Essentials of Paramedicine: Traumatic, environmental and toxicological emergencies

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Abstract

This subject builds on students’ previous knowledge and experience to integrate the principles of pathophysiology with patient assessment and history findings to identify potential differential diagnoses and formulate a working diagnosis for patients with traumatic injuries or exposed to environmental or toxicological emergencies. Students propose and implement ethical and culturally safe evidenced-based treatment plans that are supported by the use of clinical practice guidelines. There is a focus on out-of-hospital concepts of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare and with allied emergency services, multi-casualty incident management, as well as the safe application of clinical skills and paramedic equipment as appropriate for the level of graduate entry into paramedicine.

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics: Managing the patient with a traumatic, toxicological, or environmental emergency;Management of major trauma incidents, including cardiac arrest in trauma and incidents involving head, facial, spinal, thoracic, and abdominal trauma, burns and crush injuries;Treatment and management principles of soft tissue and musculoskeletal trauma, drowning, … For more content click the Read More button below.

This subject will cover the following topics:

Managing the patient with a traumatic, toxicological, or environmental emergency;
Management of major trauma incidents, including cardiac arrest in trauma and incidents involving head, facial, spinal, thoracic, and abdominal trauma, burns and crush injuries;
Treatment and management principles of soft tissue and musculoskeletal trauma, drowning, temperature abnormalities, diving and altitude emergencies, poisoning, overdose, and envenomation;
Clinical guidelines, specific to trauma and toxicology;
Professional and communication issues related to the management and handover of trauma and toxicology cases, including scene leadership and interprofessional communication;
Principles of managing multi-casualty incidents including principles of early recognition, communication, scene command, triage, and collaboration with allied emergency service personnel;
Essential clinical skills and use of paramedic equipment in the paramedic practice context.

Assessment items

1. Case Study

2. Oral Assessment

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:

apply knowledge of pathophysiology and aetiology (characteristics and consequences) of trauma, multi-casualty traumatic emergencies, environmental and toxicological emergencies in the out-of-hospital environment;

analyse the current management guidelines of trauma, multi-casualty traumatic, environmental and toxicological emergencies to develop evidence-based treatments plans for the out of hospital environment;

develop and implement safe and effective treatment plans for complex patient presentations involving trauma, multi-casualty traumatic, environmental and toxicological emergencies;

plan and implement ethical and culturally safe care to adult patients experiencing traumatic, environmental, or toxicological emergencies in the out-of-hospital environment;

communicate and act in a professional manner with patients, bystanders, paramedics, interprofessional healthcare teams and allied emergency service personnel;.

demonstrate safe use of paramedic equipment in simulated (out-of-hospital) environments, and safe clinical skills performance, including application of the NSQHS standard for preventing and controlling infections.

Assumed knowledge

Knowledge and skills related to being a registered nurse.

Enrolment restrictions

Only available to students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma of Clinical Practice (Paramedicine) or Graduate Diploma of Clinical Practice (Paramedic).

Replacement

Incompatible

Learning activities

Intensive School

The intensive school allows students to develop the necessary practical skills and knowledge of paramedic-specific equipment in a simulated clinical setting. The intensive school will also allow students to engage in simulations with allied emergency services. The intensive school will allow for an assessment of practical clinical skills in managing a traumatic, environmental, or toxicological case.

Duration5 days

Learning resources

Additional resources required by students

Students attending compulsory intensive schools on Charles Sturt campuses will incur costs associated with travel, accommodation and required resources.