Unit Outline

This unit builds on paramedic clinical practice to develop your knowledge in the areas of coronary care, electrophysiology, pharmacology, and the management of a range of acute and chronic conditions, for both adult and paediatric patients. Scope of paramedic practice and clinical currency themes will also be explored and integrated throughout the unit.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

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


1	Justify provisional diagnosis of patients using interpretation of 12 and 15 lead tracings in paramedic practice settings.
2	Formulate person centred management plans using evidence-based principles for patients experiencing a range of acute and chronic cardiac conditions.
3	Critique contemporary out-of-hospital treatment regimens for patients with cardiac conditions and propose culturally safe and ethically sound adaptions.
4	Apply structured cardiac assessment methodology to guide clinical decision making.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	CAA201 and CAA202 (53C) OR CAA220 (53X)
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	CAA311 Paramedic Practice 8

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Quizzes and short answer questions	Week 4	25 %	LO1, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Critical Analysis of Current Practice	Week 10	35 %	LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Final oral examination	Exam Period	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Quizzes and short answer questions

Task Description:

An online short answer quiz during the semester consisting of analysis of ECG interpretations, provisional diagnosis and management justification.

Task Length:

20 minute short answer quiz

Due Date:

Week 4

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Explain the physiological basis for the observed ECG changes	LO1
2	Provide a clear and logical rationale for the provisional diagnosis based on ECG findings	LO1
3	Uses structured cardiac assessment methodology to guide clinical decision making.	LO4
4	Evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of contemporary out-of-hospital treatment regimens for cardiac conditions.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Critical Analysis of Current Practice

Task Description:

The purpose of this critical analysis is to evaluate an area of current clinical practice, to assess and critique its effectiveness, limitations and strength of underpinning evidence. This paper will require you to undertake a review of contemporary scholarly literature to support your critical analysis. The topic for the critical analysis will be made available on MyLO.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 10

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Propose strategies to ensure cardiac assessment and treatments are culturally sensitive and ethically sound	LO3
2	Evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of current out-of-hospital treatment regimes for cardiac conditions	LO3
3	Incorporate evidence based pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for specific cardiac related presentations.	LO2
4	Utilises shared decision-making methods to develop management plans for persons presenting with acute or chronic cardiac conditions.	LO2

Assessment Task 3: Final oral examination

Task Description:

Final oral examination involving online patient assessment and management.

Task Length:

25 minutes

Due Date:

Exam Period

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrates effective communication of ECG interpretation and provisional diagnosis to other healthcare professionals	LO1
2	Uses structured cardiac assessment methodology to guide clinical decision making.	LO4
3	Formulates person centred management plans for persons presenting with cardiac related presentations	LO2
4	Uses evidence based principles for patient management	LO2

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

You will need access to the following text:
Huszar’s ECG and 12-Lead Interpretation. 6th edition. Keith Wesley. Elsevier, 2021. ISBN: 9780323711951