BSc Single Honours Paramedic Science

This interprofessional module will provide you with the opportunity to learn from, about and with students from other professional programmes. As an interprofessional group of learners you will explore what it means to be a professional within the context of ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks as applied to your professional healthcare discipline. You will be given the opportunity to reflect and develop self-awareness to foster an understanding of your own beliefs, attitudes, values, knowledge, attributes and skills and explore how others may see the world differently to build and develop your professional identity. This module aims to aid your transition to university as a professional healthcare student, introducing you to the concept of evidence-based practice and some of the study skills you will need to develop as an experiential and lifelong learner. 

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the process of patient assessment through the application of underpinning paramedic science knowledge, theories and concepts in a variety of pre-hospital and unscheduled care settings. Evaluation of the findings of the assessment (also known as clinical reasoning) will enable you to make informed decisions in partnership with the patient about subsequent treatment and management options (plan).

In this module you will develop essential communication skills including assessing capacity and gaining informed consent. You will learn how to conduct a systematic primary and secondary survey (including recognition of immediate threats to life) and to use different methods to establish rapport and gather relevant information about the patient’s condition and history taking into account your patient’s individual differences and preferences. You will develop your knowledge of, and the skills to understand scientific units of measurements and undertake a range of clinical measurements such as respiratory rate, pulses, pulse oximetry, blood pressure, glucometer, thermometers, and electrocardiogram (ECG), to ascertain your patient’s physiological status recording and recognising their significance, including patterns and changes during patient care episodes. You will be supported to understand the principles of recording clinical data and record keeping, enabling you to meet the requirements of the profession.

Throughout the module, the focus will be on identifying risk to yourself, colleagues and others and you will be expected to demonstrate dynamic risk assessment and an ongoing awareness of health and safety and patient safety during the assessment process.

Your learning will be enhanced by the use of case studies and simulation activities to facilitate you to link theory with practice and provide you with the opportunity to practice and receive feedback in a safe and supportive environment. Activities during this module may be supported by our ‘experts by experience’ group (service users) and/or practice partners through the demonstration of assessment and management techniques, and/or by discussing their lived experiences of their condition.

The knowledge and skills gained during this module will prepare you for your practice placements.

The aim of this module is to build upon your theoretical knowledge and practical skills developed from previous modules whilst assessing the fundamental qualities and behaviours required of a paramedic healthcare professional. This module consists of two practice placements?- Practice Education 1 (Block One) and Practice Education 2 (Block Two) which take place in a placement environment with supervision by practice educator(s)/supervisor(s)/mentor(s).PE1 Block One – Two-week (75 hours) placement within a care setting.PE1 Block Two – Ten-week (300 hours) within West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Trust (WMAS) Emergency Services Ambulance Regional Hubs. In addition, to these two practice placements, you will undertake 60 hours of simulated practice within the University Skills and Simulation facilities. These are scheduled into your course programme and designed to prepare to for practice. During your practice placements and simulated practice hours, you will be guided by a practice educator(s)/supervisor(s)/mentor(s) who will support you in the development of your knowledge and skills in relevant settings, which will normally include observing, analysing, and implementing evidence-based assessment strategies and paramedic interventions under supervision and within your scope of practice. Working with colleagues, patients, carers and other emergency and healthcare professionals you will develop your communication and teamworking skills. During this module, you will be required to fulfil your duties and responsibilities in a professional, ethical, and moral manner as set down in the Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics.

The aim of this module is to develop your foundation knowledge relating to how the human body works as well as your knowledge of physical, disorder and dysfunction relevant to being a paramedic.

This module will introduce you to the structure of the human body (anatomy) and how the human body functions (physiology). You will be supported to understand the body systems and the processes that take place within the body which are key to maintaining the health and wellbeing of an individual.

You will also study the adaptations of these body systems and structures to ageing, perceived threat (such as pain, infection, inflammation and trauma) and to a range of disease processes (pathophysiology). Through exploring the pathological changes that occur in certain diseases you will be able to identify clinical features commonly encountered in paramedic practice.  

You will also be encouraged to develop skills in communicating key knowledge related to the structure and function of the human body in health and disease to a given audience such as service users, carers or other health professionals. This will prepare you to be able to provide information that enables individuals to be centre in their care or, for example to educate others about a disease process. 

The focus during this module is the structure and functioning of the cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, nervous, genitourinary and gastrointestinal systems in health and disease. However, integration and interplay of other body systems will be addressed through case studies and simulation activities.

Learning and teaching activities during this module may be supported by our ‘experts by experience’ group (service users) through discussing their lived experiences of their condition.  

