FORSK8000 Health Science Research Project Course description

The content and structure of the study programme (see below) are based on the following six competency areas defined in Section 3 of the Regulations on National Guidelines for Paramedic Science Education:

• Paramedic profession, ethics and health law
• Health, illness and injuries
• Operational ambulance work and emergency preparedness
• Communication, cooperation and decision-making
• Evidence-based practice, innovation and technology
• Quality, management and patient safety

The programme is divided into 11 compulsory courses and incorporates both practical and theoretical teaching at the university and clinical training in the health service. Each year of the programme has a scope of 60 credits.

The bachelor’s degree in paramedic science is comprised by basic medical sciences, clinical subjects and ambulance operative subjects. Skills training, simulation and periods of clinical practice placement are integrated parts of the programme and are to ensure that the learning outcomes are achieved. There should be progress in the student’s knowledge and skills over the course of the study programme. The courses build on each other with gradual progress both in terms of theoretical and practical knowledge to achieve the required skills and independence.

The first year of study is divided into four courses. In the first semester, the students are introduced to the paramedic profession, among other things by focusing on the topics patient safety, culture, law and ethics. The students are then given a general introduction into the basic medical sciences. The second semester comprises the course Assessment and Treatment of Sick and Injured Patients (Part 1), which focuses on introductory knowledge about emergency medicine and traumatology.

The second year of study includes three courses. In the third semester, the students have their first period of clinical practice placement in the ambulance service. In the fourth semester, the focus is on operational work at the accident scene and on mental health, challenging communication, substance abuse and prevention of conflict escalation.

The third year of study comprises four topics. The fifth semester starts with clinical practice placement in the primary and specialist health services. Clinical practice placement is followed by the course Assessment and Treatment of Sick and Injured Patients (Part 2), focusing on issues relating to complex and challenging emergency medical treatment and patient groups with special needs. At the end of the fifth and throughout the sixth semester, the students work on their bachelor thesis and complete the second period of clinical practice placement in the ambulance service.

All courses conclude with a final assessment.

The academic year is 40 weeks long, and the expected workload is 40 hours per week. The number of hours includes both organised teaching as stated in the timetable, students’ self-study, coursework requirements and exams.

INTERACT - Interprofessional Teaching Programme Shared with Other Professional Education Programmes at OsloMet

INTERACT (Interprofessional Interaction with Children and Youth - INTER1100, INTER1200, and INTER1300) is an interprofessional teaching programme at OsloMet, where students from both health and social sciences and teacher/early childhood education programmes meet in interprofessional groups. The aim is to ensure that students gain the competence to meet society’s demands for better coordination of services affecting children and youth. The teaching programme is based on pedagogical principles of interactivity and spiral learning, with extensive use of digital learning and assessment tools to support learning. The teaching programme is conducted at the beginning of January each academic year. For more information, see: https://www.oslomet.no/forskning/forskningsprosjekter/interact

Participation in INTERACT (INTER1100, INTER1200, and INTER1300) is required and must be approved to be awarded a diploma.

Study progress

The following progress requirements apply to the programme:

• Students must have passed the first year of the programme before they can start the second year*
• First and second-year students must have passed the second year of the programme before they can start the third year.

* Exception from the progress requirement:

• The drug calculations exam in the course PMED1300 Pharmacology and Drug Calculations is exempt from the progression requirement but must be passed before the student can can start the third year.

The programme’s learning outcomes cover a broad spectrum. The work and teaching methods facilitate the integration of knowledge, skills and general competence and are designed to have the greatest possible transfer value to professional practice. Emphasis is therefore placed on using a variety of work methods and alternating between theoretical studies and clinical training.

The aim of the paramedic science programme is to educate independent, proactive and dynamic candidates that can handle social change and cultural diversity. For the same reason, emphasis is placed not only on the content, but also on the learning process itself, in which students develop their ability to make independent assessments based on critical reflection and interaction with patients, next of kin and colleagues, which are key skills. Good learning outcomes are first and foremost dependent on the students’ own efforts. Own effort means both benefiting from teaching and academic supervision and following this up with independent work in the form of theoretical studies and practical skills training. Normal study progress requires students to make great personal efforts in the form of study groups and individual work.

