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BSc (HONS) PARAMEDIC PRACTICE
MENTOR HANDBOOK
SEPTEMBER 2015
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CONTENTS
WELCOME AND OVERVIEW Page
1 STAFF CONTACT DETAILS/ZONE TUTORS 4
2 PLACEMENT AREAS & PREPARATION 52.1 Student Preparation for Practice Placements 52.2 Home Stations 52.3 Working Hours 62.4 Non-Paramedic Placements 62.5 Supernumerary Status 72.6 Placement Overview 72.7 Elective Placements 82.8 Student Identification/Patient Safety 8
3 PLACEMENT MANAGEMENT & CO-ORDINATION 93.1 Reporting Sickness 103.2 Student Accidents/Reportable Incidents/Support 10
4 PRACTICE PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT 104.1 Practice Competency Initial & Midpoint Assessment 104.2 Practice Competency: Summative Assessment 114.3 Practice Objectives: Non-Paramedic Placements 11 4.4 How are Students Assessed on a Non-Paramedic Placement? 124.5 Practice Skills: Demonstrating Competence 124.6 Drug Administration 124.7 Student Expectations/Workload 134.8 Skills Updates/Changes 14
5 YOUR ROLE WITHIN THE PROGRAMME: 155.1 Paramedic Mentor 155.2 What Should I do if a Student is not Performing? 155.3 How will I be supported? 165.4 Fitness to Practice 16
6 TYPICAL STUDENT JOURNEY 17
APPENDICIES
Examples of Documentation within the Programme:
Appendix 1 Initial Meeting
Appendix 2 Mid-Point Formative Assessment
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Appendix 3 Paramedic Practice Placement Assessment
Appendix 4 Non-Paramedic Placement: Caring
Appendix 5 Placement Hours Record
Appendix 6 Simulated Competence
Appendix 7 Skills Summary Record
Appendix 8 HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Paramedics
USEFUL WEBSITES
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WELCOME AND OVERVIEW
Bsc (Hons) Paramedic Practice Programme & Mentorship
Welcome and thank you for being a Practice Mentor. Being a Practice Mentor is a challenging and rewarding role. Effective Mentoring gives the student the opportunity to share your experiences and knowledge to facilitate their learning and professional development. Mentorship will hopefully increase your job satisfaction, encourage critical reflection for both you and your student and lead to an enhanced service user experience and continuous improvement in clinical outcomes.
The importance of the Practice Mentor’s role cannot be underestimated. The public have a right to expect that those who are responsible for their care are safe and competent. As an assessor it is your role to ensure that protection of the public and service user safety is your primary concern and that each student meets the criteria set out in the ‘Practice Assessment Document’. You are asked to use your professional judgement to ensure that students entering the profession are suitable to do so. Students will draw on your considerable experience in the clinical care environment to enhance their learning and you will be able to give feedback to students on their performance to identify areas of strength and areas for development.
The book is divided into a number of sections for ease of use and access of information. You will find an index of topics at the front of this handbook. If you have any queries or questions about the content of this booklet, or you would like to discuss your Mentorship role in more detail, please contact your Academic Zone Tutor contact details can be found under the ‘Programme Team’ section in the booklet.
To support you in your role Teesside University has provided an excellent support site dedicated to Mentors which you can access from any computer:
https://sohsc.tees.ac.uk/sites/practicesupport/
Support is also available from your Practice Placement Facilitator within your organisation and the Zone Tutor for your area.
I hope that you will find your role challenging and rewarding and look forward to working in partnership with you.
Marion RichardsonMarion RichardsonProgramme Leader – BSc (Hons) Paramedic PracticeSchool of Health & Social CareCenturia Building - H2.3101642 [email protected]
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1 STAFF CONTACT DETAILS AND ZONE TUTORS
University Address
School of Health & Social CareTeesside UniversityCenturia BuildingMiddlesbroughTS1 3BA
Staff Contact Details
Member of Staff Role Tel Number Email AddressMarion Richardson
Programme LeaderSenior Lecturer
01642 738507 [email protected]
Mark Nevins Senior Lecturer 01642 738242 [email protected] Vale Senior Lecturer 01642 384077 [email protected] Jones Senior Lecturer 01642 342539 [email protected] Capsey Senior Lecturer 01642 384154 [email protected] Jones Senior Lecturer 01642 384 100 [email protected]
Academic Zone Tutors
Paramedic Zones TutorsNorth East Paramedic Chris MoatYorkshire Paramedic Matt CapseyNon-Paramedic Zones TutorsGreat North Air Paramedic Mark NevinsCounty Durham & Darlington Mark NevinsNorth Tees Chris JonesSouth Tees Gary ValeTees Esk & Wear Valley Marion Richardson
Twitter?
University Programmes: Follow @teesparamedic
Student Society: Follow @teesparasociety
Facebook?
University Programmes: www.facebook.com/teesparamedicteam
Student Society: www.facebook.com/teesparasociety
** The Student Society on Twitter/Facebook are managed entirely by our students **
2 PLACEMENT AREAS & PREPARATION
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Students are expected to attend all allocated placements and should be prepared to travel, sometimes at a distance, to placement areas and be prepared to work days, nights, weekends and bank holidays as necessary.
2.1 Student Preparation for Practice Placements
Prior to each placement students will attend a preparatory workshop during which information will be provided about the placement area and the learning objectives/outcomes to be achieved.
Students should make contact with you prior to starting their placement.
During each year of practice students must demonstrate competence in specific competencies and skills in order to progress to the following year. The competencies and skills are contained within their practice assessment document. There is a specific set of skills that they must demonstrate each year and those are listed in the Skills Log. They are cumulative and they are expected to demonstrate competence throughout the programme.
The whole ethos of the programme is based on competence, compassion, caring, courage, communication and commitment for service user care and as such these areas form key themes throughout the programme. Students should be exposed to and facilitated to demonstrate these skills in your practice area.
Please complete the induction that is set out in the practice assessment document on the first day that you work with your student.
2.2 Home Stations
What’s a ‘home’ station?The student will be allocated to you and follow your shift pattern for the whole of the practice year. They are ‘based’ at your station and will follow your shift pattern but if you are on holiday and/or sick they will remain in their ‘home’ station and follow another Paramedic until you return. This allows for continuity and provides a stable environment for the student to learn.
Why do they change stations each year?We would prefer our students to get a wide range of learning experiences – rural v urban and RRV v Ambulance and in this context this is partly around giving the student the widest possible experiences. We also recognise that there is a phenomena called ‘failure to fail’ and we would prefer the students to spend a maximum of one year with a mentor (15 weeks in practice) before moving to another. This allows for a much wider and hopefully more objective assessment and experience.
2.3 Working Hours
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What hours should students be working?An average of 37.5 hours per week. Nights, weekends, bank holidays and days in exactly the same way that you work.
