PgC Paramedic First Contact Practitioner: Practice Development

Program Overview

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PgC - Paramedic First Contact Practitioner: Practice Development

Course Overview

The programme will enhance your ability to complete a detailed assessment of undifferentiated and undiagnosed primary care presentations and provide you with the appropriate knowledge base to anticipate problems, thus enhancing your ability to manage patients accordingly.

As you develop within the programme you will gain the skills and expertise to critically analyse situations and clinical presentations, approaching the patient holistically in the primary care setting.

You will study this programme over 1 calendar year which equates to one module per semester in addition to a QPU which will run alongside the academic modules across the full programme.

You will be working in the Primary care setting throughout the programme whilst utilising the Qualificatory Practice Unit ‘work-based learning in primary care’ in conjunction with a suitable clinical mentor to develop your practical skills in consultation, examination, and patient management.

On this course you will...

• Develop skills that will allow you to practice as a confident and competent First Contact Practitioner.
• Study content which is relevant to the world of work, emphasising problem-solving and the interaction of theory and practice. It will challenge you intellectually, promoting independence and confidence.
• Be involved in a stimulating and challenging academic and scholarly environment for you to advance your academic and professional development, with the support of our encouraging team.
• Achieve a recognisable qualification to work as a First Contact Practitioner in primary care.
• Be able to apply for accreditation of prior learning (APL) into the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice. 40 credits from your first 2 modules have been mapped against the MSc ACP programme and can be considered for APL into this programme.

Key Details

• Recruiting to: UK / RoI / Settled in UK, EU / EEA / International
• Course Location: Online
• Institute: Institute of Health
• Delivery Style: Online
• Course Duration: Part-time: 1 Year
• Course Start Point: April, September
• Award: PgC

Minimum entry requirements

• Applicants must be a registered paramedic currently registered on the HCPC professional register.
• Applicants must have a minimum of 5 years' post-registration experience as a paramedic.
• You must be either employed in primary care or are able to secure clinical supervision via a placement in primary care to meet the minimum clinical hours and supervision. Your clinical mentor must be a GMC registered Doctor or a qualified Advanced Clinical Practitioner/Advanced Nurse Practitioner (MSc qualified) and have clinical responsibilities within the relevant area of practice in primary care. You are required to undertake a minimum of (10 days) 75 clinical hours across the whole programme in primary care to achieve this award with an appropriate clinical mentor identified who will assess your clinical competencies within the work-based learning in primary care document. It is essential that your clinical mentor is identified at the start of the module. Your local primary care training hub might be able to facilitate the identification of a suitable clinical mentor.
• Placements/workplaces are subject to a self-administered educational audit of the learning environment.
• If you undertake a placement outside a Contract of Employment with the placement provider, there is an expectation that adequate arrangements for Indemnity Insurance will be in place and this is your responsibility. Normally you must hold an Honours degree classification 2ii or above in a cognisant subject.
• If you do not hold a 2ii Honours degree you will be considered as a non-standard entrant. Standard University practice will be followed with respect to you, if you are without traditional entry requirements. Non-standard entrants are required to demonstrate ability to benefit from and successfully complete the course. All non-standard entrants are interviewed.
• You will need to provide evidence of successful study at Level 6 (or equivalent) within the last 5 years.
• If English is your second language you may be required to provide evidence of passing an International Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of 7.0 with a mean score of 6.5 in all elements.
• The application must be supported by two references one of which must make reference to the applicant’s professional competence. One referee must be the applicant’s current employer.
• Applicants must have support from employers to undertake this educational route.
• Evidence of up-to-date mandatory training will be required as part of the application process to include - Basic Life Support, Equality and Diversity, Adult and Child Safeguarding.
• As part of the application process applicants should complete the free e-learning package incorporating 8 core modules found at and 3 personalised modules found at Your learning options (personalisedcareinstitute.org.uk).

