Teaching to encourage deep learning in paramedic science students: a case study

The changing role of the paramedic demands that they are able to process often complex information, in often unfamiliar circumstances, to formulate treatment plans in order to provide the best possible care for patients. The paramedic's job is carried out against a background of National Health Service (NHS) cuts and increasing pressure upon acute services. To make these decisions, and to ultimately provide the best possible care for patients, requires in-depth assessments, conclusive history-taking and the ability to make effective clinical decisions. Effective clinical decision-making requires the ability to analyse information to make complex and intricate decisions that are best for the patient (Aleem et al, 2008). Higher education is crucial for the profession and, by 2019, the College of Paramedics aspires to have all paramedics entering the register educated at BSc level (Lovegrove, 2013). The reason for this is the evolving need for paramedics to effectively treat and refer patients in the community, become more autonomous and work across professions and disciplines (Lovegrove, 2013). The modern paramedic needs to be a critical thinker and lifelong learner, knowing how to access high-quality resources and apply evidence into practice. These skills should be at the core of a BSc Paramedic Science curriculum.