Can students ‘go in the back’ with an ECA/Technician?No. When the student is working with you at no time must they be supervised by any other person than you. Our students should always been under direct supervision by a Paramedic at all times.
Are the students observational?No. They are not observational at any time during the entire programme. They must participate in all aspects of care.
What does supernumerary mean?They are not part of or employed by the workforce. They are addition to and over above the normal workforce numbers.
Can they do extra shifts?No. Students shifts are pre-programmed by your employer for Health & Safety reasons.
How much time should I sign them off for?This is entirely at your discretion but we would expect them to be signed off for the normal shift duration minus any breaks.
Do they accrue time when we get a late job?Yes. All ‘late finishes’ are counted as part of the hours.
2.4 Non-Paramedic Placements
Students will attend a number of non-Paramedic placements in each of their practice year. The numbers and duration vary from year to year but they will not exceed more than 5 weeks. You should expect your student to advise you when they have a planned non-Paramedic placement as this may fall at any time within their 20 weeks placement experience. Non-Paramedic placements are designed to give students a wider experience of working with service users, other professionals and contexts outside of the Paramedic environment. You can use the feedback gained during Non-Paramedic as evidence to contribute to their summative assessment of students at the end of each practice year.
learning outcomes to be achieved. There may be some unique features that you may wish the student to experience or demonstrate and any negotiated objectives in relation to this should be documented in the relevant non-Paramedic placement form.
2.5 Supernumerary Status
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None of the placements in any area at any time are observational
The student is expected to fully engage in all practice areas and participate in all aspects of service user care, assessment and management according to their scope and stage of learning across the whole programme.
2.6 Placement Overview
In each of the THREE years they will spend 15 WEEKS with a Paramedic and 5 WEEKS in a non-Paramedic placement based on a 37.5 hour working week. This equates to 20 weeks of supernumerary practice (750 Hours) in each year totalling 2250 supernumerary hours over the three years. This is supplemented with the same amount of theoretical learning.
Year 1
Care Placement 2 Weeks 75 Hrs
History Taking 3 Weeks 112.50 Hrs
Paramedic 15 Weeks 562.50 Hrs
750 HoursYear 2
Critical Care 2 Weeks 75 Hrs
Paediatric Care 1 Week 37.5 Hrs
Mental Health 2 Weeks 75 Hrs
Paramedic 15 Weeks 562.50 Hrs
750 Hours
Year 3 Minor Injuries 5 Weeks 187.50 Hrs
Elective 4 Weeks 150 Hrs
Paramedic 11 Weeks 412.5 Hours
750 Hours
2.7 Elective Placements
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In Year 3 the student may have chosen to return to your practice area or, if available, a placement with another Paramedic service in another part of the UK or an international or individually negotiated placement (such as working in a commercial environment) subject to meeting the University’s agreed processes and approval. While on elective placement the student will be expecting to complete a learning contract with you which identifies specific learning outcomes. If your student is working with you during an elective placement this is centred on their transition to autonomous practice.
2.8 Student Identification/Patient Safety
What uniform/PPE will they have?Our students are issued with full PPE hi-viz jacket, helmet, safety boots, goggles) and have a grey uniform which is show below. They should also bring a spare set of uniform with them should they become soiled or need to change during the shift.
Why is the uniform not green?This is for patient safety reasons. Our students should not ‘blend in’ they are not part of the workforce. They must be clearly and visibly identifiable to staff and patients as students. This is why they are in a different colour to staff and/or internal students who are employed by some organisations.
Confidentiality and Informed Consent for Students on Placement
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Students must gain informed consent before engaging in any service user care episode including assessment, treatment and management. Students must also gain specific consent if they wish to use any information relating to a service user in their academic work, this should be recorded using the appropriate documentation and witnessed by you. .
Students must inform service users that they are a student and give service users the opportunity to decline care by them. This is their fundamental right as a service user.
3 PLACEMENT MANAGEMENT & CO-ORDINATION
3.1 Reporting Sickness & Absence
What happens if my student is off sick?You should let your Divisional Facilitator/PPF/Placements Office know and the Zone tutor for your area of work.
North East Ambulance
North East Zone Tutor : Chris Moat ([email protected] )
NEAS Divisional Facilitator (North) Ashleigh Petch [email protected]
NEAS Divisional Facilitator (Central) Fay [email protected]
Divisional Facilitator (South) Ruth Bissell [email protected]
Yorkshire Ambulance
Yorkshire Zone Tutor: Matt Capsey ([email protected] )
Placements Manager Sam Smithson [email protected]
What happens if they don’t turn up for a shift and they haven’t let me know?If they do not turn up for a shift you should not wait for them.However, please report this to the Academic Zone Tutor and your Placements Manager/Facilitator internally.
What if they have a GP/Dental/Hospital appointment can they go early to attend?No. Wherever possible they should organise this on their days off like you do but there may be occasions where they can’t (for example hospital appointments – but with ‘choose and book’ this should be rare) they would need prior agreement and authorisation from us.
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What if I get a late job and I don’t have 11 hours between my shift and come in late the next day, does that apply to students as well?In practical terms yes as they will not be able to start work until you do.
What if my partner doesn’t turn up because of sickness and I get sent elsewhere?The student should go with you to your new location.
What if I call in sick?The student will normally go out with another Paramedic crew that particular day. If you are a single vehicle station we would expect your partner to call your placements office and advise them to enable the student to be re-allocated to another location.
3.2 Student Accidents/Reportable Incidents/Support
Can the student access the University counselling service as well or instead of?They can use both if they choose to. If you have any further specific concerns please contact the Academic Zone tutor to facilitate sign-posting to University based services if the student would prefer to access those.
Whilst on placement, the student should report this to you, the Zone Tutor and call the University on their first day of sickness and on return to work.
What if the student has an accident or comes into contact with someone that has a reportable disease?In hours you should contact your Education Department as soon as possible/Out of Hours your normal Out of Hours contact. The Ambulance Trusts hold emergency contact details for all of our students
What if the student is involved in a ‘bad job’ - can the student access our internal support services?Yes. We have the agreement with all our partners that students can access the support/counselling and other services that are offered to all other trust staff.
4 PRACTICE ASSESSMENT DOCUMENT
4.1 Practice Competency – Initial & Mid-Point Assessment
When do I complete the initial meeting?You should do this in the first phase of Paramedic placements. Please refer to the Practice Assessment Document.
When do I complete the mid-point assessment?You should do this at the half-way point of Paramedic placements. Please refer to the Practice Assessment Document.
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Supervising clinician’s are expected to provide the Practice Mentor with formative feedback to contribute to that assessment using the non-Paramedic practice placement feedback forms. This assessment allows the Practice Mentor and the student to discuss progress on meeting the competencies and practice skills. It will also highlight any areas of good practice or areas that require further development before the summative assessment at the end of the practice year.
