Course overview
Health facilities at Teesside University
Check out Teesside University’s facilities for the School of Health and Life Sciences.
All on-the-job learning takes place at their workplace. Other placements, which may enhance and complement their practice in addition, should be organised and provided by the employer. On-the-job learning reinforces taught elements, allowing the apprentice to apply theory within practice, gain valuable practical experience and prepare for the role of a modern paramedic. A qualified practice educator supports the apprentice’s learning and helps them develop their knowledge and skills in practice.
We have ongoing approval from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), a multi-professional regulator that sets the minimum standards of education and training proficiency for 16 separate professional groups including paramedics. This ensures successful graduates of this apprenticeship become competent, autonomous professionals prepared for the demands of 21st century out-of-hospital healthcare.
Theory is vital to provide the apprentice with the knowledge, understanding and critical decision-making skills needed as a paramedic. The modules they study across the three years enable them to develop this knowledge and put it into practice, enhancing their skills as they make an immediate and continuing contribution to service user care. They also develop communication, personal and professional skills.
They learn to confidently take a history from a service user to assess their needs and prioritise care, formulate a management and treatment plan, refer service users to other healthcare providers or professionals and, in many cases, offer care at home. This includes advice, guidance and promoting healthy interventions and conversations with service users, carers, and their family. They continually develop clinical decision-making and complex-problem solving skills, and support service users interpreting healthcare information and clinical guidance, offering advice from their well-developed understanding of evidence-based practice.
Care, compassion and commitment to high-quality care are essential skills. We support the apprentice’s development as a clinical leader and key decision maker and develop their professional skills and understanding of the wider healthcare network in on-the-job learning.
Please note, we can only respond to enquiries from employers, or individuals with agreement from their employer to undertake an apprenticeship.
Supporting information for applicants
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Course details
Course structure
Year 1 core modules
An Introduction to Evidence-based Practice for Health Professionals
Explore evidence-based practice, clinical guidelines, audits and evaluations. Develop skills in research, formulating focused questions, developing effective search strategies and evaluating evidence to inform your clinical decision-making.
Introduction to Human Physiology for Health Professionals
Explore anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology relevant to paramedic practice. Effective practice demands an understanding of these areas so you begin to develop the knowledge base needed to underpin your understanding of key body systems areas.
Paramedic Care 1 (Apprenticeship)
This is the foundation module for your paramedic practical and assessment skills. Emphasis is on the development of these skills throughout the first year. Learn how to take a comprehensive patient history to prioritise care and management of the service users you assess. You are prepared for your practice placement, facilitating the integration of the knowledge, skills and attributes required for paramedic practice.
Practice Competencies and Portfolio: Level 4 (Apprenticeship)
Further develop the core knowledge and skills to practise competently and safely in your first year of study. Focus on placement in the ambulance environment; developing the fundamental care skills and knowledge required to practice safely and competently as a paramedic.
Professionalism for Health Professionals
Learn alongside other healthcare students and develop an understanding others’ role, delivering contemporary health and social care within the context of interprofessional practice. Gain an understanding of professional issues relevant to practice, facilitating the development of professional behaviour, preparing you for the demands of practice, and ensuring you are sufficiently informed and equipped to practice safely.
Year 2 core modules
Developing Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Paramedic Practice (Apprenticeship)
Investigate the body’s response to key acute and chronic illnesses that you encounter in practice and explore the effects of drugs and medicines.
Dissertation Planning and Preparation for Health Professionals
Build on the evidence-based practice module in year one, gaining the skills to become an evidence-based practitioner by extending your knowledge, understanding and practical experience in several areas. You develop a research proposal that you take forward to the dissertation.
Paramedic Care 2 (Apprenticeship)
Examine how you can support service users to self-manage their condition with or without further advice or treatment, refer them to another health care professional or provider, or manage care during transport to another facility. Simulation and e-learning enables you to make the link between theory, evidence, and their impact on decisions in practice.
Practice Competencies and Portfolio: Level 5 (Apprenticeship)
Further develop the core knowledge and skills to practise competently and safely in the second year of study. You are placed within the ambulance placement area to allow you to develop the skills and knowledge required to practice safely and competently as a paramedic.
Final-year core modules
Dissertation for Health Professionals
Undertake a research project that you designed in the second year. This is an independent project and you are supported by a designated project supervisor. Your dissertation is an opportunity to demonstrate how you have integrated all your learning of evidence-based practice, decision-making and complex problem-solving.
Paramedic Care 3 (Apprenticeship)
Explore the core practice competencies, specific paramedic skills and competency development requirements for Level 6. Demonstrate you can adapt your approach, and lead a team effectively when dealing with an acute or life threatening emergency or illness, or long term or chronic condition. Focus on patients who present with a minor injury or illness across the lifespan and on mental health issues, and the needs of learning disability patients, older adults, and end of life care.
Practice Competencies and Portfolio: Level 6 (Apprenticeship)
Further develop your practice skills, knowledge and experience gained in years one and two in the practice setting. You must demonstrate autonomous practice under the supervision of your paramedic practice educator.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
The apprentice learns by attending key lectures, seminar groups, small study groups, practical sessions, simulated scenarios and e-learning. They’re also expected, as an adult learner, to carry out significant and additional self-directed study to enhance and complement their learning. Occasionally this will be directed study where the module leader will set an individual or group task or problem to solve. All their learning is delivered by expert lecturers, practitioners and researchers.
How you are assessed
There are examinations, essays and presentations, either as an individual or in a group, and practical exams referred to as objective structured clinical exams. A variety of assessment methods ensures we have a wide range of learning styles, so that no learner is disadvantaged. The apprentice is also assessed in practice using a practice assessment document. Their practice mentor assesses their competencies and skills, demonstrating their ability to perform the role of a paramedic. The assessment methods follow the academic escalator. In Year 1 the apprentice is expected to describe and explain, in Year 2 critically analyse and in Year 3 evaluate their knowledge, skills and understanding for practice.
Our Disability Services team provide an inclusive and empowering learning environment and have specialist staff to support disabled students access any additional tailored resources needed. If you have a specific learning difficulty, mental health condition, autism, sensory impairment, chronic health condition or any other disability please contact a Disability Services as early as possible.
Find out more about our disability services
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
To be accepted on to a degree apprenticeship course you must have support from your employer and meet the course entry requirements.
Apprentices must be employees of the North East Ambulance Service or Yorkshire Ambulance Service to apply for the course.
Apprentices must:
- hold Level 2 qualifications in English and maths before starting their apprenticeship. Find out more
- be currently (or on entry to the course) employed as an apprentice paramedic with NEAS or YAS
- demonstrate the appropriate values and attitudes for the programme through an interview with you, as the employer and University
- have a satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure
You can gain considerable knowledge from work, volunteering and life. Under recognition of prior learning (RPL) you may be awarded credit for this which can be credited towards the course you want to study.
Find out more about RPL
Employability
Career opportunities
The career path of a paramedic is very open and varied on qualification. In addition to post-qualifying roles the University also supports additional and enhanced qualifications to further the apprentice’s career in specialist, advanced and consultant roles through postgraduate qualifications which may further enhance and develop their career in clinical leadership and management.