Different types of digital technology are used in the programme to stimulate student-active learning and collaboration. These resources can be used in students’ preparations for teaching activities, as support in collaborative processes or to help practise or test the student’s own knowledge.

The students will receive follow-up throughout the programme in the form of supervision and feedback. The students will at times assess each other’s work and provide feedback to each other.

More detailed descriptions of the most common work and teaching methods used in the programme are provided below. The individual course descriptions state which work methods each course employs.

Independent work

A paramedic must be able to make independent assessments and decisions, and stand by them, based on interaction with patients, next of kin and colleagues. Some of the thematic areas will not be addressed in the organised teaching. Students are expected to acquire this knowledge through self-study, alone or in cooperation with fellow students in study groups.

Study groups

In the theoretical part of the programme, the students will be split into group of up to seven. The groups are assigned a lecturer as supervisor. Working with issues and assignments in cooperation with other students is intended to support the learning of subject matter and provide training in cooperation and interaction skills, which are necessary in professional practice. Group supervision is also used to show the connection between the organisation of the programme and future professional practice and is intended to facilitate planning and evaluation of individual students’ and the study group’s learning process. Getting the study groups to work effectively is both a learning tool and a learning goal.

Simulation and skills training

Simulation and skills training is integrated in almost all courses and makes up a key part of the programme. The students will acquire skills through practical training with medical emergency equipment, models, manikins and on each other. Skills are placed in context through scenarios, which should be handled either by simple role play or through complex simulations. Students develop their observer and paramedic role through supervision and teaching that promotes reflection on their own professional practice. The professional field is closely linked to simulation and skills training in that a range of active paramedics contribute as teachers. This creates a close connection between the training and day-to-day clinical work.

Lectures

Lectures are mainly used to introduce new material and to provide an overview. Highlighting main elements, shedding light on connections and pointing out relevant issues within a topic will form the basis for the students’ own learning.

Seminars

The purpose of seminars is to process subject matter and facilitate discussion between students and teaching staff. Oral dissemination is emphasised. The students shall be given an opportunity to practise their academic formulation and presentation skills. They are encouraged to express their own opinions and reflect on their own actions and attitudes.

Written assignments and bachelor’s thesis

Through written assignments and the bachelor’s thesis, students will formulate research questions for assignments and work on them over time, either individually or in cooperation with other students. They will learn theory and develop skills in using and referencing sources, analysis, discussion and written and oral communication. The primary purpose of this is to develop their ability to reflect critically and search for relevant research knowledge, and their ability to work in an evidence-based manner.

Clinical practice placement makes up about one-third of the programme and is divided into periods of placement in the ambulance service and in different parts of the primary and specialist health services.

The placement periods are intended to give students competence in integrating theoretical and evidence-based knowledge with clinical understanding. In clinical situations, the students also learn about patients’ and next of kin’s user knowledge. Clinical training is an important qualification arena for developing clinical competence. Students will continuously alternate between theoretical in-depth studies, simulation and skills training at the university and clinical training in the field of practice in order to develop clinical competence.

Practice placement arenas for this programme are mainly located in Oslo and Eastern Norway. The students may need to commute to and from the location of the practice placement. Students must comply with the practice placements guidelines for work clothing. Special requirements for tests or vaccination may be applicable at some practice placements institutions.

Clinical training

The practical part of the programme totals 37 weeks. The majority of these, 24 weeks, are made up of supervised clinical training in the ambulance service. The remaining 13 weeks are spent in different places in the primary and specialist health services.

