Bachelor of Science (Paramedical Science)

Course notes

Important course notes

• Cross-Campus attendance

  The theoretical elements of the course can be studied entirely online. However, students should note that a number of units have mandatory clinical workshops which require attendance at the Joondalup campus, unless exemption is granted under Advanced Standing pathways. Clinical Placements are also a requirement of the course, and require attendance at partner healthcare providers. Where placements can not be provided an alternative will be provided at Joondalup Campus.

• Secondary location

  Eligible students may complete this course in an employment model linked to a specific employer with a mixture of on-campus and off-campus modes of delivery. Students studying in the employment linked model may be required to attend their employer's nominated training facility, or the Joondalup Campus.

• Non standard timetable requirements

  Students who elect to study online will be required to attend mandatory clinical workshops which require attendance at the Joondalup Campus.
  

• Practicum requirement

  Students are required to undertake clinical practice placements as part of this course with partner healthcare providers.
  

  Attendance requirements

  Students will be required to attend during the hours established by the host health agency providing the clinical experience opportunity. These hours may occur at times outside the identified semester weeks, and clinical practice periods may change with minimal notice to students due to circumstances outside the control of the School.

  Clearances and/or Risk Management Protocols Required

  To complete this course, students will be required to undertake one or more clinical placements outside of ECU with a third party host. A person may not be able to participate in clinical placement (or complete the course) if they do not meet the risk management requirements of the University and/or hosts.
  
  Students are required to complete risk management protocols on commencement of the course and in subsequent semesters, as appropriate. Students are required to submit certain reports to ECU including (but not limited to) a first aid certificate, a National Police Clearance, Working with Children Card, immunisation records and other certifications. The costs of clearances are borne by the student, and fees are set by the relevant agencies.
  
  By enrolling in this course and any units with a placement requirement, students authorise ECU to disclose information contained in these reports to potential hosts and regulatory authorities. These records must be satisfactory to the University, relevant host or regulatory authority.
  The required learning outcomes in some of the compulsory practical units in this course may not be readily achievable or appropriate for persons with certain disabilities or medical conditions. Whilst ECU will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments, all students must fulfil the inherent requirements of the course, which are linked to professional and industry competencies.
  Students are encouraged to discuss any concerns these matters may create with the relevant course coordinator prior to enrolment.

  Professional practice rules

  From the first year of study, students will be expected to initiate and develop a professional portfolio that maps their progression towards professional practice and the national paramedic competencies, as articulated by the professional accrediting body.

• Membership

  Students can apply for membership with Paramedics Australasia. Students can apply for student membership.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Apply appropriate communication skills in written and oral forms to transfer clinical knowledge, support clinical decision-making and work collaboratively with others in team setting.
2. Apply technology and information transliteracy as part of clinical decision-making.
3. Critically evaluate the impact of, or response to the Paramedics actions, and identify goals for continued professional development.
4. Demonstrate broad and coherent knowledge and skills in paramedical practice and science across diverse clinical and social contexts, in accordance with legislation and accepted industry and agency standards of conduct and performance.
5. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the clinical and medical sciences which underpin paramedical practice and their application to clinical and social settings.
6. Exercise critical thinking and judgement to identify, plan and manage complex clinical problems, integrating cultural awareness and global and international perspectives, which are ethically appropriate.
7. Generate innovative, sustainable and informed responses, which are culturally appropriate.
8. Review, analyse and synthesise knowledge across diverse contexts to assess health and social care needs.

Quick guide to uni-speak

• • ATAR

    ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.

  • CRICOS code

    CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.

  • Majors

    A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.

  • Minors

    Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.

  • Full-time

    If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.

  • Part-time

    If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.

    Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.

• • Semester 1

    Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.

  • Semester 2

    A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.

  • Credit Points

    We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points – that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.

  • Core Units

    These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.

  • Recommended Electives

    An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.