BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science with Foundation Year

The Level 4 Foundations of Paramedic Assessment and Management in Simulated Settings and Practice module will introduce you to the core clinical, professional, and ethical principles required for safe and effective paramedic practice, aligned with the HCPC Standards of Proficiency for Paramedics (2023). Through a blend of theoretical teaching, simulation-based learning, and supported clinical placements, you will develop essential knowledge, skills, and professional behaviours expected of a student paramedic. Simulation-based learning provides structured opportunities to practise clinical reasoning and decision-making within realistic scenarios before applying these skills in supervised practice. You will be introduced to evidence-based, person-centred care, and reflective learning, establishing the foundations for professional competence and lifelong learning. Core clinical skills include patient assessment, primary and secondary surveys, observation of vital signs, focused history taking, intermediate life support, trauma care, and basic airway management, preparing you for your first placement. This module is summatively assessed at the end of the module and in addition, you will undertake three clinical placement blocks with West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS). Practice learning supports the development of professional autonomy, communication, collaboration, reflective practice, and clinical decision-making.

This module introduces Level 4 Paramedic Science students to the wider contexts that shape paramedic practice. The module explores how professional standards, legal frameworks, and ethical principles guide decision-making in the pre-hospital environment. Students examine the roles and responsibilities of paramedics within the multidisciplinary healthcare system, gaining an understanding of accountability, scope of practice, and the importance of maintaining patient dignity and confidentiality. A key focus of the module is the social dimension of healthcare. Students consider how factors such as culture, socioeconomic status, mental health, and community inequalities influence patient experiences and access to emergency care. Communication skills are developed through learning about compassionate, person-centred interactions, particularly when working with vulnerable groups or high-stress situations. These are guided by the requirements of the HCPC and The College of Paramedics. The module also encourages critical reflection, helping students analyse how their own values, biases, and experiences may affect their practice. Concepts such as professionalism, teamwork, public expectations, and the evolving role of paramedics within modern healthcare are discussed. By the end of the module, students gain a foundational understanding of the professional, social, and ethical responsibilities required to deliver safe, inclusive, and effective pre-hospital care, preparing them for further clinical and academic development.

This module supports your transition into university life and introduces you to the fundamentals of paramedic practice. It helps you build confidence, develop a strong academic and professional identity, and understand the expectations of university study. Plus, you will study fundamental paramedic skills such as communication, history taking, an introduction to evidence informed practice and explore paramedic career options. The module is structured around seven themes identified by students as essential to their university experience: Ready to Study: Clear guidance on expectations, transitions, and workload planning. Academic Skills and Educational Gain: Development of foundational academic skills including time management, critical thinking, and digital fluency. Career Readiness and Professional Identity: While you are developing your academic study skills, you will also start to develop your own professional identify and the fundamental paramedic skills and behaviours needed to be successful. Personal Development and Belonging: Activities that foster confidence, inclusion, and identity within the university community. Social Engagement and Community Building: Opportunities to connect with peers, staff, and wider university life. Feedback and Reflective Practice: Structured opportunities to receive, apply, and reflect on feedback to support growth. Wellbeing and Student Support: Embedded access to holistic support services and strategies for success. This module will introduce the fundamentals of paramedic practice and prepare students to be successful in their first-year modules including: 1) Foundations of patient assessment and management skills in simulation and clinical practice 2) Physical life and clinical sciences for paramedic practice and 3) Professional and social perspectives of pre-hospital care, and throughout their entire paramedic programme.

This module builds on level 4 introductions to physical, life, and clinical sciences to achieve a solid understanding of key concepts as they relate to paramedic practice. Students will develop understanding of different clinical manifestations and concepts, discovering how they can affect multiple systems at once using their underpinning knowledge of anatomy and physiology from level 4, with more focus on pathophysiology of common conditions seen in practice. This will also support the skills being developed as part of other modules. Focus will be on a wide variety of patients, covering different age groups, pregnant people, and how culture and societal differences affect physiology and disease pathways. The approach will be person-centred, allowing the exploration of diseases and health processes in an inclusive way. Teaching and learning activities will encourage the reflection and expansion of basic human biology knowledge to be able to recognise a wider range of conditions and changes to physiology helping students to link knowledge learned in this module with patient assessment, treatment, and monitoring essential to safe paramedic practice at level 5.

