CSB356 Paramedic Management - Major Incidents, Environmental Cases and Toxinology


To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.


Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:CSB356
Credit points:12
Pre-requisite:CSB333 or CSB363 (CSB363 can be completed concurrently with CSB356)
Coordinator:Julie-Anne Foster | julieanne.foster@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

This theoretical unit is a paramedic specific case-based learning unit that explores presentations encountered in the paramedic care setting. The unit focus is on developing your knowledge and attributes for the person-centred assessment and management of major incidents, environmental cases and toxinology presentations. You will focus on national and international evidence-informed clinical practice. This unit is complemented by CSB363 Paramedic Practice - Skills and Application, which focuses on the translation of this knowledge into the clinical environment.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Analyse legislative framework and contemporary challenges of medical care in the disaster environment in out of hospital practice involving a range of disaster types;
  2. Describe the disaster management cycle PPRR (prevention, preparedness, response and recovery), its psychological impacts (individual/population) in the recovery phase and the role of emergency services in this framework across a range of health threats;
  3. Examine the prevention, epidemiology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, pharmacology, management, definitive care, prognosis and rehabilitation of environmental and toxinology presentations.
  4. Apply knowledge and values of the underpinning cultural safety, communication, assessment and management principles of environmental, toxinology and major incidents presentations to create appropriate, evidence-informed, person-centred and culturally safe management plan.
  5. Identify paramedic core competencies in managing complex humanitarian emergencies, domestic major incidents and disasters as well as environmental and toxinology presentations.
  6. Critically examine the principles of human factors, recognition of personal and professional limitations and identify when to seek support and advice in the context of environmental, toxinological and major incident presentations.

Content

  • Common and severe environmental and toxinology presentations

  • For each of the focus areas (environmental and toxinology cases)

    • Prevention
    • Epidemiology and impact
    • Extension and clinical application of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology developed in year one of the program or during prior study
    • Focused history taking and physical examination
    • Clinical judgement, reasoning and decision making
    • Evidence-informed paramedic care setting management and patient disposition
    • Awareness of medical/definitive care and rehabilitation
    • Prognosis
    • Core practice principles as applicable to the specific content areas (Professionalism, human factors, communication skills, cultural safety, social determinants of health)
  • Disaster management principles
    • Including but not limited to the emergency management to the comprehensive approach, all-hazards approach, all agencies approach and the prepared community
    • The disaster management planning framework at the federal, state and local levels
    • The disaster management cycle and its relationship with planning and incident management
    • The roles and responsibilities of the emergency medical services at major incidents
    • Assessment and management of patients in mass casualty incidents and complex health emergencies.

Learning Approaches

In this unit, you will learn by engaging in an array of integrated and increasingly complex case-based, online, desktop and self-directed learning. Through collaboration in case-based learning groups, this unit fosters a reflexive learning environment preparing you to work in diverse and multidisciplinary teams. 

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback is provided in the following ways:

  • Opportunity to receive formative feedback exists during all learning activities (for example, but not limited to peers, academic professional).
  • Formative feedback is provided during and after clinical simulation activities.
  • In addition to the assessment marking rubrics, specific feedback is provided on summative assessment items.
  • General feedback on summative assessments is provided during learning activities and/or via online platforms.

Assessment

Overview

This unit has two assessment items.

Formative Assessment

Regular opportunities are provided to explore the understanding of content and progression in the unit. Formative assessments undertaken provide opportunities to attain both general and specific feedback.

Summative Assessment

As detailed in assessment components.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Practical Exam

This practical exam enables you to demonstrate and apply your clinical decision-making skills in the development and implementation of a safe, person centred and holistic clinical management plan to a second year paramedic student level.  

 

Weight: 50
Length: 20mins
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 8
Related Unit learning outcomes: 3, 4, 5, 6

Assessment: Examination (Written)

This exam assesses your disciplinary knowledge of clinical examination and the safe clinical management of the patient presenting with environmental or toxinology emergencies in the out-of-hospital environment. The exam will also ask you to critically evaluate the principles of disaster management and human factors and their impact on patient and paramedic safety, and analyse contemporary challenges in the pursuit of maintaining high standards of medical care in multicausality situations.

Weight: 50
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Central Examination Period
Central exam duration: 2:10 - Including 10 minute perusal
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

Students must successfully complete the following before commencing this unit:

  1. Mandatory requirements as outlined at QUT.

Mandatory safety requirements

Closed in shoes, long trousers to ankle and shirt covering torso including shoulders

If necessary, please register via this link https://www.whatsinaname.net.au/my-account/ to order replacement uniform or safety kit items.

The following equipment will be required for tutorial throughout the course. Advice will be given by your lecturer at the beginning of the semester:
Stethoscope
Watch with second hand or display

 

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Talley & O'Connor's clinical examination : a systematic guide to physical diagnosis

Talley, Nicholas J., author.; O'Connor, Simon, author.

9th edition.

2022

 

Clinical skills for paramedic practice

Inglis, Dianne, editor.; Kenneally, Jeffrey, editor.

2021

Advanced Life Support Group. (2011). Major incident medical management and support: The practical approach at the scene. (3rd ed.). BMJ Books, John Wiley & Sons (Wiley-Blackwell).

Recommended text(s)

Fitzgerald, G., Tarrant, M., Aitken, P., & Fredriksen, M., (Eds.) Disaster Health Management: A Primer for Students and Practitioners. Routledge, Abington, Oxon; New York, NY (Please note that although this text was produced by QUT staff, there is no personal financial benefit as any royalties will be donated to Medicines Sans Frontiers.)

Risk Assessment Statement

The role of student paramedic can be hazardous. There is regular exposure to body fluids, medical sharps and defibrillators. During the on campus phase the risk is minimised and only simulated exercises are conducted. While undertaking this unit you should review the industry Health, Safety Environment (HSE) guidelines that protect qualified staff and students in day-to-day practice.

Students must successfully complete the following before commencing this unit:

  1. Mandatory requirements as outlined at QUT.

Mandatory safety requirements

Closed in shoes, long trousers to ankle and shirt covering torso including shoulders

If necessary, please register via this link https://www.whatsinaname.net.au/my-account/ to order replacement uniform or safety kit items.