Bachelor's Programme in Paramedic Science Programme description

The Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Paramedic Science is a three-year programme of professional study (180 credits). Students who complete the programme are awarded the degree of Bachelor in Paramedic Science, which forms the basis for applying for authorisation as a paramedic in accordance with the Act relating to Health Personnel etc. The programme description has been drawn up on the basis of the National Regulations relating to a Common Curriculum for Health and Social Care Education and the Regulations on National Guidelines for Paramedic Science Education, adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research. The programme was established under the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

The tasks of a paramedic are varied and at times demanding. Paramedics usually work in the ambulance service, but can also work in the emergency medical service, emergency departments, the psychiatric health service, substance abuse care, or in discipline development and training. Patient encounters can range from simple, routine situations to acute situations involving serious ill and injured patients. In the ambulance service, paramedics are responsible for examining, assessing and treating patients and for transporting patients to the right place at the right time.

Knowledge of basic medical, ethical and operational disciplines is often combined with more specific disciplines in emergency medicine and traumatology. One example of this may be to examine the patient with the aim of identifying whether the symptoms are due chronic illness or an acute need of medical support. Relational, communicative and guidance competence enables the paramedic to understand and interact with patients, next of kin and colleagues, which is essential for the professional practice. Paramedics also cooperate with colleagues across professions and disciplines in different situations in the primary and specialist health services, and in the rescue services.

The education is rooted in both natural sciences and health sciences. The paramedic discipline combines evidence-based practice with knowledge about health, diseases and injuries, ethics, law, patient safety, decision-making, management, operative ambulance work and emergency preparedness. Elderly patients and people with mental health disorders and/or drug and addiction problems comprise important target groups, besides acutely ill and injured children and adults. A paramedic will also take care of people who have been victims of neglect, violence and abuse.

Relevance to working life

Paramedics work at the individual, group and system level in many fields of the primary and specialist health services. Paramedics work with people of all ages, for example in the road, sea or air ambulance service, emergency medical communication centres, emergency departments, municipal emergency inpatient units, emergency medical centres and the Norwegian Armed Forces’ medical service

Relevance to further education

A bachelor’s degree in Paramedic Science also qualifies candidates for admission to a number of master’s degree programmes in health sciences. Prehospital Critical Care at the University of Stavanger is particularly relevant.

Kandidaten har etter fullført bachelorstudium i paramedisin følgende totale læringsutbytte definert i kunnskap, ferdigheter og generell kompetanse:

Kunnskap

Kandidaten

• har bred kunnskap om menneskets anatomi, fysiologi og patofysiologiske prosesser, samt respons på sykdom og skade
• har bred kunnskap om klinisk undersøkelse, tentativ diagnostikk og medikamentell og ikke-medikamentell behandling av fødende, akutt syke og skadde pasienter, personer med psykiske lidelser og/eller avhengighetsproblematikk
• har bred kunnskap om farmakologi relatert til paramedisinerens funksjons- og ansvarsområde
• har bred kunnskap om relevante lover, forskrifter og etiske perspektiver og kan reflektere over disse i sin yrkesutøvelse
• har kunnskap om skademekanikk, operativ organisering, ledelse og risikoanalyse i forbindelse med arbeid i ambulansetjenesten og totalforsvaret
• kjenner til ambulansetjenestens plass i rednings- og helsetjenesten, fagområdets historie, tradisjoner, egenart og samfunnsansvar
• har kunnskap om pasientsikkerhet, kommunikasjon med pasient og pårørende og samhandling tverrfaglig, tverrkulturelt, med minoritetsspråklige og på tvers av virksomheter og nivåer i helsetjenesten
• kjenner til forsknings- og utviklingsarbeid innenfor fagområdet og har grunnleggende forståelse for kunnskapsbasert praksis, herunder forskningsetikk, forskningsdesign og metoder for innhenting og analyse av materialer
• har kunnskap om mikrobiologi, smittestoffer, smitterisiko og infeksjonsforebyggende tiltak

