Paramedicine placement compliance

Essential compliance for all students

Additional compliance for SA placement eligibility

Additional compliance for NT placement eligibility

It is necessary to be medically and physically fit in order to meet the requirements for your ambulance placements. SAAS has a duty of care to ensure that students are capable of undertaking placements without causing undue risk to themselves and/or others. All students accepting a place in the Bachelor of Paramedic Science course are required to undertake and pass a Medical and Functional  assessment.

What do the assessments involve?

The medical component of the assessment is performed by a medical practitioner and involves taking a general medical history and performing a number of functional tests.

The physical fitness assessment is conducted by a physiotherapist who assesses things like muscle strength and endurance, fitness, flexibility, and the students ability to lift, push, pull, bend, stoop, squat, kneel and reach. The force measurements are based on real-life tasks that paramedics are required to perform.

For example, you will be required to lift a box which will gradually be made heavier with weights. The minimum lift requirement of this test is 35kg, which must be lifted to bench height. This also reflects other tasks that paramedics do, like lifting and carrying laden spinal boards. The static push and pull demands are based on the forces required to load and unload laden stretchers, and to slide patients onto slide sheets or spinal boards. The grip strength minimum requirements are based on the force required to perform a range of patient related tasks.

Students will be required to complete the medical component of the assessment and the physical fitness assessment on the same day. It is advisable to allow two to three hours for the testing.

Are the tests difficult?

Different students may find different components of the tests challenging. Some of the tests that students have had difficulty with in previous years are the ground-to-bench lift; grip strength; general low fitness levels; poor overall strength; poor manual skills techniques.

Tip: if you don't understand the instructions that the physiotherapist gives you regarding how to perform an exercise or test, don't hesitate to ask for clarification.

Tip: Make sure you wear solid footwear for the assessment, the boots you purchase or intend using for placement (see uniform details) would be ideal.

How do I make an appointment for my tests?

Make sure you do this as soon as practical after you have accepted your offer into the degree and at least prior to the first week of semester. It is strongly recommended you book in for this testing during January and early February.

Book an appointment.

You will be taken to a booking page that will step you through the entire process, including booking your actual appointment, and paying for your assessment (the payment is fully refundable if you need to cancel your appointment for any reason).

CHG are located on the corner of Hughes Street and Railway Terrace, Mile End. This is the main centre for the testing and all SAAS staff and paramedic students are requested to attend this site.

Can I go to my own medical provider to do the testing?

No, you must go to the Corporate Health Group.

When do I need to do the testing?

It is strongly recommended you undertake the testing as soon as practical after you have accepted your offer into the Degree. This means you should book your testing for either January or early February. The testing needs to have been performed prior to the first week of semester.

Students who have a current injury/illness which they believe will prevent them from undertaking the testing following their acceptance of offer must obtain evidence from their medical provider stating that they are unable to complete the testing providing a date range the injury/illness will affect. This evidence must be submitted via email to the cmph.paramedicplacement@flinders.edu.au as soon as possible.

What cost is involved?

The total cost of the assessments is $291.50 to be payable on the day of the testing. All testing is at the students expense.

What happens if I don't pass the testing on the first attempt?

• If you don't pass the testing the first time, you should work on the areas that you need to improve on and re-test as soon as practical.
• You cannot perform placements until you have passed the test, if you cannot perform placements, you cannot progress through the degree.
  
• Undertake your second attempt six to eight weeks after the first attempt and no later than June. This means you can undertake placements in the second half of the year.
• There is a fee for a retest but usually the retest only addresses those areas that were not satisfactory in the previous test, so may be cheaper. Check the fee when you rebook.

What happens if I don't pass the testing on the second attempt?

If you don't pass the testing on the second attempt, you will receive an Incomplete (I) grade for PARA1000, and you should not enrol in PARA1005. You will need to meet with the course coordinator.

Your working with children clearance notice, the Ochre Card, is valid for two years. It is issued by the screening authority.

You must by law apply for a working with children clearance, also called an Ochre Card, to work or volunteer with children in the Northern Territory (NT).

Information checked

A working with children clearance is an assessment of the risk of harm or exploitation that you may pose to children.

It involves a check of:

• your police history
• employment records
• character references
• or reports about your recent behaviour.

The check is conducted by the Northern Territory Screening Authority, appointed by the Minister for Children and Families.

The authority works with Screening Assessment for Employment in the Northern Territory (SAFE NT), a unit of the Northern Territory Police.

The information you submit to SAFE NT will be kept private unless it is required by law to be disclosed.

Students are responsible for paying the application fee.

View more information on the NT Government website.

Other blood-borne diseases

For Hepatitis C (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) - it is recommended that students obtain serological evidence with regard to these two diseases as it is important to know their status especially if the student is exposed to bodily fluids. Students are not to advise their HCV or HIV status.

While students do not have an obligation to notify AHPRA about an infection, the student must comply with CDNA guidelines.