- SF11, Peninsula Allied Health Centre, Derriford Road, PLYMOUTH, Devon, PL6 8BH
- +44 1752 587552
- andrew.webber@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Mr Andrew Webber
Lecturer in Paramedic Practice (Education)
School of Health Professions (Faculty of Health and Human Sciences)
Role
Lecturer in Paramedic Practice
Andrew is primarily responsible for promoting high standards of learning for pre-registrant paramedic students at Plymouth University. He is also the cohort lead for the current second year students. His role includes developing students' practical skills (eg. physical exam techniques, resuscitation), alongside fostering other important skills (eg. clinical decision making, critiquing and utilising evidence to improve practice). Andrew is also responsible for developing registrant paramedics who choose to undertake post-registration study at Plymouth University.
Qualifications
Background
Andrew joined the NHS in 1999, and spent his early career working as an ambulance care assistant in Cornwall. After ambulance technician training, Andrew transferred into Plymouth. He qualified as a paramedic in 2005, and later undertook post-registration training with Plymouth University. By completing a BSc(Hons) in Emergency Care, he was able to develop specialist paramedic competencies, including: enhanced clinical assessments, suturing, catheterisation, and supply of certain primary care medications (eg. antibiotics, analgesics).
With a commitment to developing others, and having completed an MSc in research, Andrew joined Plymouth University in 2013. He is now a lecturer in paramedic practice with Plymouth University. Andrew maintains links with the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, and continues to practise as a specialist paramedic in urgent/emergency care. This practice involves assessing those with both chronic and unscheduled care needs, and applying national guidelines, contemporary evidence, and sound clinical reasoning to ensure that every patient receives care that is tailored to their individual needs.
Andrew's extra-clinical interests include: professional development; substance misuse & harm reduction; and, supporting colleagues to learn from their HCPC fitness to practise cases.
Summary of academic qualifications/achievements
2014 - PgCert Academic Practice, Plymouth University
The Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) explored the underpinning pedagogy of teaching, learning and assessment within higher education. The programme aligned to the Higher Education Academy's professional standards framework.
2013 - MSc Health and Social Care Research (Distinction), University of Sheffield
The programme covered a range of topics related to research, including:
• Social research methodology & study design
• Systematic reviewing of literature
• Qualitative data collection & analysis
• Quantitative data collection & analysis
• Philosophical & social issues in research
• Professional research skills & HE teaching
The programme culminated with a dissertation exploring naloxone use by ambulance clinicians managing heroin overdose.
2010 - BSc(Hons) Emergency Care (First class), University of Plymouth
The BSc(Hons) programme embraced interdisciplinary working from the outset, by combining learners from nursing, medical, and paramedical backgrounds. The programme covered:
• Systems & structures within UK emergency/unscheduled care
• Clinical assessment/consultation skills
• Evidence based practice & factors affecting its implementation
• Integrated governance & factors affecting practice/organisational change
2001 - CertHSC (Health & Social Care), Open University
Summary of relevant professional/vocational qualifications/achievements
2016 - SSTAR award nominations: outstanding personal tutor; inspirational teacher; innovative teaching methods
2015 - SSTAR award nominations: outstanding personal tutor; inspirational teacher; innovative teaching methods
2012 - Good Clinical Practice, NIHR/NHS
2008 - Mentorship (HEAB370), University of Plymouth
2005 - Ambulance paramedic, IHCD
2002 - Ambulance aid & emergency driving, IHCD
1999 - Ambulance care assistant & non-emergency driving, IHCD
Career summary prior to becoming lecturer with Plymouth University
2012-current - Specialist paramedic (urgent/emergency care) (ZHC), SWAST
• Primarily providing a paramedic service
• Provision of advice for colleagues seeking support with clinical decisions
• Assessment/management of minor illness/injury within a multidisciplinary team
2005-2013 - Paramedic, SWAST
• Annually assessing ~1,200 patients with unscheduled care needs
• Delivery of routine patient care and autonomous use of medications
• Collaboration with staff in social care, general practice and emergency medicine
• Supervision of junior staff and students
2001-2005 - Ambulance technician, WAST/SWAST
• Annually assessing ~1,000 patients with unscheduled care needs
• Delivery of appropriate patient care, including onward referral
• Responsible for driving emergency vehicles using appropriate exemptions
1999-2001 - Ambulance care assistant, WAST
• Supporting patients during transit to and from hospital, hospice and care-homes
• Responsible for driving non-emergency ambulance vehicles
Professional memberships
British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) - Full member
College of Paramedics - Full member [MCPara]
Faculty of Prehospital Care (RCSEd) - Full member
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) - Paramedic member
Higher Education Academy - Fellow member [FHEA]
Society for Education and Training (formerly the Institue for Learning) - Member [MSET]
Additional internal roles
Andrew is an active member of the School of Health Professions' Bachelor's Degree Ethics Subcommittee.
He is also a working with others on the Athena Swan self-assessment team, which aims to encourage the careers of women in science/technology, medicine and higher education/research.
External roles/affiliations
As well as being responsible for students studying at Plymouth University, Andrew has the following external commitments:
- Andrew was the external-examiner for the University of East Anglia's (UEA) BSc(Hons) Paramedic Science programme from 2013-2017 (accepting the role of external-examiner for their DipHE programme run in conjunction with EEAS in 2015 too.
- During 2015-16, Andrew was a member of the College of Paramedics' Postgraduate Curriculum Development Group. This group worked to develop postgraduate curriculum guidance for UK paramedics.
