| Effective Term: | 2025/02 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Clinical Diagnostics and Practice |
| Unit ID: | HCPAR6013 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (HCPAR5001 and HCPAR5011) |
| Co-requisite(s): | (HCPAR6002) |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 069905 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This Clinical Diagnostic & Practice unit will build upon and extend knowledge and skills developed in first semester clinical units. In conjunction with Clinical Paramedicine 2 this unit develops students’ understanding of pre-hospital care to the Advanced Life Support level. The learning in this unit focuses on the paediatric patient and the relevant guidelines. It also looks at environmental issues effecting patient health, as well as the impact of drug overdose. This unit looks at the ambulance treatment of endocrine emergencies as well as the fitting patient. Sepsis and autonomic dysreflexia will also be examined in the pre-hospital setting |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | Yes - 4 days |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | |  | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of accepted assessment and management strategies for paediatric patients |
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| K2. | Discuss the standard treatment regime for a patient suffering an endocrine emergency |
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| K3. | Illustrate the principle of thermoregulation and recognize the pre hospital implications of hypothermia and hyperthermia |
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| K4. | Apply expedient assessment and management of a patient suffering a drug overdose |
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| K5. | Analyse available pre hospital medication and justify the importance of "standing orders”. |
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| K6. | Appraise the importance of operating within a safe working environment and demonstrate awareness of the boundaries of the scope of practice |
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| K7. | Summarize the legal and ethical boundaries of the profession and operate within them |
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| K8. | Understand the needs of patients from different cultural backgrounds |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Practise pre hospital clinical approach to paediatric patients and implement accepted assessment management of these patients |
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| S2. | Recommend appropriate clinical practice guidelines for a variety of pre hospital medical emergencies and implement the appropriate management. |
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| S3. | Show competence in the use of a variety of pre hospital medication delivery systems |
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| S4. | Demonstrate advanced effective and appropriate skills in communicating information, advice, instructions and professional opinions to all stakeholders encountered throughout placement |
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| S5. | Formulate and deliver clinical practice to meet the healthcare needs of the patients, within the approved scope of practice and under direct supervision of a stipulated Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic |
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| S6. | Determine patient care requirements based on appropriate assessment techniques utilising suitable equipment and skills |
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| S7. | Implement accepted treatment options via the use of the Clinical Practice Guidelines |
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| S8. | Generate a suitable patient care record by participating in the documentation of the patient’s care through the VACIS system under the direct supervision of the ALS paramedic |
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| S9. | Provide a culturally safe environment for patient centred care |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Initiate, plan, implement and evaluate the appropriate management of patients suffering from endocrine, thermoregulatory and overdose emergency presentations utilising the Clinical Practise Guidelines |
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| A2. | Analyse and independently implement pre hospital medication standing orders and demonstrate medication safety with a comprehensive knowledge of medication calculations |
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| A3. | Differentiate the complexities of paediatric presentations and recommend the appropriate assessment and management of these patients within the paramedic’s scope of practise |
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| A4. | Act in accordance with all relevant policies, procedures, legislation and governance of the Ambulance and University organisations |
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| A5. | Gather appropriate information, select and use the most appropriate management and treatment options available in a clinical setting with limited guidance from ALS paramedic supervisor |
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| Unit Content: |
This unit is designed to build upon and extend knowledge and practical skills developed in Clinical Diagnostics 1. This unit is closely interrelated with Clinical Paramedicine 2 and will help develop the participant’s understanding of pre-hospital care to Advanced Life Support (ALS) level. While undertaking this unit the participant will explore Paramedic care models and the practice of Paramedicine. This will include paediatric, environmental and medical emergencies The management and pharmacology outlined in the clinical practice guidelines will form the foundation of this learning. Utilising problem-based scenarios the participants will apply evidence-based practice to manage various medical emergencies. Throughout the unit a problem-based learning model will be used and the participant will be expected to develop critical thinking processes. Students will have the opportunity to convert theory into practice with an introduction to Work Integrated Learning in an emergency ambulance service |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, A1, A2 | Examination of 2 hours consisting of a combination of multiple choice questions, short answers questions and/or case study based questions to determine understanding and application of unit content. | 2 hour written examination | 60-80% | | 2. | K1, K5, K6, K7, K8, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, A4, A5 | From clinical placement choose three cases of interest and reflect on the Clinical Practise Guidelines (CPGs) and/or work instructions utilised for the assessment and management of that particular patient. | Case study reflections | 20-40% | | 3. | K1, K5, K6, K7, K8, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, A1, A2, A3, A4 | Clinical Placement (Minimum of four shifts) with approved pre-hospital emergency ambulance service (Ambulance Victoria). Evidenced by completed Paramedic Clinical Placement Booklet. | Clinical Placement evidenced by Paramedic Clinical Placement Booklet | S/U | | 4. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, K8, S1, S2, S3, S4, S9, A2 | Practical demonstration of theoretical and clinical skills assessed via a scenario setting. | Objective Clinical Standard Examination | S/U |
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