Placement in the ambulance service

The clinical training is split into two courses in the second (16 weeks) and third (8 weeks) years of the programme. This training is supervised, which means that a supervisor from the ambulance service follows up the student throughout the training period. This is carried out in cooperation with a contact lecturer from the university. Separate training documents have been drawn up for the placement periods. The learning outcomes from the course descriptions are specified in these documents. The document is intended as a tool for the student and supervisor to actively link the clinical training to the learning outcomes, and to document the student’s progress. This is used as a basis for assessment in cooperation with the contact lecturer from the university.

Clinical training in the primary and specialist health services

This training is spread over approximately thirteen weeks in the fifth semester. The aim is for the student to gain increased understanding and experience with patient care pathways in other parts of the medical emergency chain in primary and specialist health services. Relevant training establishments can include municipal health services, somatic and psychiatric hospital departments, specialised hospital departments, substance abuse care, mobile teams, and private actors. In addition to the training itself, the course consists of seminars, simulation and skills training, teaching, writing reflection notes, and working in study and reflection groups. Parts of the clinical training can be replaced by simulation and skills training at OsloMet if this provides a better opportunity to ensure that learning outcomes are achieved.

The student will be taken care of and guided by different health personnel at the various training establishments. To ensure continuity, students will have regular contact with a university teacher throughout the training period. The final competence will be assessed in a concluding exam seminar with a practical-oral group exam.

Critical incidents

There is a relatively high possibility that the students will experience particular demanding and serious incidents during the placement periods. Measures have therefore been taken to protect the individual students by established peer support schemes. The students must therefore sign a consent form at the start of the programme confirming that they have been informed of the above. It is the students’ independent responsibility to contact the peer support scheme as needed to process critical incidents. If necessary, the student will be referred to the Student Welfare Organisation’s health service.

Certificate of competence for driving emergency vehicles

Students must pass both a theoretical and a practical test in driving emergency vehicles in order to complete the paramedic programme. The students must meet the requirements stipulated in Section 6 of the Emergency Vehicle Regulations before they can start the training. Among other things, this means that the students must a) document in the form of a medical certificate that they meet the medical requirements for a category 3 driving licence, b) have reached 20 years of age, and c) have held a class B driving licence continuously for the past two years.

During the second and third years of the programme, the students receive theoretical and practical training in groups. All students in the year group must have taken the theoretical and practical tests before completing the course PMEDPRA30 in the sixth semester.

The tests are organised and assessed by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. OsloMet will cover the costs related to the theoretical and practical tests up to three times. Students must pay for any further attempts. In order for OsloMet to issue the diploma, the theoretical and practical test must be passed within one year after the student has attempted the test for the third time.

For more information about the training requirements and the practical and theoretical tests in emergency vehicle driving, reference is made to the regulations relating to training, testing and competence in driving emergency vehicles (the emergency vehicle regulations – in Norwegian only).

Arbeids- og undervisningsformer er deltakelse på forskerlinjeseminar med tilhørende presentasjoner, deltakelse i forskningsgruppens aktiviteter, veiledning og selvstudier. Det forventes aktiv deltakelse på en internasjonal konferanse. Studenten har rett til samlet 21 timer veiledning i løpet av forskerlinjen.

For å fremstille seg til eksamen må følgende oppgaver være godkjent:

• 100% oppmøte på et 2 dagers oppstartseminar med tilhørende presentasjon av egen prosjektbeskrivelse
• oppmøte på minimum 2 av 3 forskerlinjeseminarer à 1 dag med tilhørende presentasjon av eget arbeid
• deltakelse på forskningsgruppemøter (minimum 5 møter)
• deltakelse på minimum 10 timer veiledning
• Individuelt, skriftlig forskerlinjeprosjekt i form av en artikkel (publiserbart manuskript med omfang og utforming etter valgte tidsskrift)

Programme description:

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 9 December 2020.

Most recent amendments adopted by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences 11 December 2024.

The programme description applies to students starting the programme in 2025.

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt så lenge regler for kildehenvisning følges.

Bestått/Ikke bestått

Hver besvarelse vurderes av to sensorer. Én sensor må være ekstern.

En veileder kan ikke være sensor for oppgaver til studenter hun/han har veiledet.