4.2 Practice Competency – Summative Assessment
In each stage of the programme only the Practice Mentor can summatively assess the students’ ability to meet the competencies and skills required to complete each practice year successfully. Practice Mentors will, however, be expected to utilise feedback from the non-Paramedic placements from Supervising Clinicians to contribute to their summative assessment of the student.
When do I complete the end point assessment and ‘sign off’?
You should do this at the end of Paramedic placements. Please refer to the Practice Assessment Document.
Can we accept witness testimonies as evidence?Yes but they should not be included in their Practice Assessment Document. This would be for your personal use only to determine whether or not you will accept such testimonies or not to meet relevant competencies. You will note that we use the ‘academic escalator’ throughout the three years. This means that the standards are presented in EXACTLY the same way in all three years:
Year 1 they must DESCRIBE how they meet them
Year 2 they must CRITICALLY ANLAYSE how they meet them
Year 2 they must EVALUATE how they meet them
This means that students are assessed at a progressively higher level in each practice year.
Why aren’t all the Standards of Proficiency in there?They are assessed in an academic context. For example Paramedics are required to evaluate and comment on evidence and have well developed research skills. Those proficiencies are assessed in their academic work. The standards that you will be assessing them on relate to PRACTICE
4.3 Practice Objectives – Non-Paramedic Placements
Non-Paramedic placements have formative learning objectives consisting of core objectives and placement specific objectives. Students are expected to works towards those objectives during non-Paramedic placements. There
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may be further opportunities in the programme for students to gain those experiences if they have not been exposed to them in those areas.
4.4 How are Students Assessed on a Non-Paramedic Placement?
The supervising clinician is expected to provide the Practice Mentor with feedback on their non-Paramedic placement areas. This is formative feedback that will be used to contribute to both the mid-point and end of practice year assessments.
4.5 Practice Skills: Demonstrating Competence
The skills log is a continuous record of the skills that students have demonstrated as they have progressed through your programme.
Each Year of the programme has specific clinical skills which must be demonstrated and summatively assessed by Practice Mentors.
Once the student has passed their simulated assessment an academic member of staff will sign and date the ‘Ready for Practice’ section of the skills log. This means that they can practice ANY skill that has been deemed to be ‘Ready for Practice’ in the clinical area. If the signature is missing the student cannot perform this skill at this time.
Only Paramedic Practice Mentors can sign to confirm whether students are able to demonstrate the achievement of the practice competencies detailed in the Practice Competency Assessment document at the end of the practice year but other professionals can indicate that they are satisfied with those skills by detailing this in their formative feedback.
Can Students Refer in their Skills Assessment?If the student does not demonstrate competence in particular skills by the end of the practice year then they will be deemed to have referred in practice and you should detail your reasons in your feedback in addition to confirming that they have not met this skill in the skills log.
4.6 Drug Administration
Can students administer medicines?No. Students do not have access to medicines. However, under your supervision they can draw up medicines and cross-check doses and dates with you. They can do all of the pre-administration checks with you but the final part of the administration process – handing or injecting into a patient – can only be done by you as a registered HCPC Paramedic. This also applies to ‘flushing’ cannulas as this is an injectable medicines and only Paramedics have a POM Exemption for intravenous medicines.
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Can they administer medicines in a life threatening emergency?Only those drugs that can be given under the MHRA guidance to ‘save a life’ can be given in those circumstances (please check the current MHRA exemptions for the list of medicines) but these must be under your direct supervision at all times. However, students to not have access to medicines as they are NOT employees and this would be unlikely and we would envisage that you would administer such drugs in those circumstances.
Can they counter-sign to say they have checked a drug?Yes they can sign to confirm that the drug was in date and not damaged.
Why can ECAs/Technician’s Administer some drugs but they can’t?This is because there are many drugs that you carry that are Pharmacy only drugs (for example GTN) or Over the Counter drugs (OTC)/General Sales List (GSL) (for example Paracetamol) and the governance arrangments and corporate liability for administering those drugs falls back to the employing organisation. This means that during the course of an Ambulance Trust’s business it’s employees may administer certain medications but our students are NOT employees and therefore this does not extend to our students.
4.7 Student Expectations/Workload
Please Refer to Practice Assessment Document – You can download this from our website
What are the 6C’s that are referred to in the programme?Care, Compassion, Courage, Commitment, Communication, Competence.
These are what we call our ‘core’ values and they are outcomes in every non-Paramedic and Paramedic placements. They are explicit in the non-Paramedic placement objectives and you will see them listed. In the Paramedic assessment they are implicit and assessed across a range of competencies.
Am I expected to support students with academic work?No. This is the University’s responsibility, however, informally there is no harm in proof reading or giving informal feedback particularly if you have the same or higher academic level qualifications and/or have followed a similar programme. However, you should emphasise to the student that specific direction on how to answer their assessed criteria, writing style and content should be guided ONLY by the University.
What skills can the student perform?If they have a signature in the ‘Ready for Practice’ column this means that the student has been assessed as being ‘ready to demonstrate in practice’ that particular skill.
This DOES NOT mean that they are competent in that skill, that is your role as Practice Mentor to ‘sign off’ that particular skill. This is indicated by you at the ‘end point’ summative assessment in their skills log.
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What’s the difference between the white/greyed out bits in the skills log?The ‘grey’ out skills mean the student MUST achieve those to pass. The ones in WHITE are not critical skills to enable the student to pass but you can still formatively assess those if you wish. Formative can be through discussion or demonstration of the skill (providing you have the equipment).
Can they carry out any ‘invasive’ procedures?Yes they can and this will be indicated with our signature in the ‘ready for practice’ part of their booklets. If it is not signed then they are unable to practice this at this time.
Can a nurse or doctor ‘sign-off’ practical skills?No. The programme does not allow another profession ‘by proxy’ to determine whether or not a Paramedic can or can not perform a skill in a Paramedic environment. This can ONLY be assessed and determined by another Paramedic. Therefore ALL skills can ONLY be signed off by a Paramedic. This does not, however, mean that when in a non-Paramedic area they cannot provide feedback for the student and for use by the Paramedic mentor when they return to their practice station.
Why are all the practical skills taught in Year 1?Practical skills (such as operating equipment, inserting cannulas) are essentially psycho-motor skills that can be taught and learned easily. The practical application of those skills must and can only be assessed by mentors.
In this programme students have THREE years to perfect those skills and they follow the same skills escalator. For example:
A patient needs cannulating to give essential IV drugs
Year 1 the student will be able to demonstrate the skill of cannulation
Year 2 the student will be able to justify why cannulation is necessary
Year 3 the student will analyse their decision (to / not to cannulate)
Can I give them homework?No but this does not mean that you can’t give them some additional support or learning materials if you think that would help but please remember that anything you give them is not part of their summative assessments which take priority. Anything you do give them should be documented in your learning contract with them.
