More
Ambulance_02

Associate Ambulance Practice DipHE

If you're looking to pursue a rewarding career that supports people in their time of need, this diploma can train you to deliver high-quality and crucial pre-hospital care as an enhanced level ambulance technician.

Clearing is now open

Looking to start this September? View all Clearing courses and call us on +44 (0)116 257 7000 to secure your place. Learn more

Overview

If you’re passionate about supporting your community, with the aptitude to keep calm under pressure and work as part of a team to make important decisions, then working as an ambulance technician could be a really enriching career choice. As an ambulance technician, you’ll be working alongside the paramedic as a team of ambulance clinicians to support and assess patients. This diploma course is designed to teach you how to apply your knowledge and compassion to become a thoughtful and skilled healthcare professional. Our diploma course will educate you in many elements of clinical sciences and practice to be able to handle emergency and urgent healthcare situations.

You will study a range of topics taught by both paramedic lecturers and other healthcare professionals, including midwives, nurses and ODPs, which means your learning will benefit from expert knowledge from those with real experience of working in the healthcare sector. Practical experience is gained by working alongside senior paramedics and experienced technicians on emergency ambulances and rapid response cars. 

Key features

  • Learn and practice your skills in a safe environment on campus, where you’ll use specialist equipment including mock ambulances, tablet-based advanced life support simulators and purpose-built clinical skills areas.
  • Study a range of topics that will help prepare you for the variety of real-life situations you’ll encounter, including foundations of ambulance practice, trauma and resuscitative care and paediatrics and child health.
  • Your learning is supported by dedicated personal tutors and expert academics with first-hand experience, as well as clinical work placements and passionate mentors to offer you continued guidance.
  • You’ll be able to put your learning into practice by carrying out integrated work placements with local health and social care providers, which we can help you source thanks to our strong partnerships with the NHS and other healthcare providers.

Scholarships

DMU offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International student scholarships

Find out about available international scholarships or visit our fees and funding page for more information.

 

 

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: AAP2

Start date: September 2022

Duration: Two years full-time.

Fees and funding: UK/EU: £9,250

Apply for the DMU Sport Scholarship, worth up to £6,000.

 

Additional costs: You may incur additional costs for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations.

 

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Not available to international students

Entry criteria

 GCSEs

Five GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including Maths, English and Science. 

Passes in Functional Skills and Key Skills qualifications at level 2 in Maths and English can be accepted as equivalents.

Plus one of the following:

A levels

  • A minimum of 96 UCAS points (excluding General Studies, Key Skills and music exams) One subject should be a natural science (psychology is acceptable, or a health related subject or public services).

BTEC

  • Typical Offer 'MMM' - BTEC Extended Diploma Applied Science / Public Services

International Baccalaureate

  • 26+ points

Access to HE Diploma

  • Pass QAA Accredited AHE with at least 24 Level 3 credits at Distinction. English and Maths GCSE at grade C(4) are required as separate qualifications.

Alternative Entry Approaches

Here at DMU we recognise the commitment and achievement required to take part in national cadet programmes, particularly those with a focus on health and first aid, such as Ambulance Cadets. Where an applicant can demonstrate over two years of commitment to a cadet programme (considered from the age of 15+), supported by a letter of recommendation from their Unit Manager, Youth Team or Officer-in-Charge, we will accept this in lieu of 32 UCAS points (equivalent to a C grade at A-level). The remaining UCAS points will need to be gained through academic study. GCSE requirements still apply.

English language requirements:

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 7 overall, with 6.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential. English language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning (CELL), is available both before and during the course.

Please visit dmu.ac.uk/international for more information.

Interview: Yes

The recruitment process for this course includes assessing applicants by the content of their personal statement and interview for the core values of the NHS constitution.

Professional conduct during the event will also contribute to the decision-making regarding an applicant’s application.

There is no routine fitness test, but you are expected to be able to lift, move and carry patients. Candidates may be invited to undertake a trade (fitness) test where concerns about capability are identified by occupational health screening questionnaires and this will form part of the decision whether a candidate is offered a place or not.

Work experience: Yes

Applicants are required to demonstrate relevant work experience. This would normally include experience from formal or informal employment, school or college work placements, voluntary work and other relevant life experiences. Merit is placed on either health based work experience of customer service experience (i.e. working with people).

Non-academic requirements

As well as academic requirements, you will also be required to meet and fulfil non-academic requirements which are stated below:

  • Self-Declaration Form clearance
  • Occupational Health clearance
  • Enhanced DBS disclosure clearance

You submit an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service disclosure application form before starting the course (if you are overseas you will also need to submit a criminal records certificate from your home country), which needs to be cleared in accordance with DMU’s admissions policy. Contact us for up-to-date information.

