Bachelor of Health Science in Paramedic

By JANINE OGIER

The Auckland University of Technology teaches a Bachelor of Health Science in Paramedic for people wanting to work as the first person on the scene in emergency situations.

It is the highest ambulance qualification that can be attained in New Zealand.

Graduates can get jobs as paramedics for an ambulance service, in safety service roles, in international retrieval or in any environment where emergency care may be required such as oil rigs, industrial sites or ski-fields.

Those new to the field study full-time for three years, while people with qualifications in the area of ambulance paramedicine or nursing may be eligible for recognition of prior learning and part-time study.

Practical work constitutes more than one third of the degree. Clinical experience is gained with the ambulance services and hospitals and in community health settings.

First-year students cover human structure and function, health in the context of New Zealand, psychology and lifespan development, interpersonal skills for health, and risk and crisis management.

Second-years study human biological science, pharmacology, health research, promotion and practice, clinical practice, paramedic science, cardiology, disaster management and intravenous therapy.

In the third year, students tackle health law and policy, research, professional practice and ethics, advanced life support, paramedic theory and management, integrated clinical practice, and clinical reasoning.

Assessment is different for each paper and ranges from written assignments to exams, group presentations or proving competency.

As well as meeting AUT undergraduate admission criteria, applicants usually need three C passes in University Bursary examinations or 14 NCEA credits at Level 2 in English and a minimum 14 credits at Level 3 in a science or maths subject. A police clearance is also required.

Applications close on November 26 for full-time places, and on that date and on June 25 for part-time places.

The full-time programme begins in February and part-time studies can start in July or February.

Each year 25-30 full-time students are chosen.

Fees will be $3807 including GST for full-time students next year and there are additional course-related costs.

High-achieving students are able to undertake a fourth year of study to gain a BHSc (Honours).

What students think

Tamara McGarva, 36

Advanced paramedic

St John

Graduated 2004

"My desire to become an advanced paramedic is long-standing. I have worked for the Order of St John as a paramedic for six years.

The alternative was to do correspondence courses with the University of Victoria in Melbourne and I didn't want to train that way for this job.

I am also a registered nurse so I had to do nine of the 22 papers to attain the degree.

The course was 50-50 theory and practical training. Essentially the first half of the year was doing the theory and the second half doing the training.

There's an emphasis on self-learning. They give you a broad guideline as regards assignments but the search for information is largely up to you.

It's evidence-based education. Rather than saying, "This is what you do in this situation", it goes to a deeper level of understanding of why we do it.

It is a huge challenge for someone to go into the course without any ambulance experience.

You can read a variety of trauma conditions out of a textbook and think, "I will do a, b and c". But you really benefit from the experience of recognition of severity of condition, which can only be gained from training on the road."

What employers think

Wayne Askew

Ambulance support manager

St John

Northern region


"When an employee has a BHSc (Paramedic) we know they have a thorough knowledge base and understanding of disease processes on a par with other health professionals such as nurses.

Existing ambulance staff with substantial clinical experience can commence at an advanced paramedic level after completing the degree.

New graduates need a period of internship to give them the required clinical exposure and orientation to St John procedures, systems, communications and driving.

When we employ paramedics we are also looking for people who are compassionate, have people skills, and are practical and able to problem-solve quickly and make decisions.

Paramedics need to be able to work in a team environment and also to work autonomously and they have to be trustworthy, mature, and fit and healthy."

The qualification

Bachelor of Health Science in Paramedic

Auckland University of Technology

Phone: (09) 917 9735

Email: Debra Spinetto

Pay: early $50,000s