Master of Emergency Medical Care

Purpose

The purpose of the Master of Emergency Medical Care is to enable learners to use a wide range of specialised skills to identify, conceptualise, design and implement methods of enquiry to address complex Emergency Medical Care issues within a global context, with a focus on the South African Pre-hospital Emergency Care Environment. Through their research, learners will also develop the ability to make ethical contributions toward the improvement, development and management of the pre-hospital Emergency Medical Care profession.

Rationale

The National Department of Health required the content and standards of training in emergency care to be revised in order to accommodate an expanded scope of practice. The expanded scope includes interventions that were hitherto reserved for specialist intervention. This and the envisaged professionalisation of the Emergency Care profession by the Departments of Health and Higher Education and Training requires a cadre of professionals with knowledge and skills that will further contribute to the academic, intellectual, and research rigour of the profession.

Given the great need for, and the scarcity of well qualified emergency care workers in South Africa, this qualification will play a crucial role in relieving the shortage and contributing to the solving of the growing challenges of the emergency medical care community.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The faculty accepts Recognition of Prior Learning as an integral part of education and academic practice. It is acknowledged that all learning has value.

RPL will be applied for the purposes of this qualification. Through Recognition of Prior Learning, a learner may

• Gain access.

Or

• Be granted advanced placement on condition that he/she continues his/her studies at the institution.

Entry Requirements

The minimum admission requirement is

• Professional Bachelors' Degree in Emergency Medical Care (NQF Level 8).

Or

• Bachelor of Technology (B Tech) Emergency Medical Care (EMC), however such learners will need to complete a research methodology module.

The Master of Emergency Medical Care consists of research only, leading to a dissertation of 180 Credits.

1. Identify, design, conceptualise and implement methods of enquiry to investigate a research problem and use resources of academic and professional discourse to communicate and defend substantial ideas in the research.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Relevant literature to the area of investigation is analysed and critically evaluated to establish recent trends in technologies, techniques, models and theories in the chosen field.
• Principles, theories, techniques and methodologies in the chosen field are analysed, explained and correctly used in oral presentations and the dissertation model/s.
• The research problem is clearly identified, defined and detailed in the research proposal where the stated hypothesis directs the investigation.
• Appropriate methods and techniques are selected and applied in the collection of qualitative and quantitative data.
• Effective information technology in the production of the dissertation/research report is applied.
• Experimental research is responsibly and ethically conducted.
• Data is interpreted reflecting clear understanding of the relationship between correct information in the study and contradictory information.
• Conclusions based on inferences and interpretation of critical reviews of evidence from measurements and valid statistical analyses are drawn.
• Oral and written reports using correct academic language and appropriate statistics are drawn up and used to communicate the research problem, its investigation, the outcome, and the recommendations.

Integrated Assessment

In terms of the research component of the qualification, the supervisor will be responsible for the diagnostic and formative assessments of the product in order to provide feedback in terms of the final evaluation criteria. Teaching and learning of research methodology topics are promoted in this manner and also constitute a way of monitoring learners' progress. The assessment will entail oral presentations, research proposals, written progress reports, a research dissertation and an article written and submitted for publication.