Overview
Throughout the unit you will develop the requisite knowledge and skills to assist with your evolution to beginner practitioner and a Registered Paramedic. This unit will explore the requirements for registration and continuing professional development as a paramedic in Australia. You will also further develop your professional and therapeutic communication skills, with a focus on receiving and delivering constructive feedback, in preparation for a graduate internship and future mentoring and leadership opportunities. Additionally, you will investigate and propose positive professional habits to strengthen individual resilience while promoting good physical and psychological health, integral to an effective career in paramedicine.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: PMSC13002 Clinical Paramedic Practice 2 Co-requisite: PMSC13004 Clinical Paramedic Practice 3
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
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 Student Feedback
Some students expressed that they felt uncertain about their progress or unsure if they are meeting expectations in a largely student-led unit.
Introduce regular formative feedback opportunities, such as short reflection tasks or peer reviews, to help students gauge their progress and increase engagement with the learning process
- Appraise the professional standards required to practice as a paramedic in Australia and reflect upon professional registration obligations
- Integrate the principles and techniques underlying effective, sensitive and clear communication in the healthcare setting
- Practice leadership in professional settings by effectively mentoring colleagues, communicating safely and effectively and role-modelling professional standards
- Propose strategies for self-care and self-awareness to enhance individual physical and psychological health.
The Paramedicine Board of Australia requires that units align with the Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics, which consist of five (5) domains. The below section aligns the proposed learning outcomes with these domains. In addition, the learning outcomes have been aligned with the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.
Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics
| Standard/Attribute/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
| Domain 1: The Professional and Ethical Practitioner 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.4, 1.1.10, 1.2.5, 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.3.3, 1.4.1, 1.4.2. | LO1, LO3 |
| Domain 2: The communicator and the collaborator 2.2.1, 2.2.2. | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Domain 3: The evidence-based practitioner 3.2.1, 3.3.3, 3.4.1, 3.4.2, 3.4.4, 3.4.5. | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Domain 4: The safety and risk management practitioner 4.5.2, 4.6.2, 4.6.3, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.7.5. | LO1, LO4 |
| Domain 5: The Paramedicine Practitioner 5.3.5. | LO1, LO4 |
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards
| Standard | Learning Outcomes |
| Clinical Governance 1.01a, 1.24a, 1.27b, | LO1, LO3, |
| Partnering with Consumers | |
| Preventing and Controlling Infections | |
| Medication Safety | |
| Comprehensive Care 5.04d | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Communicating for Safety | |
| Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||
| 2 - Presentation - 30% | ||||
| 3 - Portfolio - 40% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Camera and microphone for attending Zoom tutorials and completing presentation assessment task
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
p.nash@cqu.edu.au
Week 1 - Registration Governance 1
Begin Date: 13 Jul 2026Module/Topic
• Introduction to AHPRA
• Professional Capabilities Domains 1 & 2
• Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009
• NSQHS Standards 1–4
• AHPRA Code of Conduct
• Mandatory notification obligations
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2 - Registration Governance 2
Begin Date: 20 Jul 2026Module/Topic
• Professional Capabilities Domains 3–5
• AHPRA Registration standards & qualifications
• NSQHS Standards 5–8
• CPD requirements incl. culturally safe practice (2026 requirement)
• Mandatory notification & social media obligations
• Safety culture & audit/review in quality management
• Safe Work Australia Code of Practice for psychosocial hazards
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3 - Professionalism in Practice
Begin Date: 27 Jul 2026Module/Topic
• Practitioner errors vs. misconduct: the threshold
• Common breaches: inappropriate relationships, confidentiality, boundary violations
• Practitioner errors escalating to criminal matters