Ferdigheter

Kandidaten

• kan identifisere, observere og vurdere symptomer og tegn på sykdom og skade, psykiske lidelser og rusavhengighet samt gjennomføre medikamentell og ikke- medikamentell behandling på en forsvarlig måte
• kan, basert på egne undersøkelser og vurderinger, henvise pasienten til beste effektive omsorgsnivå
• kan føre et utrykningskjøretøy i henhold til gjeldende lovverk
• kan utføre og lede skadestedsarbeid i samarbeid med eget personell og andre nødetater
• kan gjenkjenne, dokumentere og rapportere tegn på omsorgssvikt og overgrep, med særlig fokus på barn, eldre og sårbare individer
• kan utføre selvstendig arbeid i tråd med prinsipper for helsefremmende og forebyggende arbeid og i tråd med generelle hygiene- og smittevernsrutiner
• kan reflektere over egen faglig utøvelse i samsvar med gjeldende lover, retningslinjer og brukermedvirkning samt søke og ta imot veiledning på egen væremåte og kunnskapsutøvelse
• kan håndtere fødsel utenfor sykehus, herunder ivareta mor og den nyfødte
• kan håndtere akuttmedisinsk utstyr og kommunikasjonsutstyr og vurdere nytteverdien av digitale verktøy
• kan beherske dokumentasjon av egen praksis med fokus på sammenhengende helsetjenester, herunder journalføring, avviksmelding, rapportering av uønskede hendelser og lovpålagt varsling til andre myndigheter

Generell kompetanse

Kandidaten

• kjenner til helsetjenestenes rolle i samfunnsberedskapen og kan bidra i forebyggende beredskapsarbeid, evaluering og oppfølging etter hendelser og øvelser
• kjenner til nytenking og innovasjonsprosesser som er relevante for paramedisinfaget og kan bidra aktivt i utviklingen av faget og paramedisinerens rolle i samfunnet
• kan anvende og reflektere over sammenhengen mellom folkehelse, sosial ulikhet, arbeidsinkludering, godt arbeidsmiljø og likeverdige helsetjenester, samt se dette i sammenheng med etiske og faglige problemstillinger
• kan planlegge og gjennomføre prosjekter som strekker seg over tid, arbeide selvstendig, i team og tverrfaglig, for å utvikle kompetanse og bidra til økt pasientsikkerhet og utøvelse av helhetlige helsetjenester
• kan utveksle synspunkter og erfaringer knyttet til sentralt fagstoff muntlig og skriftlig, tilrettelegge for læring gjennom simulering og ferdighetstrening, og gjennom dette bidra til god praksis

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.

Increasing globalisation of the labour market and rapid social changes make it increasingly more important to have international professional experience, language and cultural knowledge. Internationalisation contributes to raising the quality of education and strengthens the academic community on the programme, at the same time as it prepares the students to become global citizens and acquiring new perspectives.

The programme’s focus on multicultural and global issues prepares the students for professional work in a multicultural society. International specialist literature is used extensively in the programme, which gives students access to English specialist terminology and relevant knowledge about current international trends.

Internationalisation takes place through activities on the home campus and through exchange programmes between students and staff at OsloMet and foreign educational institutions.

OsloMet has exchange agreements in place with universities and university colleges in Europe. Exchanges may be relevant:

• in the fourth semester, in connection with the course PMED2110 Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Communication (20 credits).
• in the sixth semester, in connection with the course PMEDPRA30 Clinical Studies C, Placement in the Ambulance Service (10 credits) and PMED3900 Bachelor’s Thesis (15 credits).

Students can only go on an exchange if the partner institution offers courses in subject areas corresponding to those covered at OsloMet in the semester the exchange applies to.

The institution will also receive students from foreign educational institutions in the spring semester. Incoming students may for example take the following course combinations:

• PMED3010 Assessment and Treatment of Sick and Injured Patients, Part 2 (15 credits) and PMED3900 Bachelor Thesis (15 credits)
• PMED1410 Assessment and Treatment of Sick and Injured Patients, Part 1 (25 credits)

It may also be relevant to offer these courses in combination with courses related to other study programmes at the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Nordplus has also established cooperation through the Nordparamedics network, in which student exchanges of up to two weeks are possible in the sixth semester. Reference is otherwise made to the criteria that apply to student exchanges and the information about stays abroad.

The courses PMED1410 Assessment and Treatment of Sick and Injured Patients, Part 1 and PMED3010 Assessment and Treatment of Sick and Injured Patients, Part 2 will normally be taught in English. Other courses may also be offered in English for international students as needed. The students can decide whether to write their bachelor’s thesis in English or Norwegian. Students who go on exchanges must write their thesis in English if the exchange is in a country outside Scandinavia.

Required coursework means all forms of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for a student to be assessed/permitted to take the exam or complete periods of clinical training. Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the respective course descriptions.

The purpose of the coursework requirements is to:

• promote progress and academic development in the programme
• encourage students to seek out and acquire new knowledge

The programme’s main coursework requirements are in the form of compulsory attendance, written assignments and practical tests.

