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Unit Synopsis
This unit is the second of three work-integrated learning units within the Bachelor of Paramedic Science Course. The unit requires you to apply clinical knowledge and skills at an intermediate level in the acute prehospital care environment. You will complete a total of four weeks of clinical placement with an approved ambulance service, spending two weeks each at rural and urban ambulance stations. With CQUniversity, you have unique access to rural clinical placement locations across all regions of Queensland, from the south-west outback up to Mornington Island in the far north. Rural and remote area paramedics in these regions perform an expanded role within the healthcare system that is typically broader than that of urban paramedics, and you will experience and directly compare the operational and clinical practices of paramedics in your geographically diverse placement areas.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 3 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Pre requisites:
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). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2020
Term 1 - 2020 Profile
Term 1 - 2021 Profile
Term 1 - 2022 Profile
Term 1 - 2023 Profile
Term 1 - 2024 Profile
Term 1 - 2025 Profile
Term 3 - 2025 Profile
Term 1 - 2026 Profile
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.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Professional Practice Placement | 0% |
| 2. Presentation | 0% |
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.
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site.
No previous feedback available
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.
Source: SUTE
The grand rounds presentation was somewhat unclear and confusing. Additional information about the requirements would have been useful. While the need to explain and demonstrate an understanding of the placement content was understood, it seemed like a significant financial burden if the assessment was based solely on a pass/fail system.
From 2025, the Grand Rounds assessment is to be removed and replaced with a Portfolio assessment to develop a contemporary view focusing on both cultural and vulnerable clients.
A case study assessment task was implemented. This task was clearly structured for students and built on their learning whilst on clinical placement and within other units.
Source: SUTE
The inclusion of an additional section in the Clinical Supervisor Assessment report to include general comments from supervisors and not related to a negative event would be very helpful.
From 2025, the Clinical Supervisor Assessment will provide greater opportunities for Clinical Supervisors to provide feedback including both positive and constructive commentary.
The Clinical Supervisor Assessment was updated to encourage supervisors to provide feedback under each of the professional domains. This change provided greater feedback to students and academics on all aspects of student performance on placement.
Source: SUTE
Provide mentor training for paramedics supervising students so there is a standardised structure to teaching students.
From 2025, all placement providers (site level) will receive a pre-placement welcome pack which will include clarity surrounding upcoming placement, expectations and supportive documentation.
Students and clinical supervisors were provided with a newly created handbook which provided clarity surrounding placement and expectations. Clinical supervisors were also provided links to an online portal with educational resources, articles, videos and preceptor guidance. Clinical supervisors were encouraged to engage in these and provided with an opportunity to provide feedback to CQU.
Source: Student Unit Teaching Evaluation
The provision of a prewritten case study was met with mixed feedback. Previously, students have completed a grand rounds presentation based on a case attended on clinical placement. Students reported that whilst the pre-written case study was a useful task to respond to, they felt it would be more meaningful to focus on a case attended on clinical placement.
Update the assessment task to draw on clinical placement experience. Reflection is a key focus of work-integrated learning and can be achieved through a reflective case study response to a case attended on clinical placement.
In Progress
Source: Student Unit Teaching Evaluation
Update learning materials within the unit, whilst mindful of study load on clinical placement.
Continue to update learning materials within the unit. Ensure resources are concise, relevant to clinical placement and easy to access.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate clinical reasoning and practical skills within the acute prehospital care setting
- While examining the expanded paramedic role within the public health system, compare and contrast paramedic practice in urban and rural locations with a focus on best practice in culturally sensitive prehospital care.
N/A
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |
| 1 - Professional Practice Placement | • | |
| 2 - Presentation | • | |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • |
| 2 - Problem Solving | • | |
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • |
| 5 - Team Work | • | |
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | • | |
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | • | • |
| 8 - Ethical practice | • | • |
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |
| 1 - Professional Practice Placement | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||||
| 2 - Presentation | • | • | • | • | |||||||