Building upon the content of your Person-Centred Assessment and Human Function modules, the aim of this module is support you to develop the values, skills, knowledge and behaviours required to plan initiate and effectively execute a range of interventions and therapeutic actions based on an evidence-based decision making process. This will include consideration of personal scope of practice and employing a person-centred approach, ensuring capacity is established and informed consent is gained, adapting practice where necessary to meet the needs of the service user, their relatives and carers in the emergency and urgent care environment. In this module you will be supported to understand how the principles and theories from physics, biomechanics, electronics and ergonomics can be applied to paramedic practice. You will explore and learn about moving and handling techniques, equipment and patient extrication techniques, as well patient positioning, and airway management. You will also develop skills to safely select, apply, evaluate and record the use of a variety of emergency equipment and appreciate how the application of these treatment options can result in physiological and structural change within the body. You will develop knowledge of the principles of pharmacology including pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics and explore the safe administration of specific therapeutic medications via intramuscular, nebulised, oral and inhaled routes in the management of conscious and unconscious patients across the lifespan according to JRCALC guidelines. This will include the use of universal precautions, personal protective equipment and aseptic techniques to minimise the spread of infection, identifying indications and contraindications to specified medications, evaluating effectiveness and recognising and reporting adverse drug reactions to ensure safe, legal and appropriate management of medications in the acute environment.?Through simulation activities, you will develop your proficiency in Adult Basic Life Support with airway management, recognition of shockable and non-shockable ECG rhythms with safe and appropriate defibrillation whilst appreciating how to Basic Life Support techniques differ in newborn, neonatal and paediatrics. You will also learn how to manage foreign body airway obstruction across the lifespan. You will be introduced to the concept of clinical handover and the contemporary models used in healthcare settings to ensure the safe and efficient transfer of service users, their relatives and carers to the wider healthcare team.?Case studies will be used throughout the module to support you in taking a holistic and evidenced based approach to implementing paramedic intervention and management strategies. Learning and teaching activities during this module may be supported by our ?experts by experienceÊ group (service users) through discussing their lived experiences of their condition.? The values, skills, knowledge and behaviours gained during this module will form a foundation which will be further developed in your subsequent Level 5 modules and practice placements.

This module aims to support you to select and apply your knowledge and skills to complex and unscheduled emergency and urgent situations whilst developing an increasingly critical understanding of the principles and concepts of paramedic practice and how these inform and guide rational clinical decision-making activities.

Through a mix of theory, practical and simulation activities which may be supported by our ‘Experts by Experience’, you will develop a range of advancing assessment, monitoring and intervention skills to complement your Level 4 learning. You will be able to conduct a thorough biopsychosocial assessment of the service user gathering information from a range of sources as appropriate. You will be supported to develop and apply appropriate skills to inform clinical reasoning to guide the formulation of a differential diagnosis with a specific focus on the recognition and correction of time critical features. You will develop the skills and knowledge to articulate specific and timely management strategies for a range of conditions, including medical, environmental and end of life care adapting your practice to meet the needs of services users, carers and relatives enabling them to make informed decisions.

You will further your knowledge on the indications and contra-indications of using specific paramedic techniques including pharmacology in emergency, urgent and community care, including their limitations and modifications to enable you to practise safely, competently and effectively in accordance with the law.

This module will include Adult Advanced Life Support (ALS) which will progress your Level 4 capabilities to encompass all the aspects of pre-hospital life support including recognition of risk, airway management, use of a ventilator, defibrillation, IV/IO access, effective compressions and pharmacological intervention, management of reversible causes and management of Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC). You will explore the theories and science that underpin evidence-based practice and guidelines relating to managing complexity including ventilation strategies and capnography/capnometry monitoring to inform your practice and ultimately contribute to your development as an autonomous professional able to exercise personal judgement.

Acknowledging the emotional burden that comes with working in a pressurised environment, this module aims to introduce you to the range of factors that have the potential to affect your own health and well-being as a healthcare professional as well as developing a critical understanding of the challenges facing the public and the healthcare system as a whole.

As a professional healthcare student, it is vital that you look after your own health and wellbeing. You will be introduced to strategies of self-care and safe awareness related to your own health as well as being supported to recognise the characteristics and consequences of stress and anxiety both personally and professionally. The role of short- and longer-term management strategies such as support and signposting will facilitate you in maintaining a safe working environment, maintaining fitness to practice.

As well as exploring your own health and wellbeing, you will be introduced to commonly occurring mental health conditions affecting the wider population. You will understand the classification and pathophysiology of these conditions and develop underpinning knowledge of causes, risk, contributing social, psychological and environmental aspects, and challenges of stigma.

The principles and limitations of medical management, including crisis management will be reviewed based on current best evidence and you will develop your knowledge and skills relating to understand the factors contributing to social differences; the problems of inequalities, the needs of different social groups and the ability to act as an advocate when appropriate. You will also explore strategies for developing mutual respect and trust and empowering service users to engage with healthcare and take more responsibility for their own health, all key factors in evidence based sustainable healthcare.

You will be supported to understand the structure and function of health, care and social care services within the United Kingdom and globally and how legislation (including equality), policies, guidelines and local initiatives aim to support population health.

Using a blended learning approach, your learning will be enhanced by the use of case studies ensuring you are aware of implication of economic and political factors in care provision and emphasises the need for holistic, supportive and inclusive care and the role of paramedicine in this. Learning and teaching activities during this module may be supported by our ‘experts by experience’ group (service users) and/or practice partners and simulation activities will also facilitate you to link theory with practice and provide you with the opportunity to practice and receive feedback.