- Andrew acts as reviewer for Health and Care Research Wales (formally the National Institute for Social Care and Health Research: NISCHR). He also acts as a reviewer for the International Emergency Nursing journal.
- In 2016, Andrew was the external adviser for the major review of the Public Services portfolio at University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
- in February 2017, Andrew acted as the external adviser for the PgCert Simulation in Health and Social Care at University of Salford.
- Andrew has consulted for commercial UK ambulance services; with a particular focus upon improving medicines governance.
CPD summary for 2018
04/2017 - NHS - Manual & patient handling (annual update)
04/2017 - NHS - In the line of fire (annual update)
04/2017 - NHS - Information governance (annual update)
CPD summary for 2017
11/2017 - CoD paramedic roundtable discussions
10/2017 - Mandatory update training (eLFH)
08/2017 - Laerdal manakin training
07/2017 - SWAST learning development review (11 Jul)
07/2017 - Larry Lamb study day 2017
04/2017 - NHS - Manual & patient handling (annual update)
04/2017 - NHS - In the line of fire (annual update)
03/2017 - Paramedic reviewer for NICE 'suspected neurological conditions' guidelines
02/2017 - External adviser for the PgCert Simulation in Health and Social Care at University of Salford
02/2017 - Mass Medicine Gathering Summit, Las Vegas
CPD summary for 2016
12/2016 - SWAST learning development review (28 Dec)
11/2016 - External adviser for the review of the Public Services portfolio at University of Wales Trinity Saint David
09/2016 - Catheter update
08/2016 - Laerdal manakin training
06/2016 - SWAST SME update (inc. resus assessment)
04/2016 - NHS - Manual & patient handling (annual update)
04/2016 - NHS - In the line of fire (annual update)
01/2016 - Raising your profile through publication workshop, lead by Dr Jennifer Creek
CPD summary for 2015
12/2015 - Recruitment and selection training
11/2015 - Unconscious bias in interviewing
10/2015 - Critical appraisal and statistic workshop
08/2015 - SWAST SME update
08/2015 - Laerdal manakin training
06/2015 - SWAST learning development review (22 June)
06/2015 - Catheter update
05/2015 - College of Paramedics' Research conference, UK
05/2015 - SWAST SME update
02/2015 - RCGP/PHE - Urinary tract infections: a primary care puzzle
02/2015 - NHS - In the line of fire (annual update)
01/2016 - HSCIC - Introduction to Information Governance
Clinical practice
2017 - Practised ~250 hours to date. Last practised July 2018.
2017 - Practised ~400 hours.
2016 - Practised ~500 hours.
2015 - Practised ~400 hours.
Teaching interests
Teaching interests include developing paramedic students' clinical examination skills (eg. assessment of core body systems using the traditional medical models) and cognitive skills (eg. clinical decision making, analysis of ECGs). Also, keen to support traditional lecture teaching with alternative learning approaches, including: self-directed workbooks; technology assisted interactive sessions (eg. using Turning Point); outdoor scenarios; problem-based learning.
Module tutor for the following BSc(Hons) Paramedic Practitioner modules:
PARA101 Foundations of Pre-Hospital Patient Care
PARA102 Safe Systems of Work in Clinical Practice (module lead)
PARA201 Advanced Patient Care
PARA202 Pharmacology and Medicines Management (module lead)
PARA203 Acute Cardiac Care
SOHP201 Project Studies 1
PARA301 Refining Practitioner Skills for Patient Care
Module tutor for the following health-care CPD modules:
MENT602 Mentorship APEL
MENT702 Mentorship APEL
ADV702 Applying Evidence to Practice (paramedic link)
Staff serving as external examiners
Although primarily responsible for students studying at Plymouth University, Andrew is also an advisor / external examiner for the University of East Anglia's (UEA) DipHE and BSc(Hons) Paramedic Science programme.
Research interests
Andrew acts as a research supervisor for undergraduate paramedic students; as well as supervising those undertaking the MSc Pre-hospital Critical Care Retrieval and Transfer.
The undergraduate projects for 2016 include a survey of students preparedness to practise, and a comparison of handling techniques to limit hip movement.
Andrew's personal research interests include:
Substance misuse and harm-reduction within the ambulance setting.
Ambulance staff often provide reactive care for patients suffering from drug related illnesses; yet they may less commonly provide proactive harm-reduction advice. Andrew's particular interests relate to the use of naloxone (including bystander administered take-home naloxone) within the out-of-hospital setting, and the importance of appropriate referral for those suffering alcohol related disorders.
The role and remit of volunteer responders within ambulance services.
In an emergency, simple measures save lives (eg. basic resuscitation, early defibrillation). Several ambulance services train and equip volunteer community co-responders to attend patients with life-threatening complaints prior to ambulance arrival, and these responders play a vital role in the chain of survival. Andrew is interested in the effect that these volunteers have on measurable patient outcomes (ie. survival following cardiac arrest, response times).
2015
Naloxone for heroin overdose: an audit of one UK ambulance service, May 2015
Poster presentation at College of Paramedics Prehospital research Conference 'Questions at the Cutting Edge of Emergency Care', Hatfield, UK. Download poster at http://tinyurl.com/PlymParaNLX.
Reports & invited lectures
2014
Peninsula Emergency Medicine and Trauma Conference, March 2014
Recognition and emergency decompression of the tension pneumothorax.
Recognition and emergency decompression of the tension pneumothorax.