4.8 Skills Updates/Changes
We are teaching the students to be Paramedics but we recognise that not all of those skills are authorised in different areas. In those circumstances where
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you cannot supervise a student performing a skill you should advise them not to carry this out until they are appropriately supervised.We teach Paramedics a broad range of skills which may not always be applicable or authorised by certain organisations (for example your organisation may not supply particular pieces of equipment or all of the drugs in the JRCALC).
I consider some of the skills the students are doing to be advanced why are they doing what I consider to be advanced skills?This is a matter of opinion and an internal NHS employer issue rather than a professional one. We would refer you to your employer in those circumstances. We are educating Paramedics to have a broad range of skills, on qualification they may never work for an NHS Ambulance employer and choose to work elsewhere – private industry, self-employed, other NHS organisation - and would need to draw on those skills for a different type of employer.
Their practice may become ‘restricted’ as you see it or their skills viewed as ‘advanced’ depending on who they work for.
Restrictions on practice are made by employing organisations not the profession which is why we are teaching a much wider range of skills and experiences to increase employability and fit into the emergency care network in its widest sense.
5 YOUR ROLE WITHIN THE PROGRAMME
5.1 Paramedic Mentor
Practice Mentors have the day-to-day responsibility for facilitating your learning in practice. We cannot produce successful candidates who are fit for purpose and fit for practice without your support and guidance. In practice your are supported by the Academic Zone Tutor (whose contact details are in the front of this guide) who you can contact for clarification of any issues, further support or just general questions. We also have a practice support site which you might find useful which can be access from any computer and is publicly available without the need for any passwords or specific sign on.
If you have any concerns over fitness to practice or competence of a student then you should contact them immediately. There is a support site with a range of resources to help you fulfil your role as a Practice Mentor:
5.2 What Should I do if a Student is Not Performing?
There are occasions where students do not perform to the level that is expected. There may be a number of reasons why a student is not performing and these should be fully explored with the student. They can range from simple misunderstandings to more complex issues such as those outside of the learning environment e.g. bereavement or relationship breakdowns.
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There should be ‘no surprises’ – the student should be made aware that they are not performing at the earliest opportunity to allow sufficient time to put into place an action plan to improve their performance. Delays in informing the student that they are not performing to the required standard could be deemed unfair by the student if you have not given them the opportunity to improve.
The Academic Zone Tutor will work with you to monitor and support students’ progress. Should a student be struggling to achieve the required level of competence then an action plan will be agreed that specifies learning goals, additional resources and evidence required to demonstrate achievement and a time frame for review of achievement which is normally four weeks.
5.3 How will I be supported?
The University will provide you with every support to ensure that your concerns related to the student are taken seriously, and that an action plan is put in place to support you and the student during this difficult period. You will be supported by your Academic Zone Tutor and Programme Leader.
Teesside University has a dedicated practice support site that includes useful resources to help you in your role as a Mentor or supervising practitioner. The website includes useful case studies and helpful hints on how to manage students and their performance in practice, including some specialist support for you as a Practice Mentor when dealing with a student who is struggling.
5.4 Fitness to Practise
If you have any concerns regarding your student’s fitness to practice you should contact your Academic Zone Tutor as soon as possible. Out of hours please call your contact centre for further
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6 TYPICAL STUDENT JOURNEY
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1
Initial Practice Mentor Meeting Record: Year 1
This form is to be used to record the initial meeting with you and your Practice Mentor. It should outline how you will progress through the
Paramedic phase of your practice placements.
Summary of Initial Meeting/Discussion:
We discussed Joe’s progress on the programme so far and from the feedback from the Caring placement we will ensure that Joe has lots of opportunities to develop his communication skills with older adults.
Identified areas for professional development:
Enhance knowledge of A&P
Identified areas for practice skills development:
Taking blood pressures
Any other identified personal/other support needs:
None
Action Plan for ongoing development:
Joe will ask questions at the appropriate time and I will support his learning and development as he progresses through the programme
Signature of Practice Mentor …………………………Date ………………….
Signature of Student …………………………………..Date ………………….
APPENDIX 2
Mid-Point Formative Assessment: Year 1, Example of a Struggling Student
This form is to be used to record the formative mid-point assessment. If a Mentor or student has concerns that they may not meet the learning outcomes/professional requirements and summative assessment for the placement an action plan will be
discussed and agreed by the Zone Tutor.
Summary of Practice
Joe has had some difficulty fitting in to the team at the station and sometimes gives the impression that he is not as enthusiastic as he should be. He often does not engage with opportunities for learning and skill development despite them being made available to him.
He continues to develop his communication skills and is able to assess service users quickly but sometimes he does not give the impression that he has the confidence to do this and struggles with putting service users at ease sometimes. His first placement in the caring environment his supervisor report that he was unable to demonstrate that he could provide basic care and hygiene for service users without close supervision and this continues to be an issue in this placement.
He is making good progress with some of his skills log but needs more practice on cannulation as he still requires a great deal of support and supervision with this particular task.Identified areas for professional development
Joe needs to focus on his communication skills with service users and work on developing professional relationships with other team members and healthcare professionals. He misses key information when passing service users details in a handover to other healthcare staff and I have highlighted this as an issue for the remainder of the placement.
We are going to practice some simulated handovers over the next few weeks to ensure that Joe is able to demonstrate that he has the ability to communicate in a professional manner with other healthcare staff.
We have also agreed that we would benefit from a meeting with his Academic Zone Tutor to discuss other areas of support we can give him to ensure that he is going to meet his competencies for communication at the end of the practice year. Joe will organise this.Identified areas for practice skills development
Joe does not appear to have any difficulties in demonstrating the skills that are required in his skills log. He does, however, struggle to determine whether they are appropriate for a particular care episode. For the remainder of this placement he needs to focus on his communication skills and the ability to determine whether or not inserting a cannula or taking a BM is appropriate, gain the confidence of the service user and justifying why this would be appropriate to the care episode.
Identified personal support needs
I will continue to support Joe with his skill and competence development over the remainder of the placement.
We will meet every week for the next four weeks to review his practice and competencies.
Joe will contact his academic tutor and arrange a practice visit to determine any additional support needs for practice.
Joe has reported struggling with his academic work and I have also recommended that he contacts his personal tutor and keeps me informed of his progress. I will continue to support him in any way I can with his work but recognise that specialist advice is required and Joe needs to access that and in time for submission of his academic work. I have emphasised that this is as equally important as his practice work.Action Plan for on-going development
Weekly meetings between myself and Joe to discuss progress on competencies.
Joe will contact his academic zone tutor to arrange a visit. I will organise simulated scenarios for Joe to practice his communication skills
at handover. Joe will continue to build relationships with other team members and take up
opportunities for additional learning if they are offered. Joe will contact his personal tutor for academic support.
