions involved in critical care practice.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
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?