• Real AHPRA disciplinary decisions & coroner's findings
• Introduction to Human Factors & the 'Dirty Dozen'
• Crew Resource Management (CRM): soft skills in high-stakes environments
• Scope of practice: accountability for patient care
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4 - Professionalism & Values
Begin Date: 03 Aug 2026Module/Topic
• The Iceberg Model: values (unseen) driving behaviours (seen)
• VIA Character Strengths Survey & reflection on top strengths
• SCARF Model (David Rock): understanding triggers
• Harvard Implicit Association Tests: addressing unconscious bias
• Linking personal values to professional standards
• AHPRA notifications, investigations & professional discipline
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5 - Professional Communication & Difficult Conversations
Begin Date: 10 Aug 2026Module/Topic
• Reaction vs. response: neuroscience of professional communication
• Psychological safety in the workplace
• Ladder of Inference (Argyris): from observation to action
• Diffusing conflict: labelling, interpreting & defusing emotion
• Applying SCARF to manage emotional triggers
• Active listening: four principles for high-pressure environments
• Learning theories underpinning professional development
• Introduction to Assessment 2 scenario requirements
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6 - Introduction to Leadership — Part 1
Begin Date: 17 Aug 2026Module/Topic
• Leadership theories: trait, transformational, situational & servant leadership
• Key characteristics of effective leaders in paramedicine
• Emotional Intelligence (EI): five components & application
• Empathy in leadership: tools and self-assessment
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 24 Aug 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7 - Introduction to Leadership — Part 2
Begin Date: 31 Aug 2026Module/Topic
• Situational leadership: adapting style to team readiness
• Servant leadership and application in ambulance services
• Role modelling professional standards as a new graduate
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8 - The Power of Feedback
Begin Date: 07 Sep 2026Module/Topic
• Feedback models and frameworks
• Barriers to giving & receiving feedback
• Conditions for effective feedback: timing, space, psychological safety
• Structuring constructive feedback in clinical supervision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9 - Coaching, Mentoring & Preceptorship
Begin Date: 14 Sep 2026Module/Topic
• Differences between coaching, mentoring & preceptorship
• GROW model (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward)
• Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory
• Cognitive Apprenticeship Model for mentoring
• Benner's Novice to Expert theory
• Intentional Change Theory (Boyatzis)
• Constructivist learning theory applied to clinical supervision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10 - Wellbeing & Self-Care
Begin Date: 21 Sep 2026Module/Topic
• Dimensions of Wellness
• Physiological effects of shift work: circadian disruption, sleep debt, metabolic impact
• Psychological load of paramedicine: PTSD, moral injury, burnout risk
• Evidence-based self-care strategies for shift workers
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11 - Psychosocial Safety & Workplace Wellbeing
Begin Date: 28 Sep 2026Module/Topic
• Psychosocial safety vs. physical safety
• Psychosocial hazards under WHS legislation
• Managing psychosocial risk: identification, assessment & control
• Strengths as assets and liabilities in practice
• Self-awareness as a patient safety tool
• Decompression rituals and psychological separation from work
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12 - Consolidation & Revision
Begin Date: 05 Oct 2026Module/Topic
• Consolidation of all previous topics
• Reflective synthesis: connecting learning to clinical practice readiness
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 12 Oct 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation/Exam Week
Begin Date: 19 Oct 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Unit coordinator contact details:
Email: p.nash@cqu.edu.au
Emails checked daily.
1 Written Assessment
Assessment 1 is a written assignment worth 30% of your final grade, due at the end of Week 6. It is a critical appraisal task in which you will read a set of documents and analyse the conduct of paramedic practitioners against key professional and regulatory standards, including the National Law, the AHPRA Capabilities for Registered Paramedics, and the Paramedicine Board's Code of Conduct. You will respond to structured questions addressing breaches of conduct and registration obligations.
Full details, including the marking rubric, submission template, and formatting requirements, are available on the unit Moodle page.
