Australian Paramedical College (APC) is proud to offer students a welcoming and quality experience when completing their Clinical Workshops as part of their course requirements.
Participating in Clinical Workshops provides students with the real-life, practical skills essential for emergency healthcare practitioner roles.
Held in state-of-the-art training facilities in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, it’s no secret that the opportunity to put online learning into practice is a real highlight for our eager students.
Attending Clinical Workshops
All APC courses have an in-person Clinical Workshop component which means all enrolled students need to attend before they graduate.
The HLT51020 Diploma of Emergency Health Care entails two 5-day Clinical Workshops, where the HLT41120 Certificate IV in Health Care and HLT31120 Certificate III in Non-Emergency Patient Transport involve a 5-day intensive workshop for students.
Clinical Workshops are one of the highlights for our students as it’s their chance to put everything they’ve learnt online into practice, honing their knowledge and hands-on skills.
Our locations
We are proud to help passionate individuals study paramedicine and put them on the pathway to success, no matter where they’re based.
Clinical Workshops are held at our campuses located in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
If you’re based outside of one of these states – that’s ok, nearly 10% of our graduates are! You can learn about how we cater to all Australian students here.
Hands-on learning
APC Clinical Workshops are a formative experience for students as part of their study journey.
It’s the opportunity during their course where they get to use a range of real-world, on-road medical equipment and practice how to handle emergency and non-emergency scenarios with our Trainers and Assessors, and other students too.
Clinical workshops are generally conducted in small groups and equipped with the following to give students quality, hands-on experience:
Support available
Not only is there a team of qualified healthcare professionals delivering education at APC; our wonderful Student Success Team (SST) is on-hand to help students too!
Whether it’s regarding online learning, attending workshops, or enquiries about Clinical Placement, our committed and approachable SST is available to support students throughout their journey. Types of assistance may include;
Meet your Trainers & Assessors and learn from their real industry experience
Put your online learning into practice & build your skillset
Meet your peers and support one another
Drawing on decades of frontline experience as qualified industry medics or state ambulance paramedics, our dedicated Trainers and Assessors bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to their roles as educators at APC.
They lead all our Clinical Workshops across Australia and serve as your point of contact for any queries regarding the course material and assessments when you are studying online. Should you ever require assistance, one-on-one sessions with them are available via phone or video call too.
Meet the teamCheck out some frequently asked questions to help you prepare for attending a Clinical Workshop at APC.
For each APC course, there is a required amount of theory that needs to be completed prior to booking in for your Clinical Workshop.
For students studying the HLT51020 – Diploma of Emergency Health Care, this means completing your first 10 units of theory. If enrolled into the HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care, you will need to have finished the first 11 units. While it depends on your study load and can differ for everyone, on average it takes students 12 months to reach this milestone.
Similarly, for HLT31120 – Certificate III Non-Emergency Patient Transport students, approximately 12 months into course and once 11 units have been completed, it’s time to attend a Clinical Workshop.
Alongside completing the relevant theory, Australian Diploma and Cert IV students must hold the unit HLTAID011 – Provide First Aid and HLTAID009 – Provide CPR prior to attending Clinical Workshop 1. The unit must be current and verified prior to confirmation of your booking. New Zealand students most hold Comprehensive First Aid NZQA Standards – 6402, 6401, 6400 and First Aid Revalidation.
Don’t forget at APC, you have the flexibility to undertake your workshop in NSW, VIC, QLD or WA, learning from and working alongside our committed team of Trainers and Assessors.
Clinical Workshops are an integral part of a student’s course and typically a real highlight too!
Normally there’s around sixteen students in each workshop and 2-3 Trainers and Assessors. The Clinical Workshops focus on a structured clinical approach, strengthening both clinical expertise and communication techniques to gain proficiency in making the best clinical decision for patients. Typically, for each skill breakdown, our Trainer and Assessors will facilitate a short theoretical session followed by a demonstration, before breaking into small groups where everyone gets an opportunity to attempt the skills with their peers.
The Trainers and Assessors use this time to make their way around and answer any questions students might have as well. As the Clinical Workshop unfolds, the learning is scaffolded to support the student’s learning journey with immersive clinical scenarios that extend students clinical exposure and experience is a safe and support learning environment.
When preparing for your workshop there’s a few items that you need to bring so you’re all ready to go, including;
You will also receive an APC polo to wear on your first day, if you decide you need another on the day or throughout the Clinical Workshop, this can easily be arranged.
Clinical Workshop 1 and Clinical Workshop 2 differ slightly in their emphasis on particular skills and topics covered as they complement and build on from one to the other.
Trainer and Assessors highly recommend that you review the specific skills, pharmacology and clinical practice guidelines on the APC Resource Library.
During the first Clinical Workshop, the structured clinical approach will be reintroduced and built upon from the online learning and basic skills such as heart rate, blood pressure and chest auscultation will be taught. The application of these skills and approach will be put to test in some common patient presentations. In Clinical Workshop 2 the Trainer and Assessors extend on the foundations laid in the first workshop and start to hone in on some of the more advanced skills and diagnostic thinking.
To review the scope of practice of a graduated APC student, please refer to the below links:
HLT51020 – Diploma of Emergency Health Care: scope of practice
HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care: scope of practice
HLT31120 – Certificate III in Non-Emergency Patient transport: scope of practice
Assessments during Clinical Workshops is a way for students to demonstrate competence and their understanding of how to put theory into practice.
Some assessments will take place throughout the week before building up towards a ‘scenario’ which gives students a chance to combine all their learned skills together. For example, a simulated patient may present with central chest pain and the other students assess and manage the patient presentation.
Depending on which course you’re studying will determine which stage you’re at in your study journey with APC.
If you pass your workshop as a HLT31120 Certificate III in Non-Emergency Patient Transport student and have successfully completed all of your theory, you’re ready to graduate! If you still have a couple of units to go following your workshop, you will need to complete these first.
If you’re a HLT41120 Certificate IV in Health Care or studying the HLT51020 Diploma of Emergency Health Care, you can commence the next exciting step which is Clinical Placement.
Simply fill in the form below to receive more information about your preferred course.
One of our friendly Course Advisors will be in touch soon to discuss your interest in studying at APC too!
Why blended-learning works
From nurses to aspiring Emergency Services Officers, our diverse range of students enjoy the combination of studying online and then putting their learnings into practice for all different reasons.
“I really like the practical side of things. You do all the theory work and then get hands-on, it’s definitely the way to go“, one of our Diploma students shared.
Watch this video to hear from our students first-hand and why our blended-learning model works for them.