Overview – Recap and expansion from Level 4.

Professional & Procedural – Providing a professional context for the use of skills.
Human factors associated with health and decision making.

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

* Maternity and obstetric emergencies. Including life support considerations.

* Clinical assessment and management of maternity and obstetric conditions.

Advanced Life Support - Adult and Paediatric - including a teamwork approach to ALS. This will build on from your BLS and ILS skills gained at Level 4.
End tidal CO2.
ROLE, DNAR and Advanced Decisions.
Advanced Airway Management including needle cricothyroidotomy.
Intravenous Access.
Intra-Osseous Access.
Needle thoracentesis.
12 Lead ECG application and interpretation.

Patient systems assessment and management across the lifespan. Here we will build upon and develop the assessment skills you have gained at Level 4:

* Cardiovascular
* Neurological
* GI
* GU
* Respiratory
* MSK
* Endocrine

Pain assessment and management
Special circumstances:

* Shock

* Allergic reactions

* Anaphylaxis

* End of Life Care

Standards of conduct, performance, and ethics.

Note:

This module runs in conjunction with Disease Mechanisms and Pharmacology in Paramedic Practice.

1. OSCE skills stations (Learning Outcomes 2 and 3).

You will be required to undertake three Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) stations based on a variety of skills linked to the indicative content within a 20 minutes period. This is a pass/fail assessment.

Each OSCE station will have:

* A time limit of 5 minutes to complete the OSCE.
* The OSCE needed to be performed will be clearly identified including a brief description.
* Reading time will be included in the OSCE time.

Formative Assessment

You will have the opportunity to complete a minimum of two practice OSCE stations under exam conditions with feedback provided (other stations will be practiced outside of exam conditions as part of the modular content).

2. Conscious Patient Assessment. (Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 3). – this is the graded aspect of the module

Students will be required to demonstrate safe and appropriate assessment and management, including communication and clinical decision making relevant to Paramedic practice.

Formative Assessment

Advanced Life Support (adult and paediatric) as a group.

To meet all three learning outcomes, you must demonstrate safe practice and provide evidence to support your decisions. Whilst performing the relevant clinical skill you will be expected to demonstrate effective communication skills to the simulated patient.

Both assessments must be passed to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Throughout the module, key theory content will be delivered through a combination of lead lectures, seminars and practical skills sessions, supplemented by online materials. Most content will be delivered by the paramedic teaching team. however, specialist guest lecturers may be brought in to cover some key subjects and provide alternative perspectives on specific areas of clinical practice.

Students may be asked to participate in simulated learning either as a clinician or taking the role of a patient/relative, and this is an extremely valuable learning experience. Consent will be sought for this at the commencement of the course, and students will reserve the right to withdraw consent at any point. In the event of this happening an alternative learning experience will be provided by the teaching team. Service user and carer involvement will also be utilised in simulated learning where appropriate and available.

Tutorial support will be available for students throughout the module, and group work will also be utilised to encourage collaborative learning.

Students are expected to conduct their own independent study to consolidate their learning and prepare for assessment points. Supplementary learning materials will be made available on the university Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to help direct this study, and to assist with revision.

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding and application of effective communication needed within Paramedic practice.

University Learning Outcome: Communication, Knowledge and Understanding, Application

2. Demonstrate a critical understanding and application of dynamic assessment skills, decision making and management, as they apply to Paramedic practice.

University Learning Outcome: Knowledge and Understanding, Application, Analysis, Problem Solving, Enquiry

3. Critically evaluate treatment and management plans/pathways in accordance with appropriate evidence-based guidelines as they apply to Paramedic practice.

University Learning Outcome: Knowledge and Understanding, Application

Clinical skills sessions.
Simulation.
VLE (Virtual Learning Environments).
Classroom.
Library support.
Academic Mentor support.
Group tutorials.
Lectures.
Seminars.

Blaber, A. and Harris, G. (2016), Assessment skills for paramedics, 2nd edn, Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Kibble , J. D. and Halsey, C. R. (2019) The Big Picture: Medical Physiology, UK: McGraw-Hill.

PEATE, I. Edt. (2018) Fundamentals of Applied Pathophysiology – An Essential Guide for Nursing and Healthcare Students, 3rd Edition, Chichester: John Wiley and sons.

Enrolled on BSc (Hons) of Science in Paramedic Science.

Paramedics are generalist practitioners who respond to a broad range of patients in diverse and changing environments. This module is intended to cover the essential assessment and management of common emergency presentations, whilst developing the fundamental skills associated with safe and effective care.