Week 5 Friday (14 Aug 2026) 9:00 am AEST
Week 7 Friday (4 Sept 2026)
The assessment criteria for this assessment task, is contained within the rubric that is available on the unit Moodle site. Broadly, you will be assessed on:
- Knowledge of the overarching documents that inform the expected standards of care, and professional conduct for AHPRA registered paramedics
- Identification and appraisal of breaches, mapped against those expected standards and codes
- Application of legislation and professional standards to practitioner conduct
- Academic literacy and referencing
- Appraise the professional standards required to practice as a paramedic in Australia and reflect upon professional registration obligations
2 Presentation
Assessment 2 is a video presentation worth 30% of your final grade, due at the end of Week 9. You will record a 6-to-10-minute video in which you select one of several provided scenarios and use it to demonstrate key leadership competencies in a paramedicine context. You have flexibility in how you present, including roleplay, narration, or a combination of approaches. A structured reflection connecting your demonstration to relevant professional frameworks is also required.
Full details, including the scenario options, suggested structure, submission instructions, and the marking rubric, are available on the unit Moodle page.
Week 8 Friday (11 Sept 2026) 9:00 am AEST
Week 10 Friday (25 Sept 2026)
The assessment criteria for this assessment task are contained within the rubric that is available on the unit Moodle site. Broadly, you will be assessed on:
- Ability to identify a colleague's learning needs and respond with individualised, context-sensitive mentoring strategies, including the provision of timely, constructive feedback and the use of questioning to support independent thinking and a psychologically safe learning environment
- Demonstration of clear, structured, and clinically appropriate communication
- Capacity to role model exemplary professional conduct, including the authentic embodiment of values such as integrity, respect, and accountability across every interaction in your chosen scenario
- Understanding of and practice within the scope of a qualified ACP as relevant to your chosen scenario, including sound, well-reasoned clinical decision-making
- Quality of your reflection, including your ability to critically connect what you demonstrated to relevant professional frameworks, guidelines, and leadership theory such as AHPRA standards, CPGs, or applicable leadership models
- Overall quality of your presentation across all three components, with high distinction performance reflecting a sophisticated synthesis of theory and practice throughout
- Integrate the principles and techniques underlying effective, sensitive and clear communication in the healthcare setting
- Practice leadership in professional settings by effectively mentoring colleagues, communicating safely and effectively and role-modelling professional standards
3 Portfolio
Assessment 3 is a portfolio workbook worth 40% of your final grade, due at the end of Week 12. It is the largest assessment for the unit and draws together all four learning outcomes. You will complete a structured workbook covering topics including paramedic registration and professional standards, self-appraisal and goal setting, communication frameworks, and personal self-care strategies.
Full details, including the workbook template, all questions, and the marking rubric, are available on the unit Moodle page.
Week 11 Friday (2 Oct 2026) 9:00 am AEST
Vacation/Exam Week Friday (23 Oct 2026)
The assessment criteria for this assessment task are contained within the rubric that is available on the unit Moodle site. Broadly, you will be assessed on:
- Your ability to reflect on the significance of paramedic registration drawing on the National Law and/or the Paramedicine Board's registration standards
- Your capacity for honest, critical self-appraisal, including identifying strengths with evidence, a genuine development area, and utilisation of SMART goals
- Your knowledge of a structured behavioural interview response framework and your ability to apply and justify it using academic evidence
- Your analysis of communication frameworks and their application to clinical settings, including the risks of poor communication and connections to the NSQHS Standards and/or the Paramedicine Board's Code of Conduct
- Your development of a personalised, evidence-based self-care strategy, with honest reflection on your current practices
- Your critical self-awareness of your character strengths, including how each can support or hinder your practice, and how this informs your approach to communication and self-care
- Academic writing quality and APA 7th edition referencing throughout the portfolio
- Appraise the professional standards required to practice as a paramedic in Australia and reflect upon professional registration obligations
- Integrate the principles and techniques underlying effective, sensitive and clear communication in the healthcare setting
- Practice leadership in professional settings by effectively mentoring colleagues, communicating safely and effectively and role-modelling professional standards
- Propose strategies for self-care and self-awareness to enhance individual physical and psychological health.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
