Paramedics of tomorrow
to be educated at QMU
QMU is delighted to announce that it has been awarded
funding from the Scottish Government to offer a three-year
degree in Paramedic Science.
W
ORKING IN PARTNERSHIP with the
Scottish Ambulance Service, this new
three year ordinary BSc Paramedic
Science programme reflects the requirement that
all paramedics entering the profession from 2021
must have a degree. to interdisciplinary healthcare programmes that give
students the knowledge they need to make a real
difference in their communities.
Over three years, students will learn how to respond
safely and effectively in emergency and non-emergency
situations, and will develop skills of assessment,
diagnosis, management and treatment of people. The
new programme will also utilise virtual reality, provided
by Viarama - Scotland's leading virtual reality social
enterprise - which will allow students to practice real-life
scenarios in a safe environment. QMU is also well-equipped to provide paramedic
science students with the necessary skills to work
with patients with hearing or speech impairments. The
University teaches British Sign Language (BSL), and
QMU aspires to lead the way in terms of responding to
the Scottish Government’s BSL (Scotland) Act 2015.
With aims to provide a BSL-friendly culture at QMU, this
will have great influence on the teaching of paramedic
science at the University.
The new programme will provide approximately 60
places for students from September 2020 to develop the
necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to provide
out-of-hospital care in a range of health settings as a
member of an integrated health and social care team.
Topics covered in the three-year programme will
include: biological sciences, management of health and
illness, communication skills, person-centred practice,
leadership and management.
The role of paramedics is set to expand beyond acute
trauma with an increasing focus on the management
of long term conditions, mental health care, support of
older people and the reduction of unnecessary hospital
admissions. A broad range of allied health programmes
are already provided at QMU and so an interprofessional
learning experience alongside a wide range of other
health and social care professions unrivalled in any other
university in Scotland can be provided to these students.
Professor Fiona Coutts, Dean of the School of Health
Sciences, said: “The announcement of this exciting
new programme is a testament to our commitment
10
QMYOU / Paramedic Science comes to QMU
"Our School of Health Sciences offers the largest
range of professional healthcare programmes of any
university in Scotland, and these are designed to create
healthcare graduates who think critically and are ready
to develop existing practice. With our focus on person-
centred practice and our excellent student experience,
we are delighted to be working alongside the Scottish
Ambulance Service to educate paramedics of tomorrow.”
QMU is one of five Scottish universities set to deliver
the degree from September 2020.
Pauline Howie, Chief Executive of the Scottish
Ambulance Service said: “We are absolutely delighted
to work in partnership with these universities – it is
exciting to know they will be educating new generations
of paramedics who will enter the workforce armed with
the latest skills and trained to the highest standards.
“These changes not only increase our capacity for
training more paramedics, helping us meet predictions
for future demands of patients, but they support the
delivery of integrated health and social care.”
To find out more about Paramedic Science provision
at QMU, visit www.qmu.ac.uk/paramedic-science ❒