HLTH 1009 Paramedic Practice 1

Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 401067

Coordinator Buck Reed Opens in new window

Description This subject allows the student to develop professional and clinical skills and techniques in preparation for paramedic practice. Students will be exposed to manual handling techniques to enable safe lifting and movement of patients and equipment, and discuss principles of infection control and scene safety. Students will learn how to undertake a holistic patient assessment and perform basic diagnostic tests. Students will have the opportunity to practice new skills and become oriented to the prehospital setting during clinical placements on non-emergency transport ambulances, preparing them for an extended emergency ambulance clinical placement in the following semester.

School Health Sciences

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 2 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject

Pre-requisite(s) HLTH 1003

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in 4669 Bachelor of Health Science (Paramedicine).

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  1. Apply principles of safe practice including manual tasks, infection control, scene safety and scene management.
  2. Demonstrate techniques for basic patient assessment and history taking.
  3. Interpret basic findings arising from patient assessment, physical examination and history taking
  4. Interpret basic and intermediate ECG data
  5. Demonstrate clinical reasoning relating to ECG interpretation, dysrhythmia management, and pain assessment and management.
  6. Demonstrate an effective patient handover.
  7. Demonstrate communication, manual handing and patient interaction skills in a non-emergency transport setting.

Subject Content

  1. Infection control & hand hygiene practices
  2. Manual handling of equipment and patients
  3. Principles of basic scene assessment and safety
  4. Patient assessment and history taking
  5. Assessment and Management of Pain
  6. Interpretation and management of basic ECG dysrhythmias
  7. Patient Handover 
  8. Applied mathematics and medical terminology for paramedicine
  9. Placements (spread across the semester).Supervised, 3 days of placement with non-emergency patient transport ambulance crew

Special Requirements

Legislative pre-requisites

NOTE: Due to Covid Restrictions, the First Aid Requirement is currently not needed.

Special Requirements - NSW Health Legislative Prerequisites Pre-requisites

Student Compliance Information for all Health-Related Placements

Prior to enrolling in this subject, students must have submitted a Student Undertaking Form and undertake to apply for a National Police Check, which is required to be submitted before placement, and a Working with Children Check Student Declaration. Use the link to the Special Requirements webpage below for more information.

To be eligible to enrol in this subject and complete any required health-related placements or experiences, students must meet Western Sydney University program requirements as well as any special, legislated, or policy-mandated requirements.

Western Program Requirements

Visit the Special Requirements webpage for details about your program.

Special Requirements

Mandatory NSW Health student placement policy requirements

To be able to undertake placement in any NSW Health facility you must be assessed as compliant with NSW Health student placement policy in the first year of your program, regardless of when you expect to go on your first placement. Access and read the NSW Student Compliance Information Booklet.

NSW Student Compliance Information Booklet

Please ensure that you

  1.  Find your existing National Police Check or apply for one
  2.  Gather documentary evidence of your vaccination history
  3.  Print and compete all relevant NSW Health forms relevant to the campus you are enrolled at or online enrolment requirements
  4.  Follow booklet instructions on how to have your compliance documents assessed by NSW health staff.

International students have additional requirements; the link to the booklet will inform you of these requirements.

School Requirements

Contact your School for further details regarding your School’s requirements, if any, such as

  • If you live outside of NSW or Australia and need to meet your state, territory or country’s compliance requirements
  • If you need to meet different state, territory or country compliance requirements.
  • NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) or other state equivalent, valid for your entire program.
  • Current approved first aid certificate valid for your entire program - approved program providers can be found at the Government Training website
  • http://training.gov.au
  • Other non-health related requirements.

Student Compliance Resources are also available on the Placements Hub web page (NSW students only)

https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/learning_futures/home/placements_hub/placements_hub/student_compliance

Assessment

The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.

Type Length Percent Threshold Individual/Group Task Mandatory
Report 750 Words 20 N Individual N
Practical Exam 1 hour 40 N Individual N
Quiz 2 x 30 minute quizzes 40 N Individual N
Professional Placement Performance S/U Y Individual Y

Prescribed Texts

  • Thyer L, Simpson P and Reed B (Eds) (2016) Bachelor of Health Science (Paramedicine) Elsevier

Structures that include subject