This module will explore how paramedic care is influenced by legal, ethical and professional issues, and evidence-based practice. It begins with an introduction to the module and explores key professional responsibilities, including accountability, clinical responsibility, and the Duty of Candour. Students will also examine leadership theories and styles within clinical contexts and develop strategies for effective interprofessional collaboration. The module also explores evidence-based practice, guiding students through the types of evidence, where to find it, and how to integrate research into clinical decision-making. Learners will gain an understanding of research processes, including literature reviews and quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. Critical appraisal skills and ethical considerations in prehospital research will be highlighted to ensure safe and informed practice. To support assessment success, the module includes workshops, assignment unpacking, and tutorial support, enabling students to apply their learning effectively. By the end of the module, students will be equipped with the professional, academic, and research skills that will assist them to lead, collaborate, and deliver evidence-informed paramedic care.

The core learning of this module is understanding mental health presentations you may encounter in the prehospital environment. You will learn how to recognise common mental health conditions, respond to patients in crisis, and apply de-escalation and therapeutic communication techniques. The module will also explore the social inequalities faced by people with mental health needs, including factors such as poverty, housing insecurity, stigma, and barriers to accessing care. This will help you understand how social circumstances can affect health outcomes and how to provide inclusive, compassionate, and equitable pre-hospital care. By the end of this module, you will have a foundation of knowledge of mental health care in the prehospital environment, helping you to approach patients holistically, reduce stigma, and provide compassionate, safe, and effective care.

The aim of this module is to deepen knowledge and understanding learned so far in level 4 and 5, building into an application of that knowledge to clinical decision making in conceptualised patients. This module will discuss patients from a diverse cross-section of society, and the application of that to patients across the age continuum. The module will adopt a person-centred perspective and diseases and disease processes will be explored in an inclusive manner so that students are made aware of how culture, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, gender identity and socio-economic status impacts upon human health and disease. Learning and teaching activities will embed students with the intrinsic motivation to continue learning and developing their knowledge of conditions as required as part of their HCPC registrations, while ensuring they have received proficient knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology and application of that information to successfully work as a Newly Qualified Paramedic.

This Independent Study Project module provides the opportunity for you to plan, develop and complete your own individual piece of work. You will undertake a structured literature review that is relevant to your programme of study and suitable for a review of the evidence.  Essentially, you will be researching a topic from an area of paramedic practice that interests you, or one you want to know more about.  The content and method of assessment will help you to develop your own independent study skills, time-management and problem-solving skills. You will be encouraged to reflect on your learning, professional development and your own clinical practice, as well as developing your research skills and capabilities further.  Although this is an independent project, you will be allocated a supervisor to help support and guide you throughout your study.

This module focuses on developing advanced professional skills to prepare you for the transition into autonomous paramedic practice and future career progression. It explores leadership, mentorship, and coaching principles, enabling you to support paramedic learners effectively in clinical environments. Graduate and employment awareness is embedded throughout, alongside strategies for career development and meeting HCPC standards to ensure safe, ethical, and professional practice. You will engage with complex aspects of clinical reasoning, ethical dilemmas, and decision-making in challenging scenarios. The module emphasizes patient safety, human factors, and situational awareness as critical components of high-quality care. Dedicated sessions on assessment unpacking and support will help learners apply these concepts effectively in both academic and practical contexts. By the end of the module, you will be equipped with the leadership and professional capabilities required to mentor others, make informed clinical decisions, and progress confidently into graduate employment as competent, reflective practitioners.