Paramedic Practice

The Paramedic Practice degree is relevant to two categories of qualified paramedics: graduates (DipHE and FdSc) and non-graduates (no previous higher education award).

Entry onto the level 6 Paramedic Practice BSc award is for FdSc or DipHE Paramedic Practice/Science graduates only. Paramedic applicants holding either of these qualifications can automatically enrol onto level 6 modules and will be required to study 120 credits to achieve the award of Paramedic Practice BSc.

All other paramedic applicants will be required to study 120 credits at level 5 to achieve the award of DipHE Paramedic Practice. They can then go on to access the Paramedic Practice BSc. Those applicants applying to study level 5 modules have to satisfy at least one of the following criteria:

• Evidence of study at a higher education level. This will either be a degree in a non-paramedic subject or the successful completion of a stand-alone module. Typical examples include ECG or mentorship modules completed with other higher education institutions.

• Evidence of successful completion of an appropriate access to higher education course

• NVQ or BTEC at level 4 in a paramedic subject. Typically this may have been an accredited IHCD Paramedic qualification (Please note not all IHCD awards are credit bearing).

• Minimum 5 GCSEs including English language, mathematics and science AND minimum 1 A level in a science subject studied in the last 5 years.

Alternative qualifications can be considered on application by the course director. The main rationale behind considering each applicant is to ensure that applicants have a reasonable chance of being able to successfully engage with all aspects of the course, which does employ academic writing as an assessment tool. We do not wish to set anyone up with an unreasonable challenge and with this in mind we may recommend that you complete some preparatory study before reapplying. This course is not awarded based on your valuable experience as a paramedic, instead it is distinct and bespoke academic award that examines paramedic practice and research in detail.

The course director may request that you submit an academic essay that will be marked against level 4 criteria to test your ability to be able to write before commencing this course. More details will be provided on application.

There are a range of modules available as part of Paramedic Practice BSc, with the option to tailor your module choices accordingly.

Below are a list of modules available that are delivered by the paramedic team and are designed specifically for paramedics.

Apply for this course directly through the workforce development (CPPD) team.

How to apply

You will need to fill in an application form.

The application form and all supporting documentation should be emailed to: ppdadmissions@sgul.kingston.ac.uk

Further guidance notes

You can apply for modules one at a time or identify a number of modules when you first apply. Either of these options can be included on the application form.

You can book onto a module up to 8 weeks before it starts.

If you are paying independently or have received direct support from your employer (ie they have paid you the money towards fees), then mark the application form as self-funded.

If you are receiving a bursary or sponsorship where your employer will be paying your fees, please mark the form with this highlighted.

For London Ambulance Service staff who have or will be awarded funds from the 2015 bursary scheme, please indicate what percentage of your total fees will be self-funded and what percentage will be drawn from the LAS pre-paid account. We will then cross-reference your name against a list of names provided by the LAS.

If you have any further questions, please contact the course lead by emailing Matthew A. Thomas at M.A.Thomas@sgul.ac.uk 

We have been working hard to find ways to teach our courses without disruption, while keeping our staff and students safe and making sure we follow government guidance on Covid-19. We won’t be making any significant changes to the content of our programmes, but there will be some changes to the way they are delivered. Please see below for further details of how this may affect this course.

If government advice changes, we may need to update our plans. If we do so, we will update this information, and will keep current students and offer holders informed by email.

We will also continue to update our frequently asked questions page for applicants and offer holders and current students as more information becomes available.

Course content

The Paramedic Practice degree programme at St George’s will continue to offer a full range of modules for the upcoming academic year 2020/21.

However, due to Covid-19 social distancing measures on campus, attendance will be limited. There is minimal scheduled fact-to-face time and when practical skills teaching is a necessity, this will continue with appropriate safety measures in place. The mode of delivery for each module is listed on the Paramedic Practice BSc course page.

There is a possibility that the government advice on social distancing may change in the future and could restrict access to the campus; plans have been put into place, and we expect to be able to continue to deliver all modules of the programme in such an eventuality.

Supporting vulnerable students

Students considered to be most at risk from Covid-19 should work at home wherever possible in line with government advice. Students who are going on placement will be required to complete an individual risk assessment and others may choose to do so. In addition, students from vulnerable groups, including care leavers, students estranged from their families and students with disabilities, are prioritised for help from the University’s Hardship Funds and for accommodation in Horton Halls. Priority for loans of laptops from the University will be given to those eligible to receive a hardship grant; those registered as disabled, care leavers or with caring responsibilities; and international students who may have difficulty sourcing an appropriate device on arrival in the UK.

We recognise the impact that the current circumstances may have on mental health and have expanded our counselling provision, offering remote appointments to any student. In addition, every student will be allocated a personal tutor to offer individual pastoral and academic support from the start of their studies. (Further information about health and wellbeing advice during Covid-19 is available here.)

Priority consideration has been given to support for students with disabilities when accessing teaching and learning online, through the provision of automatic live captioning and British Sign Language within our primary technologies of Panopto, MS Teams and Big Blue Button. These can benefit a range of students, especially those who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as students with an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), memory processing issues, and for whom English is an additional language.

Human-level captioning is also available where a need has been established through the Disability Advisory team. Human-level captioning requests are processed by the Learning Technology Services (LTS) section and can be requested by email to lts@sgul.ac.uk.  

How the course will be delivered

Risk assessment

Course length

At this stage, we expect to deliver the course within the planned timescales to enable successful students to graduate without delay.

Although some assessments are designed to be taken on-site, we have developed an alternative strategy to enable students to complete assessments remotely and without coming on to campus. The Cardiac Care module includes practical elements delivered in our Dissection Room. Students undertaking the module Healthcare Perspectives in Mass Casualty Management have an elective day with a healthcare provider that plans and responds to mass casualty incidents, scheduled for May 2021. These will run as planned in 2020/21 with appropriate social distancing measures.

There is a possibility that government advice on social distancing may change. If that is the case, we will endeavour to provide alternative sessions that meet the learning objectives of the module

Additional costs

We do not expect students to incur any extra costs over and above those advertised on the course page.

As a result of our courses beginning with the majority of teaching online, you will need a personal laptop or computer and access to the internet to participate in online lectures. Information is available on recommended device specification. If you are worried you might struggle to meet these requirements, you should email IThardship@sgul.ac.uk so we can look at support options for you.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided for you if needed.

Assessment methods

We assess the knowledge, skills and attributes of our students in a variety of ways. These include formal written examinations, practical examinations and in-course assessments which might include essays, MCQ, literature review and poster presentations. 

Formal written examinations take place throughout the year. At this stage, we expect to deliver these assessments as planned. Although some assessments are designed to be taken on-site, we successfully developed an alternative assessment strategy in 2019/20 to enable students to complete assessments remotely without coming on to campus – for example, presentations delivered to an assessment team of senior lecturers via Big Blue Button. 

Award

The BSc Paramedic Practice programme is only available to existing paramedics currently registered with the HCPC.

Location of study

All face-to-face teaching will take place on the campus that we share with St George’s Hospital in Tooting, with appropriate social distancing measures in place. We have not explored alternative locations for teaching and have no immediate plans to do so. If government advice on social distancing changes, we will consider ways in which we can deliver teaching on-site in a manner that is safe for students and staff.

For clinical programmes, placement providers will continue to offer placements as they have in previous years. We will use our existing procedures for allocating students to placements.

Consenting to these changes