This unit expands your paramedic skills by enabling you to evaluate and integrate advanced clinical assessment findings to provide evidence-based care tailored to diverse populations. You will consider complex clinical findings with an understanding of individual patient needs, including social, cultural, and personal factors, to deliver comprehensive, patient-centred care. Core to this unit is a thorough appraisal of patient safety and quality improvement as it applies to paramedicine, highlighting the critical importance of continuous improvement in professional practice. You will build your ability to perform comprehensive risk assessments in the pre- and out-of-hospital environment to identify potential hazards and implement appropriate strategies to mitigate risks to patient safety. Finally, you will reflect on primary health care and the paramedic's role in facilitating referral pathways.

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.

Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments

Students provided much positive feedback on unit delivery, particularly noting the relevance and value of the weekly case studies.

Weekly case studies should remain a key aspect of content delivery and a means of student engagement. Improvements can continue, particularly in creating engaging and thought-provoking content around less clinical topics that received poor student engagement and/or feedback in 2024.

Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments; direct feedback

Students recommended a more practical, hands-on approach for the clinical aspects of this unit.

The recent accreditation process for this course recommended a less hands-on approach to delivering higher education in paramedicine, arguing that these 'polish' skills are taught by the statutory services during on-boarding and the internship year. This unit accordingly updated its content to include broader aspects of paramedicine and to remove its now unnecessary practical component. As such it is recommended that the current online-only delivery be maintained, but that content be better contextualised to real-world practice. This can include greater dicussion of practical considerations of case management as may logically arise from content topics.

Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments; direct feedback

The students considered some content topics unengaging and irrelevant to their professional development. Students expected a greater focus on critical thinking, case management, and application of clinical skills in a final year medical unit.

The unit introduction and delivery should clearly demonstrate content relevance and utility to modern pre-hospital care. There is room to better convey that both clinical and non-clinical topics are vital aspects of professional competencies and practice, and important in future-proofing our graduates. This can include exploration of other delivery methods besides clinical case studies to improve engagement with all content and overall satisfaction with the unit. 

Feedback from SUTE Unit Comments

Weekly formative quizzes were suggested as an additional value-added initiative that could be added for future offerings.

The inclusion of formative quizzes to be considered for those weekly topics that are best suitable for this type of review and self-testing.