Compulsory attendance

The study programme emphasises a social learning environment with student-active learning methods. The students are expected to attend scheduled teaching in order to foster knowledge, skills, suitability and clinical competence. Attendance is compulsory in areas that are important to the competence of a paramedic, and where the student cannot acquire knowledge and skills through self-study alone.

The minimum attendance requirement is:

• 90% compulsory attendance in all simulation and skills training
• 90% compulsory attendance in all forms clinical practice placements
• 80% attendance at seminars and study groups

Other activities may also be subject to compulsory attendance requirements. Teaching activities that require attendance will be marked as mandatory in the student’s timetable.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet the attendance requirements. If a student exceeds the limit for absence, the person responsible for the course will consider whether it is possible to compensate for absence by meeting alternative requirements, for example individual written assignments. Whether or not it is possible depends on the extent of the student’s absence and which activities he/she has missed. Absence from compulsory teaching activities that cannot be compensated for may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

Separate regulations on attendance apply to placement in the ambulance service. For more information, see ‘Assessment of placement in the ambulance service’ below.

Written assignments

Several courses include compulsory written assignments. Written work that is not approved must be reworked before re-submission. If the work is not approved on re-submission, the student cannot take the ordinary exam/assessment. Students are entitled to a third attempt before the resit/rescheduled exam. If a piece of required coursework is not approved, this may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

Separate regulation apply to written coursework requirements related to placement in the ambulance service; see the course descriptions for PMEDPRA10 and PMEDPRA30 for more information.

More detailed requirements for written work, deadlines etc. are set out in the teaching plan for the course in question.

Practical tests

Practical skills that are important for professional practice are tested in practical tests. If a student’s practical test is assessed as ‘not approved’, he/she will be given another attempt before the ordinary exam. The student cannot sit the ordinary exam if the practical test is not approved after two attempts.

Students are entitled to a third attempt before the resit/rescheduled exam. If a piece of required coursework is not approved, this may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

Separate regulations apply to the practical test related to placement in the ambulance service in the course PMEDPRA30; see the course description for more information.

Different forms of assessment are used that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the different courses in the programme. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. The students will receive advice and supervision and have their performance assessed during the programme. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that they receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme’s requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

The assessment of exams and clinical training is carried out in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet.

The forms of assessment are described in the individual course descriptions. All exams taken will be stated on the diploma, along with the title of the student’s bachelor’s thesis.

Exams

Most courses conclude with an exam. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course, and what is assessed is whether the student has achieved the stipulated learning outcomes. The grades used are either pass/fail or letter grades on a scale from A to F, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the exam.

Most courses have required coursework that must be approved before the student can take the exam. See the course descriptions for more details.

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description. In the case of resit or rescheduled exams in courses with group exams, it may in special cases be applicable to take the resit/rescheduled exam individually.

For exams where a percentage of the exam papers are selected for assessment by an external examiner, the external examiner’s assessment must benefit all the students. In such cases, one external and one internal examiner will first grade the selected papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the remaining papers together with another internal examiner. The assessments from the first part are summarised to serve as guidelines for the assessments carried out by the two internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. Section 11-10 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. For a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidates who submitted the appeal. This means that all members of the group do not have to participate in the appeal.

Assessment of placement in the ambulance service

The placement in the ambulance service is assessed as pass/fail. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course, the student’s specification of the learning outcomes and the formative assessment. The formative assessment, which means the assessment of the student’s knowledge, skills and suitability, is carried out during the placement period, and summarised half-way through and at the end of the placement period.

To pass the clinical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. A minimum attendance requirement of 90% applies to clinical placement courses. The attendance requirement includes both the time spent at the clinical placement site and any teaching provided as part of the programme in relation to the clinical placement.

The following also applies to absence:

• less than 10% absence: The student can complete the clinical placement course as normal.
• Between 10 and 20% absence: The student can make up for the missed clinical placement time, provided that this is doable. This must be agreed with the training supervisor and the contact lecturer at the university.
• more than 20% absence: The student must normally retake the whole clinical placement course. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

If the student exceeds the maximum limit for absence, the course will be registered as failed and count as an attempt.

If a student is awarded a fail grade for a clinical placement course twice, the student will normally have to leave the programme, cf. the Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet, Chapter 5.

Suitability

Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the physical or mental health, rights and safety of their patients and colleagues is not suited for the profession.

Suitability assessments are made on a continuous basis throughout the study programme and will be included in the overall assessment of the students’ professional and personal suitability for work as a health care worker. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the paramedic profession must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme. Special suitability assessments are used in exceptional cases, cf. Regulations to the Act Relating to Universities and University Colleges, Chapter 7.