Covid-19 vaccination requirements

This course includes compulsory clinical placements, therefore placement providers may require you to provide evidence of full vaccination against Covid-19 (unless medically exempt).

Find out how to book your vaccinations.

You must meet and fulfil all non-academic requirements before 18th July 2022.

 


Availability: This course has a limited number of places so that we can ensure a good quality placement experience. In exceptional circumstances this may result in the course becoming full before you have completed the admissions process. In this situation we will offer you the opportunity to be considered for a place on an alternative course.

More courses like this

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Academic expertise  

 

First year

  • Foundations of Ambulance Practice
  • Assessment & Consultation Skills 
  • Foundations of Pathophysiology
  • Accountable, Legal & Ethical Practice
  • Simulated Emergency Care 1
  • Applied Emergency Care 1

Second year

  • Paediatrics & Child Health
  • Social & Psychological Emergency Care 
  • Research in Paramedicine
  • Trauma & Resuscitative Care
  • Simulated Emergency Care 2
  • Applied Emergency Care 2

 

 

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Click here for more detailed module information 

  

 

Teaching and Assessment

Learning is supported by a strong system of personal tutors and teaching teams, clinical work placements and enthusiastic mentors. Teaching methods include:

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Presentations
  • Skill Labs
  • Tutorials
  • Enquiry-based problem solving
  • Independent e-learning

You will complete blocks of clinical placements 37.5 hours per week (average) and blocks comprised of theory and independent learning hours up to an equivalent of 37.5 hours each week. This means some weeks you may complete more hours than others, typically following the work rota of your mentor on that placement.

Students in practice placements are allocated a mentor to help develop and support learning.

Assessment

A variety of approaches are used to assess theory and practice.

Practice is assessed through the completion of a clinical skills passport and practice assessment documents.

Theory is assessed through poster presentations, OSPE (practical) assessments, tutor marked assignments, written exams, literature reviews, case studies, e-assessments, numeracy assessments, team based learning assessments, essays and critical reflection. 

Teaching contact hours

Contact hours in a typical week will depend to some extent on the modules you are studying. However, typically you will have up to 16 contact hours of teaching and this will break down as:

Personal tutorial/small group teaching: approx. 1 hour of tutorials or small group teaching each week

Medium group teaching: approx. 6 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars each week

Large group teaching: approx. 10 hours of lectures each week

Personal study: approx. 21.5 hours studying and revising in your own time each week, including some guided study using hand-outs, online activities, etc.

 

 

Academic expertise

The paramedic teaching team are all registered paramedics or alternative allied health care professionals and qualified or developing teachers. Most lecturers hold masters level qualifications, whilst many are currently undertaking academic and professional doctorates and are actively engaged in research. The teaching team also boasts lecturers who hold fellowships with the Higher Education Academy. 

 

Facilities and features

 
Placements
Placements
Placements
Placements
 

Health and Life Sciences facilities

Substantial investment has developed our teaching and learning facilities to help you expand your practical experience and theoretical knowledge beyond the classroom.

The 19th century Hawthorn Building has facilities designed to replicate current practice in health and life sciences, including contemporary analytical chemistry and formulation laboratories, audiology booths and nursing and midwifery clinical skills suites.

Purpose-built clinical skills areas allow you to practice in a safe environment. You will receive guidance and support from staff to ensure that you develop a precise and accurate practical ability in the clinical skills suites.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including Blackboard, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Works

Placements

You will be able to undertake work placement at both rural and city ambulance stations as part of your educational development. Work placements are integral to your learning on this course and, as part of the programme, you will complete clinical placements in blocks of 37.5 hours per week (on average). 

You will be required to make your own way to placements at any ambulance station in the greater Leicester area, so the ability to drive or travel by other means is essential (although this is not an assessed entrance criteria). 

The ambulance stations are not typically on public bus routes and, due to the early start of shifts and unpredictability around some late finishes, planning public transport as an option can be more difficult.

Graduate Careers

As an applied subject, you’ll be able graduate with the skillset to pursue a wide range of careers in crucial sectors such as healthcare, and education. 

On completion of this programme, our undergraduate study opportunities can further enhance your knowledge and skills, with the chance for you to continue studying in areas including Paramedicine BSc (Hons)

 

Uniform and dress code policy

While on placement, students must adhere to the uniform and dress code policy of the placement provider. This includes acute and community-based placements, which are essential components for completion of the course. NHS trusts and other placement providers have given careful consideration to cultural and religious needs relating to uniform policies/dress codes.

These policies and codes have been developed in partnership with cultural and religious bodies to ensure that local and national infection control guidance is adhered to. While we always endeavour to accommodate individual needs, there are some areas where the need to fully comply with infection control guidance has overridden religious requirements.

 

Take your next steps

More from DMU