APPENDIX 3
PARAMEDIC PRACTICE PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT 1
Example of a Performing Student
Name of Practice Mentor Andy Mentor
Home Station City Centre
Summary of Absences (if any) x3 Days (1-3 January 2014) Reported by Student
Practice Mentors and students are referred to the HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Paramedics (2014).
Please tick the appropriate box below to indicate whether the student has achieved the required competencies for this practice placement:
Standards of Proficiency PASS X REFER The reasoning behind any practice referral should be documented clearly by the Practice Mentor below.
Practice Mentor Summary
Joe fits in well within the team and has settled into his first year of practice as a Student Paramedic. He has continued to develop and enhance his communication skills to enable him to assess service users effectively and identify and manage appropriate treatment and care plans. His practice skills which are above the expectation of a student at this stage. He is a confident, professional and a caring student and I hope that he will continue to consolidate and develop his skills in his next year of education and training.
I would recommend that he continues to develop his knowledge and skills around urgent and unscheduled care and managing those service users through alternative pathways rather than taking them to the local A&E. This is an area of practice that he has lacked confidence in occasionally and has needed support but I am sure that as he develops in the next stage of learning he will become more confident in managing care and decision making.
He has had some good experiences in his non-Paramedic placements which have encouraged him to develop his caring and assessment skills and we have used those comments from his supervising clinician to continue to develop and enhance his skills.
Student Comments:
I agree with the comments from Andy, I settled into the team quickly and began to develop my communication skills on my first placement which I thoroughly enjoyed. In my assessment skills placement I managed to put all that I had learned into practice and Andy helped me continue to develop and adapt those skills I learned in the Paramedic environment.
I know that sometimes I have been too quick to decide that the service user needs to go to hospital without considering the alternative pathways in a little more detail and this is something that I will develop in Year 2.
STANDARDS OF PROFICIENCY
Autonomy and Accountability
Unable to demonstrate anability to practice safely andeffectively within their scope of practice
|-------------------x--------|
Able to demonstratethe ability to practicesafely and effectivelywithin their scope ofpractice
Comments:
Joe has a clear understanding of where his scope of practice is and always seeks advice when he is unsure.
Unable to describe the legal and ethical boundaries of their profession
|----------------x-----------|Able to describe the legal and ethical boundaries of their profession
Comments:
Joe has a clear understanding of the HCPC standards of conduct, performance and ethics and I have challenged him on this on several occasions to understanding how and where he applies those standards in practice.
Unable to demonstrate high standards of personal and professional conduct |---------------------------x---|
Able to demonstrate high standards of personal and professional conduct
Comments:
Joe is professional at all times and conducts himself appropriately with other colleagues, patients. He is always smart and presentable and gives a good impression of the profession.
Unable to demonstrate an ability to act autonomously and exercise professional judgement
|-------------x------------------|
Able to demonstrate the ability to act autonomously and exercise professional judgement
Comments:
Joe recognises his scope of practice for his first year and is able to make autonomous decisions within the scope of his competencies for year one.
Professional Relationships & Diversity
Is unable to demonstrate the ability to practice in a non-discriminatory manner and is unable to recognise the importance of culture, equality and diversity on practice.
|----------------------x-----|
Able to demonstrate the ability to practice in a non-discriminatory manner and is aware of the impact of culture, equality and diversity on practice.
Comments:
Joe has demonstrated his ability to work in a non-discriminatory manner which recognises the diverse culture in which we operate.
Unable to demonstrate effective and appropriate communication skills and maintain confidentiality |----x-----------------------|
Able to demonstrate effective and appropriate communication skills/maintain confidentiality
Comments:
Joe continues to develop his communication skills, perhaps needs a little more time with children and families to get information quickly and use this as part of his assessment.
Unable to demonstrate the ability to work appropriately and in partnership with service users, other professionals and support staff
|---------------x------------|
Able to demonstrate the ability to work appropriately and in partnership with service users, other professionals and support staff
Comments:
Joe is professional and works well with service users and other professionals and support staff on the vehicle.
Unable to demonstrate the ability to record and maintain appropriate records
|---x------------------------|Able to demonstrate the ability to record and maintain appropriate records
Comments:
Joe could do with making sure he records all observations and findings accurately as this will help him review his work and justify his decisions in debriefs.
Unable to demonstrate the ability to discuss / gain informed consent from service users
|------------------x---------|
Able to demonstrate the ability to discuss / gain informed consent from service users
Comments:
Joe has demonstrated that he understands the concepts of consent with patients.
Unable to demonstrate the ability to reflect on and review practice |---------x------------------|
Able to demonstrate the ability to reflect on and review practice
Comments:
Joe reflects well on his practice after each job and we have discussed ways that he can improve this for future practice.
Unable to demonstrate the ability to discuss how to quality assure the care that they deliver.
|-------x--------------------|
Able to demonstrate the ability to discuss how to quality assure the care that they deliver.
Comments:
We have discussed clinical audit and how our work is measured and assured.
Formulation of Assessment & Delivery Plans Unable to demonstrate the ability to utilise the key concepts of their profession and knowledge base to assess patients
|-------------x--------------|
Able to demonstrate the ability to utilise key concepts of their profession/knowledge base to assess patients
Comments:
Joe is able to utilise his University knowledge to make good assessments.
Unable to demonstrate the ability to engage with the evidence based practice process to inform their decisions.
|------x---------------------|
Able to demonstrate the ability to engage with the evidence based practice to inform their decisions.
Comments:
Joe understands the need to use a wide range of guidance for practice.
Unable to draw from their knowledge and skills base to formulate and implement a management plan for service users
|-----x----------------------|
Able to demonstrate the ability to use their knowledge/ skills base to formulate and implement a management plan for service users
Comments:
Joe makes good management plans for his stage of practice. Next year we will work on making those decisions more independently.
Unable to demonstrate the ability to form an differential diagnosis
|---------x------------------|Able to describe and demonstrate the ability to form a differential diagnosis
Comments:
Joe needs to work on making more differential diagnosis and ensuring that he considers other options for treatment and management.
Knowledge, Understanding and Skills
Unable to describe the interventions needed to meet the clinical needs of patients |-------------------------x--|
Able to describe appropriate interventions to meet the clinical needs of patients
Comments:
All of his interventions were appropriate to his skill level and stage of education.
Unable to demonstrate competence in the clinical skills that are appropriate to their stage of learning
|------------------------x---|
Able to demonstrate competence in the clinical skills that are appropriate to their stage of learning
Comments:
Demonstrates competence at this stage of his education.
Unable to demonstrate the ability to maintain a safe practice environment and sterile fields
|-------------------------x--|
Able to demonstrate the ability to maintain a safe practice environment /sterile fields
Comments:
Joe has an excellent understanding of infection control and how important it is for practice.