Tuition Fees

• £2,775 - UK
• £4,650 - International

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

Course Structure

What you will learn

• Learn how to work effectively as a safe, competent First Contact Practitioner, demonstrating a critical knowledge and understanding of the legal, professional and ethical aspects of the role and its function within primary care
• Develop as a critical thinker and reflective/reflexive practitioner, able to apply techniques of rigorous enquiry and critical appraisal and application of an evidence-based approach
• Learn how to critically evaluate and apply models of consultation and physical examination skills, assessing, diagnosing and managing undifferentiated and undiagnosed presentations
• Learn how to critically evaluate and apply models of clinical decision making, demonstrating professional judgement in complex and unpredictable situations
• Learn how to demonstrate critical appreciation of the importance of collaborative working and development of therapeutic relationships, applying underpinning principles and frameworks for effective, inclusive, person-centred and holistic practice

Modules

• The Clinical Consultation in First Contact Practice: Integrating Theory and Practice
• Clinical Decision Making in Primary Care: Improving Outcomes in Complex Patients
• Primary Care: Challenges and Innovations in Practice
• Qualificatory Practice Unit: Work Based Learning in Primary Care for First contact Paramedic Practitioners

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

• Learning and Teaching Methods will:
  • Promote the development of inclusive practice and address a range of learner types
  • Use learning technology to promote your learning and achievement, for example through the use of mobile technology, podcasts, webinars
  • Provide active learning and social learning opportunities
  • Provide appropriate engagement and facilitation models for distance, online and flexible learning students
  • Foster aspiration and career readiness through work-based, experiential and inter-professional learning
  • Be relevant to the needs of your workplace, emphasising problem-solving and the interaction of theory and practice
  • Use research-informed teaching, drawing on health, social care and workplace knowledge and expertise

Scheduled learning and teaching encompasses a variety of approaches to learning and teaching across the framework. Strategies include online and/or class-based workshop activities, facilitated discussion and debate, tutorials, guided study and reading, work-based learning, and reflection on practice.

How you will be assessed

• Formative assessment throughout the module through use of the University VLE, Blackboard where ongoing individual tutor and peer feedback is given through online tasks. These tasks are the scaffold that builds up the summative assignments at the end of the module.
• Module: Clinical Decision Making in Primary Care: Improving Outcomes in Complex Patients
  • Summative Written Assignment
• Module: The Clinical Consultation in First Contact Practice: Integrating Theory and Practice
  • Summative Set Exercise,
• Module: Primary Care: Challenges and Innovations in Practice
  • Summative Oral Assessment/Presentation
  • 10-minute oral defence with poster
• Module: Work Based Learning in Primary Care for First contact Paramedic Practitioners
  • Summative Portfolio and Practical Skills Assessment

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

The PG Cert Paramedic First Contact Practitioner: Practice Development is a one-year, part-time program designed to equip paramedics with the knowledge, skills, and attributes required to practice as a First Contact Practitioner (FCP) in primary care.

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Objectives:

The program aims to:

• Enhance the ability to complete a detailed assessment of undifferentiated and undiagnosed primary care presentations.
• Develop critical thinking and reflective/reflexive practice skills.
• Equip students with the ability to apply techniques of rigorous enquiry and critical appraisal.
• Foster the ability to critically evaluate and apply models of consultation, physical examination skills, assessment, diagnosis, and management of undifferentiated and undiagnosed presentations.
• Develop the ability to critically evaluate and apply models of clinical decision making, demonstrating professional judgment in complex and unpredictable situations.
• Promote an understanding of the importance of collaborative working and therapeutic relationships, applying underpinning principles and frameworks for effective, inclusive, person-centered, and holistic practice.

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Outline:

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Content:

The program covers a range of topics relevant to the role of a First Contact Practitioner in primary care, including:

• Legal, professional, and ethical aspects of the role.
• Critical thinking and reflective practice.
• Evidence-based practice.
• Models of consultation and physical examination skills.
• Clinical decision-making.
• Collaborative working and therapeutic relationships.

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Structure:

The program is delivered over one calendar year and comprises four modules:

• The Clinical Consultation in First Contact Practice: Integrating Theory and Practice: This module focuses on commonly presenting health problems in primary care, facilitating evidence-based and critical learning opportunities.
• Clinical Decision Making in Primary Care: Improving Outcomes in Complex Patients: This module enhances knowledge and understanding of complex patient presentations, emphasizing pathophysiological processes and investigative approaches to improve care.
• Primary Care: Challenges and Innovations in Practice: This module explores the broader context of primary care within the health and social care system, critically examining advancements and innovations that improve primary care efficacy.
• Qualificatory Practice Unit: Work Based Learning in Primary Care for First contact Paramedic Practitioners: This unit focuses on developing core clinical skills, indicative knowledge, key clinical presentations, investigations, and referrals outlined in the roadmap for first-contact paramedic practitioners.

