Course overview

The FdSc Paramedic Science is available in full-time mode, providing you with the opportunity to become a competent, skilled practitioner who will be eligible, on graduation, to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a paramedic.

The course is delivered and structured based on a series of study blocks and extended clinical placements over each year. Approximately half of your time will be spent in practice placements, supported by clinical mentors and other Registered Healthcare Professionals. Practice placements will include a variety of frontline ambulance service, hospital, and community settings. The very nature of ambulance service delivery means that practice placements are spread over a wide geographical area. You are normally allocated to a specific area but will be required to travel to and from your clinical placements. You should be aware that it would be your responsibility to arrange travel to and from clinical placements. Supervised work-based learning within Ambulance Services and Acute Health Trusts is a key component of this Foundation Degree and you will develop practical skills in both simulated teaching and frontline environments.

Course content

The programme is offered in full-time mode over two calendar years (each calendar year comprising 45 weeks study and practice). The course consists of 11 units of study, which incorporate both theoretical learning and acquisition of clinical skills.

Year one units

• Anatomy and Physiology: designed to provide you with a level of understanding of human anatomy and physiology of whole body systems, this unit underpins subsequent development in relation to the patient assessment and clinical practice units.
• Fundamentals of Clinical Practice: you will explore the core generic and profession-specific skills needed to provide holistic care of patients in the pre-hospital environment and consider the importance of working as an accountable practitioner.
• Fundamentals of Physical and Biomedical Sciences: this unit is designed to explore the science behind relevant physical and biomedical principles and procedures that underpin clinical practice.
• Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice: this unit focuses on introducing you to the research process, which includes design, methodology and evaluating research articles. You will relate the concept of research to informing evidence-based patient care at a basic level.
• Developing Professional Practice: you will engage in a highly interactive approach to exploring a range of topics, such as communication, informed consent, ethics, conduct and accountability, that contribute to your professional development as a paramedic.
• Applied Biopsychosocial Sciences: this unit explores those biopsychosocial aspects of health most commonly encountered in pre-hospital care and allows you to consider the implications for your professional performance and practice.

Year two units

• Managing Communication and Call Handling: you will have the opportunity to explore the operational and strategic roles and systems that assist with call handling and triage of those seeking help. Aspects of human communication are also considered.
• Improving Health Services: this unit focuses on the implementation of evidence-based practice as part of a clinical governance framework within care environments. There are opportunities to work collaboratively on small projects with other health science students during this unit.
• Professional Practice: tthis unit allows you to construct your own professional portfolio, gathering evidence from the whole course that demonstrates the outcomes required by the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Clinical Examination and Assessment in Patients with Altered Physiology: a unit designed to address the clinical observation, assessment, intervention and the consequences of intervention, with respect to specific injuries, illnesses and disease states.
• Acute Pre-hospital Care: you will explore topics of acute and emergency care and how to effectively manage patients that require timely intervention. The central focus of this unit is the assessment and management of adult and paediatric patients in emergency situations, specialist groups such as obstetric patients and patients with traumatic injuries.

Teaching and assessment

The course content is be delivered using a student-centred approach and will include lectures, seminars, group work, presentations, tutorials and practical work. Theoretical and core practical components of the course will be delivered on University campus. Students are expected to apply theory to practice when out on clinical placement. A key feature is practice-based education which is structured and monitored using a Practice Assessment Document. Student engagement in the delivery of patient care and assessment in clinical placement is just as important as formal assessments during study block. When on campus, a variety of methods will be used to assess your knowledge and skills; presentations, tests, coursework assignments, case studies, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), essays and final-year projects will all feature.

Career prospects

Success on this course will mean that you are eligible to apply for registration as a paramedic with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Graduate paramedic employment prospects remain healthy, particularly in the local area, and in recent years paramedics have been employed in a variety of roles in the public and private sector. Some of our graduates look to complete a programme of further study so please contact our Admissions team for a list of current courses on offer.

Facilities and features

You will have access to University-wide resources, including our student support services, computer suites and the University Library, which houses an excellent collection of journals and books. Student paramedics benefit from a full-time Learning Support Tutor that is able to provide an enhanced level of academic support to students if required.

Health Science students require facilities for part-task training, clinical skills development and clinical simulation. The Centre for Simulation in Healthcare has specialist facilities that support the next generation of healthcare professionals. The Centre will enable student paramedics to practice profession-specific skills and experience clinical situations in a safe and supportive environment. Student paramedics are placed on frontline ambulance vehicles and so are supported in the use of all necessary medical and ambulance equipment during your clinical placements.

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for FdSc Paramedic Science for the academic year 2013/14 (opens in new window).