APPENDIX 4
NON-PARAMEDIC PRACTICE PLACEMENT: CARING (EXAMPLE)
Name of Student Joe Bloggs
Name of Supervising Clinician ….A Supervisor
Placement Area….Ward 3, Newtown Hospital
Summary of Absences (if any) None (late twice, 15 minutes on both occasions due to traffic)
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Demonstrates the ability to be compassionate, care, communicate and be committed to high quality service users care the practice area.
Demonstrates the ability to assist service users with personal hygiene. Demonstrates the ability to assist service users with personal care. Demonstrates the ability to assist service users with nutrition and
hydration. Demonstrates the ability to communicate effectively with service users
and their carers/significant others. Demonstrates the ability to work as part of a team. Is able to describe and discuss how to safeguard vulnerable service
users. Is able to maintain the service users’ dignity and respects their values and
beliefs. Demonstrates how to report and challenge poor practice e.g. where
dignity, equality and diversity have not been maintained or where practice adversely impacts on the delivery of safe or effective care.
LEARNING PLAN: (to be negotiated between supervising clinician/student)
Joe will be exposed to the fundamental skills of caring for service users and we have identified the following learning plan:
Joe will participate and assist with all aspects of caring for service users with myself and the healthcare staff
Joe will verbalise any areas of practice that he feels needs support with and I will ensure that I am available to provide support and/or skills training/advice
Joe will participate in any learning or skills training offered to the ward staff that I feel would be appropriate to his stage of learning and objectives
Joe will report directly any areas of practice where he feels concerned and I will attempt to resolve those concerns or take appropriate action.
Joe will contact his Academic Zone Tutor if he feels it is appropriate.Feedback Comments (Supervising Clinician) Areas of strength where the student has demonstrated good
practice/understanding.
Joe has been able to demonstrate his ability to be caring, compassionate and competent working with elderly service users on our ward. The service users have responded well to him and have commented on how approachable he is and easy to talk to.
The team members have also reported that Joe has worked well as part of the team and has carried out all of the tasks and requests from team members and service users alike with competence and compassion.
Joe’s strength is his communication with service users and other members of the team. He is able to deal effectively with service user’s needs and requests and balance those with his role as a professional in prioritising care and communication with other members of the team.
Areas for development which may need to be addressed in subsequent placements.
Having not experienced having to wash, clothe and provide personal care for service users before Joe has been able to develop those skills while he has been with us and I am confident that he will be able to continue to develop those skills in future placements.
At least one development point that the student can take forward to their next placement.
Documentation of the care of service users is a core skill and Joe would benefit from some additional support and guidance around the appropriate language and key information that is required to provide notes to enable professional staff to continue and review the care plans of individual service users.Feedback Comments (Student)I have enjoyed this placement and recognise that I need to continue to develop my communication and caring skills for service users. I would welcome the opportunity to return to this practice area if I am given the opportunity. I have learned a lot about caring for the elderly and how the fundamental skills of caring are critical for all healthcare staff to ensure service user’s dignity, confidence and ability to help them get better.
Signature (Supervising Clinician) ………………….……..………….….… Date ………………….….
Signature (Student) …………………………………………...….……..….. Date ………………..……
Signature (Personal Tutor) ……………………….……..…………. Date ……………………..
APPENDIX 5
PLACEMENT HOURS RECORD – Year 1
This must be signed by your Practice Mentor/Supervising Clinician at the end of each period of work/shift. It cannot be completed retrospectively.
Practice Mentors/Supervisors – please note Start/Finish times and note where any student left early/was absent from duty.
INDUCTION / ONE DAY FLY OUT / OTHER (PLEASE STATE)
Date Hours
Signature Designation Notes
Paramedic InductionNon-Paramedic InductionGNAAS One Day Fly OutOther (State Reason)
Total
FUNDAMENTAL CARE: 75 HOURS MINIMUM / NO MAXIMUM
Date Hours Signature Designation
Total
SERVICE USER ASSESSMENT: 112.50 HOURS MINIMUM / NO MAXIMUM
Date Hours Signature Designation
Total
PARAMEDIC: 562.50 MINIMUM / NO MAXIMUM
Date Hours Signature Designation
Carried Forward
Carried Forward from Previous Page
Carried Forward
Carried Forward from Previous Page
Total for Year 1
APPENDIX 6
SIMULATED COMPETENCE. Year 1 – Key Competencies
Competence Status Academic Staff Signature (PRINT/Sign/Date)
Adult BLS with AED OSCE Completed
Paediatric BLS OSCE Completed
Year 2 – Key Competencies
Key Skill/Competence Status Academic Staff Signature (PRINT/Sign/Date)
Management of cardiac arrest and peri-arrest arrhythmias (Adult)
Simulated Session Completed
Management of cardiac arrest and peri-arrest arrhythmias (Child)
Simulated Session Completed
Year 3 – Key Competencies
Key Skill/Competence Status Academic Staff Signature (PRINT/Sign/Date)
Management of cardiac arrest and peri-arrest arrhythmias (Adult)
Evidence of Achievement Submitted
Management of cardiac arrest and peri-arrest arrhythmias (Child)
Evidence of Achievement Submitted
These are ESSENTIAL skills that MUST be demonstrated in each Practice Year.
All of the skills listed below require summative assessment. If you have not been able to practice certain skills due to a lack of opportunity then you will be assessed on those skills in a simulated environment at the end of each year. This will be recorded as ‘SIM’ in your practice assessment document
Please note that the demonstration of competence can be made in practice, through discussion and simulation.