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Course Schedule:

Each module is delivered over one semester, with a Qualificatory Practice Unit running concurrently across the entire program.

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Modules:

• The Clinical Consultation in First Contact Practice: Integrating Theory and Practice: This module emphasizes commonly presenting, wide-ranging health problems in primary care to facilitate evidence-based, critically focused, self-evaluative learning opportunities.
• Clinical Decision Making in Primary Care: Improving Outcomes in Complex Patients: This module aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of the complexity of patient and client presentations, demonstrating an appreciation of the pathophysiological processes occurring utilizing investigative and evaluatory approaches to improve care.
• Primary Care: Challenges and Innovations in Practice: This module aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of primary care in the context of the wider health and social care system and to critically explore advancements and innovations that improve the efficacy of the primary care system.
• Qualificatory Practice Unit: Work Based Learning in Primary Care for First contact Paramedic Practitioners: This unit content will include the core clinical skills, indicative knowledge, key clinical presentations, investigations, and referrals set out in the roadmap for first-contact paramedic practitioners.

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Assessment:

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Methods:

• Formative assessment throughout the modules through the University VLE, Blackboard, with ongoing individual tutor and peer feedback provided through online tasks.
• Summative written assignments, set exercises, oral assessments/presentations, and practical skills assessments.

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Criteria:

• Clinical Decision Making in Primary Care: Improving Outcomes in Complex Patients: Summative Written Assignment (4000 words).
• The Clinical Consultation in First Contact Practice: Integrating Theory and Practice: Summative Set Exercise (4000 words).
• Primary Care: Challenges and Innovations in Practice: Summative Oral Assessment/Presentation: 10-minute oral defense with poster (2500 word equivalent).
• Work Based Learning in Primary Care for First contact Paramedic Practitioners: Summative Portfolio (3500 equivalent) and Practical Skills Assessment (60 minutes).

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Teaching:

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Methods:

• A variety of approaches to learning and teaching, including online and class-based workshop activities, facilitated discussion and debate, tutorials, guided study and reading, work-based learning, and reflection on practice.
• Strategies that promote the development of inclusive practice and address a range of learner types.
• Utilization of learning technology to promote learning and achievement, such as mobile technology, podcasts, and webinars.
• Provision of active learning and social learning opportunities.
• Appropriate engagement and facilitation models for distance, online, and flexible learning students.
• Fostering aspiration and career readiness through work-based, experiential, and inter-professional learning.
• Relevance to workplace needs, emphasizing problem-solving and the interaction of theory and practice.
• Research-informed teaching, drawing on health, social care, and workplace knowledge and expertise.

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Careers:

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Potential Career Paths:

• First Contact Practitioner (FCP) in primary care.
• Advanced Practitioner (AP) role.

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Opportunities:

• The program provides a clear pathway for paramedics wishing to move into first contact practice and progress into an AP role.
• Completion of the program allows for applying for accreditation of prior learning (APL) into the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice.

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Outcomes:

• Graduates are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attributes to practice as a confident and competent First Contact Practitioner.
• The program provides a recognized qualification for working as a First Contact Practitioner in primary care.

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Other:

• The program emphasizes the importance of professional development and provides a stimulating and challenging academic and scholarly environment.
• The program supports self-development while meeting the requirements of the capabilities, knowledge, skills, and attributes set out within Health Education England's roadmap to First Contact Practitioner in Primary Care.
• Students are required to undertake a minimum of 75 clinical hours across the whole program in primary care, with an appropriate clinical mentor identified who will assess their clinical competencies.
• Placements/workplaces are subject to a self-administered educational audit of the learning environment.
• Students are responsible for securing adequate arrangements for Indemnity Insurance if undertaking a placement outside a Contract of Employment.
• The program is open to both UK and international students.
• The program is delivered online.

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Tuition Fees 2024 - 2025 £2,775 - UK £4,650 - International