PARA8006 Acute Assessment and Management of Pain

2017

4.5

1 x 2-hour seminar weekly
1 x 2-day intensive workshop per semester
1 x 7-hour independent study weekly
1 x 50-minute on-line exercises weekly

1 Admission into GDPICP-Graduate Diploma in Intensive Care Paramedic Studies
2 3 of PARA8001, PARA8002, PARA8003
Must Satisfy: (1 and 2)

Students should have a sound underpinning knowledge of paramedic practice.

Weekly on-line discussions/activities/participation; Practical work; Intensive attendance and participation; Assignments.

Critical to the appropriate management of the critically ill patient is the ability of the Intensive Care Paramedic to recognise the clinical presentation and physiological consequences of clinical situations that can result in pain. Based on contemporary clinical understanding and best practice, this subject will cover the physiological perception and interpretation of pain, the pathophysiological conditions that can present with pain as a symptom, the interpretation of pain as an indicator to identify common pathologies and the clinical assessment and management strategies that can be implemented to manage both the cause of and emotional/physiological consequences associated with pain. This underpinning knowledge is critical to enable appropriate clinical decision making and management when dealing with often complex and interacting pathologies that can result in pain.

This topic aims to develop an advanced level of understanding of the physiological and psychological interpretation of pain and the various factors in the medical, trauma & bites/stings settings that can result in pain as a symptom.

On completion of this topic, students will be expected to be able to:

• Explain the physiological and psychological mechanisms responsible for the perception, transmission and cognitive interpretation of pain.

• Identify and describe the causes of pain as relevant to ICP practice in the medical, trauma and bites/stings settings.

• Identify and describe the influence of pharmacological agents, in both the acute and chronic settings, co-morbidities and acute injury on the perception, transmission and cognitive interpretation of pain as relevant to ICP practice.

• Identify and describe variations to the physiological and psychological mechanisms that are responsible for the perception, transmission and cognitive interpretation of pain that occur across the life span.

• Demonstrate the appropriate application of ICP clinical procedures and equipment to assess and manage a patient who is experiencing pain.

• Describe the pharmacology of medications used in ICP clinical practice to manage a patient experiencing pain.

• Describe and demonstrate the appropriate clinical assessment and management of a patient who is experiencing pain including the management of any underlying pathological cause in the medical, trauma and bites/stings settings.

• Demonstrate the ability to form and revise clinical judgements and practice plans when presented with new evidence or information as relevant to ICP practice.