Ready for Practice
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
FUNDAMENTAL OBSERVATIONS
Example: 1-1-13 GV
Yes 1-2-13 GV
Identify key sites and use appropriate equipment to record a temperatureIdentify pulse sites – carotid/radial/femoral/ brachial – and record rate, rhythm and qualityRecord respirations
Record a manual blood pressure using appropriate equipmentRecord an automatic blood pressure using appropriate equipmentPerform capillary refill time test centrally and peripherally
Use pulse oximetry to record SpO2
Use capnography device to record end tidal CO2
Apply ECG electrodes in appropriate sites to record monitor cardiovascular activityApply ECG electrodes appropriately and record 12 Lead ECGsMeasure and record level of consciousness using AVPU
Measure and record level of consciousness using GCS
Measure and record Blood Glucose
Measure and record pupillary responses
Measure and record urinalysis test
Measure and record serum lactate
AIRWAY MANAGEMENT
Demonstrate Head Tilt/Chin Lift, Jaw thrust and modified manual airway techniquesOperate suction machinery and select appropriate suction catheter(s)Correctly size and insert Oro-pharyngeal airways
Correctly size and insert naso-pharyngeal airways justifying selection of deviceCorrectly size and insert supraglottic airway devices justifying selection of device
Discuss how to/size and insert endo-tracheal airway devices noting appropriate landmarks
APPENDIX 7
Standards of proficiency
Registrant paramedics must:
1 be able to practise safely and effectively within their scope of practice
. 1.1 know the limits of their practice and when to seek advice or refer to another professional
. 1.2 recognise the need to manage their own workload and resources effectively and be able to practise accordingly
. 1.3 be able to use a range of integrated skills and self-awareness to manage clinical challenges independently and effectively in unfamiliar and unpredictable circumstances or situations
. 1.4 be able to work safely in challenging and unpredictable environments, including being able to take appropriate action to assess and manage risk
2 be able to practise within the legal and ethical boundaries of their profession
. 2.1 understand the need to act in the best interests of service users at all times
. 2.2 understand what is required of them by the Health and Care Professions Council
. 2.3 understand the need to respect and uphold the rights, dignity, values, and autonomy of service users including their role in the diagnostic and therapeutic process and in maintaining health and wellbeing
. 2.4 recognise that relationships with service users should be based on mutual respect and trust, and be able to maintain high standards of care even in situations of personal incompatibility
. 2.5 know about current legislation applicable to the work of their profession
. 2.6 be able to practise in accordance with current legislation governing the use of medicines by paramedics
. 2.7 understand the importance of and be able to obtain informed consent
. 2.8 be able to exercise a professional duty of care
3 be able to maintain fitness to practise
. 3.1 understand the need to maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct
. 3.2 understand the importance of maintaining their own health
. 3.3 understand both the need to keep skills and knowledge up to date and the importance of career-long learning
. 3.4 be able to maintain a high standard of professional effectiveness by adopting strategies for physical and psychological self-care, critical self-awareness, and by being able to maintain a safe working environment
. 3.5 recognise the need to engage in critical incident debriefing, reflection and review to ensure that lessons are addressed for future patient safety and management
4 be able to practise as an autonomous professional, exercising their own professional judgement
. 4.1 be able to assess a professional situation, determine the nature and severity of the problem and call upon the required knowledge and experience to deal with the problem
. 4.2 be able to make reasoned decisions to initiate, continue, modify or cease treatment or the use of techniques or procedures, and record the decisions and reasoning appropriately
. 4.3 be able to initiate resolution of problems and be able to exercise personal initiative
. 4.4 recognise that they are personally responsible for and must be able to justify their decisions
. 4.5 be able to use a range of integrated skills and self-awareness to manage clinical challenges effectively in unfamiliar and unpredictable circumstances or situations
. 4.6 be able to make and receive appropriate referrals
. 4.7 understand the importance of participation in training, supervision and mentoring
8 Standards of proficiency – Paramedics
4.8 be able to make a decision about the most appropriate care pathway for a patient and refer patients appropriately
5 be aware of the impact of culture, equality and diversity on practice
. 5.1 understand the requirement to adapt practice to meet the needs of
different groups and individuals
. 5.2 understand the need to demonstrate sensitivity to the factors which shape lifestyle that may affect the individual’s health and the interaction between the service user and paramedic
. 6 be able to practise in a non-discriminatory manner
. 7 understand the importance of and be able to maintain confidentiality
. 7.1 be aware of the limits of the concept of confidentiality
. 7.2 understand the principles of information governance and be aware of the safe and effective use of health and social care information
. 7.3 be able to recognise and respond appropriately to situations where it is necessary to share information to safeguard service users or the wider public
8 be able to communicate effectively
. 8.1 be able to demonstrate effective and appropriate verbal and non-verbal skills in communicating information, advice, instruction and professional opinion to service users, colleagues and others
. 8.2 be able to communicate in English to the standard equivalent to level 7 of the International English Language Testing System, with no element below 6.51 1 The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests competence in the English language. Applicants who have qualified outside of the UK, whose first language is not English and who are not nationals of a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, must provide evidence that they have reached the necessary standard. Please visit our website for more information.
Standards of proficiency – Paramedics 9
. 8.3 understand how communication skills affect assessment of, and engagement with, service users and how the means of communication should be modified to address and take account of factors such as age, capacity, learning ability and physical ability
. 8.4 be able to identify anxiety and stress in patients, carers and others and recognise the potential impact upon communication
. 8.5 be able to select, move between and use appropriate forms of verbal and non-verbal communication with service users and others
. 8.6 be aware of the characteristics and consequences of verbal and non-verbal communication and how this can be affected by factors such as age, culture, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status and spiritual or religious beliefs
. 8.7 understand the need to provide service users or people acting on their behalf with the information necessary to enable them to make informed decisions
. 8.8 understand the need to assist the communication needs of service users such as through the use of an appropriate interpreter, wherever possible
. 8.9 recognise the need to use interpersonal skills to encourage the active participation of service users
9 be able to work appropriately with others
. 9.1 be able to work, where appropriate, in partnership with service users, other professionals, support staff and others
. 9.2 understand the need to build and sustain professional relationships as both an independent practitioner and collaboratively as a member of a team
. 9.3 understand the need to engage service users and carers in planning and evaluating diagnostics, treatments and interventions to meet their needs and goals
10 Standards of proficiency – Paramedics
. 9.4 understand the range, scope and limitations of operational relationships between paramedics and other health and care professionals
. 9.5 recognise the principles and practices of other health and care professionals and health and care systems and how they interact with the role of a paramedic
. 9.6 be able to contribute effectively to work undertaken as part of a multi-disciplinary team
10 be able to maintain records appropriately
. 10.1 be able to keep accurate, comprehensive and comprehensible records in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines
. 10.2 recognise the need to manage records and all other information in accordance with applicable legislation, protocols and guidelines
11 be able to reflect on and review practice
. 11.1 understand the value of reflection on practice and the need to record the outcome of such reflection
. 11.2 recognise the value of case conferences and other methods of review
12 be able to assure the quality of their practice
. 12.1 be able to engage in evidence-based practice, evaluate practice systematically and participate in audit procedures
. 12.2 be able to gather information, including qualitative and quantitative data, that helps to evaluate the responses of service users to their care
. 12.3 be aware of the role of audit and review in quality management, including quality control, quality assurance and the use of appropriate outcome measures
. 12.4 be able to maintain an effective audit trail and work towards continual improvement