This interprofessional module will provide you with the opportunity to learn from, about and with students from other professional programmes. The use of evidence, research and enquiry is an integral part of professional health and social care practice. This module aims to prepare you to understand and critically evaluate evidence and will develop your knowledge of how to examine and improve practice through research and inquiry. As an interprofessional group you will be introduced to contemporary research methodologies and methods related to your profession and its underpinning knowledge base. You will examine sources of evidence and the ways to differentiate between different types of evidence. The concepts of research design, data collection, data analysis and research outcomes will be explored. Using a range of approaches and techniques you will develop confidence in systematically searching and critiquing evidence from a variety of sources to inform your own and others professional practice. You will also discuss the moral and ethical aspects of undertaking research demonstrating an appreciation of the role of service users in the research process.

The aim of this module is to introduce you to applying your knowledge and skills in a clinical practice setting with a specific focus upon consistency of professional behaviours and attitudes, assessing patients, analysing clinical findings and formulating differential diagnoses and intervention plans. This module consists of one practice education block – Practice Education 2 and which take place in a WMAS regional Hub placement environment with supervision by practice educator(s)/supervisor(s)/mentor(s). PE2 – 10 weeks (min 300 hours) within West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Trust (WMAS) Emergency Services Ambulance setting.?In addition, to these two practice placements, you will undertake 60 hours of simulated practice within the University Skills and Simulation facilities. These are scheduled into your course programme and designed to prepare to for practice. During your practice placements and simulated practice hours, you will be guided by a practice educator(s)/supervisor(s)/mentor(s) who will support you in the development of your knowledge and skills, evaluating the efficacy of intervention and modifying accordingly. You will develop your advanced intervention skills and work towards holistic person-centred care plans in complex situations. You will continue to demonstrate your and understanding of evidence-based clinical decision making that is required to fulfil the role of the paramedic. You will be guided by your practice educators to critically reflect on your personal and professional development and respond appropriately to modify your practice in response to feedback. During the placements you will be required to fulfil your duties and responsibilities in a professional, ethical, and moral manner as set down in the Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics.

This module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills required to practice safely and effectively within your scope of practice when caring for patients and their families during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum periods ensuring you promote the service users interests at all times. Through a mix of theory and practical sessions, you will be introduced to the stages of conception and pregnancy, including the physiological changes that occur and the development of the foetus. You will develop the knowledge to be able to identify and assess maternal complications during pregnancy, labour, normal and abnormal delivery such as preterm birth, umbilical cord prolapse, shoulder dystocia and haemorrhage. Timely, emergency obstetric care is crucial to prevent adverse outcomes for both the mother and baby and the importance of modifying and adapting practice and approaches to meet the clinical needs of service users, working in partnership with others and maintaining clinical currency via reflection, and engaging in continuing professional development are emphasised to ensure optimal outcomes. Paediatric advanced life support (PALS) is also a key aspect of this module. Focusing on the management of life-threatening emergencies in newborns, infants and children, you will be supported to understand the biological, physical and clinical science behind the variations in advanced airway management, defibrillation, and the administration of medications during resuscitation efforts. Building upon your Level 4 modules related to pathophysiology, assessment and intervention, the module also explores the recognition of the seriously ill child and paediatric major illnesses, including shock, seizures, arrythmias, sepsis, anaphylaxis and respiratory distress. Teaching and learning activities provide an overview of normal and altered anatomy, physiology and development across the early years, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation (including relevant physiological parameters and how to interpret changes from the norm) and management strategies for these conditions. Supported by the use of case studies and simulation activities, you will explore the legal and ethical boundaries of your profession relevant to obstetric and paediatric care including the importance of safeguarding, capacity, mutual trust, respect and an awareness of power imbalances enabling you to understand what is required of you by the Health and Care Professions Council.

Building upon your foundation knowledge of the biological, physical, clinical and behavioural sciences, this module will further develop and expand your knowledge and practice in pre-hospital trauma care including clinical reasoning and time critical interventions.

You will develop an understanding of the aetiology and epidemiology of trauma and major trauma. Through the use of case studies and simulation, you will explore the pathophysiological changes to normal homeostatic functions as a result of trauma and understand a range of potential organ and system specific injuries. You will discuss the theories and evidence underpinning the assessment of critically ill patients and recognise time critical features and clinical signs across the lifespan in trauma and polytrauma, appraising the need to contribute effectively to work undertaken as part of a wider team. To maximise patient outcomes, you will consider current developments in the management of traumatic conditions, adapting your practice as needed to take in account new developments, technologies and changing contexts.

You will be supported to develop advancing clinical skills such as intravenous and intraosseous cannulation, needle chest decompression and needle thoracocentesis that may be required in trauma care. You will also be considering the variations in Advanced Life Support in a traumatic cardiac arrest scenario for both blunt and penetrating trauma as well as exploring specific pharmacological and physical interventions to manage pain, stabilise the patient and promote recovery.

You will understand the factors required to work safely in challenging and unpredictable environments taking appropriate action to assess and manage risks to self, service users and others. The communication, coordination and collaboration of resources required to deliver care to the trauma patient from the point of injury through to definitive care will also be addressed.