. 12.5 be aware of, and be able to participate in, quality assurance programmes, where appropriate
Standards of proficiency – Paramedics 11
. 12.6 be able to evaluate intervention plans using recognised outcome measures and revise the plans as necessary in conjunction with the service user
. 12.7 recognise the need to monitor and evaluate the quality of practice and the value of contributing to the generation of data for quality assurance and improvement programmes
13 understand the key concepts of the knowledge base relevant to their profession
. 13.1 understand the structure and function of the human body, together with knowledge of health, disease, disorder and dysfunction, relevant to the paramedic profession
. 13.2 be aware of the principles and applications of scientific enquiry, including the evaluation of treatment efficacy and the research process
. 13.3 recognise the role of other professions in health and social care
. 13.4 understand the structure and function of health and social care services in the UK
. 13.5 understand the concept of leadership and its application to practice
. 13.6 understand the theoretical basis of, and the variety of approaches to, assessment and intervention
. 13.7 understand human anatomy and physiology, sufficient to recognise the nature and effects of injury or illness, and to conduct assessment and observation in order to form a differential diagnosis and establish patient management strategies
. 13.8 understand the following aspects of biological science:
– disease and trauma processes and how to apply this knowledge to develop appropriate treatment plans for the patient's pre-hospital or out-of-hospital care
– how the application of paramedic practice may cause physiological and behavioural change
– human anatomy and physiology, especially the dynamic relationships of human structure and function and the
12 Standards of proficiency – Paramedics
musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, integumentary and nervous systems
– human growth and development across the lifespan
– normal and altered anatomy and physiology throughout the human lifespan
– relevant physiological parameters and how to interpret changes from the norm
– the factors influencing individual variations in human ability and health function
– the main classes of pathogenic microorganisms, the spread of infection and the use of universal precautions
– the main sequential stages of normal development, including cognitive, emotional and social measures of maturation through the human lifespan
– the role of nutrition in promoting health and preventing illness across the life spectrum
. 13.9 understand the following aspects of physical science:
– principles and theories of physics, biomechanics, electronics and ergonomics that can be applied to paramedic practice
– the means by which the physical sciences can inform the understanding and analysis of information used to determine a diagnosis
– the pathophysiological changes to normal homeostatic function and its implications
– the principles and application of measurement techniques based on biomechanics and electrophysiology
. 13.10 understand the following aspects of sociological, health and behavioural science: – how aspects of psychology and sociology are fundamental to
the role of the paramedic in developing and maintaining effective relationships
Standards of proficiency – Paramedics 13
– how psychology and sociology can inform an understanding of physical and mental health, illness and health care in the context of paramedic practice and the incorporation of this knowledge into paramedic practice
– psychological and social factors that influence an individual in health and illness
13.11 understand the following aspects of clinical science:
– pathological changes and related clinical features of conditions encountered in pre-hospital and out-of-hospital practice
– physiological, pharmacological, structural, behavioural and functional changes in patient presentation
– principles of evaluation and research methodologies which enable the integration of theoretical perspectives and research evidence into the design and implementation of effective paramedic practice
– the theoretical basis of assessment, clinical decision making and appropriate treatment plans, along with the scientific evaluation of their effectiveness
– the theories supporting problem solving and clinical reasoning
– understand relevant pharmacology and the administration of therapeutic medications, including pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
14 be able to draw on appropriate knowledge and skills to inform practice
. 14.1 know the theories and science that underpin the theory and principles of paramedic practice
. 14.2 be able to change practice as needed to take account of new developments or changing contexts
. 14.3 be able to conduct appropriate diagnostic or monitoring procedures, treatment, therapy or other actions safely and effectively
14 Standards of proficiency – Paramedics
. 14.4 know how to position or immobilise patients correctly for safe and effective interventions
. 14.5 know the indications and contra-indications of using specific paramedic techniques in pre-hospital and out-of-hospital care, including their
limitations and modifications
. 14.6 be able to modify and adapt practice to meet the clinical needs of patients within the emergency and urgent care environment
. 14.7 know how to select or modify approaches to meet the needs of patients, their relatives and carers, when presented in the emergency and urgent care environment
. 14.8 be able to formulate specific and appropriate management plans including the setting of timescales
. 14.9 be able to gather appropriate information
. 14.10 beabletoselectanduseappropriateassessmenttechniques
. 14.11 beabletoundertakeandrecordathorough,sensitiveand detailed assessment, using appropriate techniques and equipment
. 14.12 beabletoconductathoroughanddetailedphysicalexamination of the patient using appropriate skills to inform clinical reasoning and guide the formulation of a differential diagnosis across all age ranges
. 14.13 beabletouseobservationtogatherinformationaboutthe functional abilities of patients
. 14.14 understandtheneedtoconsidertheassessmentofboththe health and psycho-social care needs of patients and carers
. 14.15 beabletoundertakeorarrangeinvestigationsasappropriate
. 14.16 beabletoanalyseandcriticallyevaluatetheinformationcollected
. 14.17 beabletodemonstratealogicalandsystematicapproachto problem solving
. 14.18 beabletouseresearch,reasoningandproblemsolvingskillsto determine appropriate actions
Standards of proficiency – Paramedics 15
. 14.19 recognisethevalueofresearchtothecriticalevaluationof practice
. 14.20 beawareofarangeofresearchmethodologies
. 14.21 beabletoevaluateresearchandotherevidencetoinformtheir own practice
. 14.22 beabletouseinformationandcommunicationtechnologies appropriate to their practice
15 understand the need to establish and maintain a safe practice environment
. 15.1 understand the need to maintain the safety of both service users and
those involved in their care
. 15.2 be aware of applicable health and safety legislation, and any relevant safety policies and procedures in force at the workplace, such as incident reporting and be able to act in accordance with these
. 15.3 be able to work safely, including being able to select appropriate hazard control and risk management, reduction or elimination techniques in a safe manner and in accordance with health and safety legislation
. 15.4 be able to select appropriate personal protective equipment and use it correctly
. 15.5 be able to establish safe environments for practice, which minimise risks to service users, those treating them and others, including the use of hazard control and particularly infection control
. 15.6 understand and be able to apply appropriate moving and handling techniques
. 15.7 understand the nature and purpose of sterile fields and the paramedic’s role and responsibility for maintaining them
. 15.8 be aware of the role of the paramedic in responding to hazardous or major incidents
HCPC (2014) Standards of Proficiency for Paramedics. London: HCPC
APPENDIX 9
Your duties as a registrant
You must act in the best interests of service users
You must respect the confidentiality of service users
You must keep high standards of personal conduct.
You must provide (to us and any other relevant regulators) any important information about your conduct and competence.
You must keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date.
You must act within the limits of your knowledge, skills and experience and, if necessary, refer the matter to another practitioner.
You must communicate properly and effectively with service users and other practitioners.
You must effectively supervise tasks that you have asked other people to carry out.
You must get informed consent to provide care or services (so far as possible).
You must keep accurate records.
You must deal fairly and safely with the risks of infection.
You must limit your work or stop practising if your performance or judgement is affected by your health.
You must behave with honesty and integrity and make sure that your behaviour does not damage the public’s confidence in you or your profession.
You must make sure that any advertising you do is accurate.
HCPC (2014) Standards of Conduct Performance & Ethics. London: HCPC
USEFUL WEBSITES:
Teesside University
http://www.tees.ac.uk
Practice Support Site
https://sohsc.tees.ac.uk/sites/practicesupport/
Health & Care Professions Council
http://www.hpc-uk.org
College of Paramedics
https://www.collegeofparamedics.co.uk