Course duration
18 months
(May reduce depending on study load)
Mode of study
Online, with in-person intensive Clinical Workshops and Clinical Placement.
Pathways
Pathway to the Diploma or straight into work as a Basic Life Support Medic.
Course overview
The HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care is an entry-level qualification that is the first step on your pathway to becoming a first responder or paramedic.
If you’re drawn to a rewarding career as a frontline first responder and want to gain a solid foundation of medical knowledge and practical skills while building your confidence, the HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care is the course for you.
You’ll get a fundamental understanding of medical terminology and practical experience of assessing and managing a scene, communicating with patients and delivering basic clinical care.
This Certificate IV is the perfect starting point for those that want to be frontline emergency workers. Graduates of the course are qualified to go straight into working as an Ambulance Transport Attendant or private medic, or can continue their studies with a Diploma of Emergency Health Care, or university degree to become a paramedic.
What you’ll learn
- This course is designed to help you build the knowledge, practical skills and confidence to deliver pre-hospital care.
- Starting with the basics, you’ll learn how to interpret and apply medical terminology appropriately and confirm the physical health status of patients.
- Through a combination of online study, a clinical workshop and an industry placement, you’ll learn how to assess and manage a scene and deliver basic clinical care.
- Build your confidence by learning how to communicate effectively with emergency and non-emergency patients, and first responder teams such as Police and Fire Services.
- You’ll gain the fundamental skills and knowledge required to start work as a specialist medic straight away.
- With further study at diploma-level and on to university, you can eventually become a registered paramedic.
How it works
Learn online, at your own pace and gain hands-on clinical skills with a 5-day intensive workshop in NSW, VIC, QLD and W.A. and a 80-hour clinical placement in the field.
Why study this certificate with APC?
Flexible study
Study to your own schedule and choose how you learn: read, watch or listen.
Practical experience and skills
Get hands-on skills with nationwide clinical workshops and real-world work placements.
Developed and delivered by experts
Learn from expert instructors with decades of experience as paramedics or industry medics.
Course details
To apply:
- Age: Be at least 16 years of age (parental consent required if under 18)
- Education: At least year-10 high-school or equivalent
- Residency: Be an AUS/NZ citizen, AUS PR, or hold an approved temporary visa
- Driver’s license: Hold a current driver’s license*
- Technology: Have regular access to a computer and internet, and be comfortable with online study and assessments
*You may apply and enrol holding your learner’s (L) licence, however you will need a provisional licence (P) before attending workshop 1 (approx. 12 months into your course).
Pre-intake checks:
- Language, Literacy and Numeracy: Short quiz to check basic English and math skills, and help us better support you through your course (unless already holding equivalent or higher qualification)
- Health: Medical declaration to ensure you are fit to study
Clinical placement, prior to the time of placement:
- Evidence of National Police clearance
- Working with Children’s check (blue card)
- BSBMED301 – Interpret and Apply Medical Terminology Appropriately
- HLTAAP002 – Confirm Physical Health Status
- HLTOUT010 – Communicate in Complex Situations to Support Healthcare
- HLTOUT007 – Transport Non-emergency Patients Under Operational Conditions
- HLTWHS005 – Conduct Manual Tasks Safely
- HLTWHS002 – Follow Safe Work Practices for Direct Client Care
- HLTOUT008 – Manage a Scene
- HLTOUT004 – Assess and Deliver Basic Clinical Care
- HLTOUT001 – Implement Safe Access and Egress
- CHCCCS020 – Respond Effectively to Behaviours of Concern
- CHCPRP003 – Reflect On and Improve Own Professional Practice
- BSBFLM303 – Contribute to Effective Workplace Relationships
- CHCLEG001 – Work Legally and Ethically
- CHCDIV001 – Work with Diverse People
- HLTWHS006 – Manage Personal Stressors in the Work Environment
- HLTINF006 – Apply basic principles and practices of infection prevention and control
Studying for a career in healthcare can be rewarding and engaging, but we also know it’s not always easy. Here at APC, you have a whole support team with you every step of the way.
- Student success team: provide help with everything from platform logins to study tips
- Trainers and assessors: ensure you understand the training material and guide you through your clinical workshops
- Other students: connect with our strong student community on our private Facebook group. Ask questions, share tips and encourage each other!
The HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care has been designed to ensure you learn industry skills to deliver basic life support, and to be ready for anything. Clinical skills learnt include:
- Taking vital signs and administering basic life support
- Basic airway management and patient care
- An introduction to 4 lead ECG monitoring and automatic defibrillation
- Intramuscular injections
- Oxygen therapies (including nebulised medications)
- Basic Life Support resuscitation
- Basic drug management
- Principles of pharmacology and drug administration
During the HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care training, you’ll complete a 5-day clinical workshop.
Our clinical workshops are one of the highlights of the course. It’s your chance to put everything you’ve learnt into practice, meet your trainers and fellow students alike.
Workshops can be taken at the Australian Paramedical College HQ on the Queensland Gold Coast, or at dedicated training locations in NSW, WA, or VIC.
Clinical workshops are conducted in small groups and can include:
- Clinical practice environments, including skills stations
- 3 fully equipped, used state Ambulances
- An in-house, life-sized ambulance simulator
- Scenario and medical emergency simulation facilities
- The latest paramedical equipment as used by on-road paramedics
- Dedicated rooms for self-directed medical learning
- Fully-equipped lecture rooms
The HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care requires you to complete 80 hours of clinical placement.
Clinical placement is classed as ‘supervised activities in a pre-hospital medical support environment’.
Placements may be conducted within the event medical services, private first response or security companies, sporting associations, hospitals, aged-care facilities, State Emergency Service, GP surgeries or as a medic with a mining company.
Students are required to find and apply for their own clinical placements. However, our dedicated support team has many links within the industry and may be able to help students source placements if needed.
Learn more about clinical placements here.
Graduates of the HLT41120 – Certificate IV in Health Care will possess theoretical and practical knowledge and skills for specialised and/or skilled work and/or further learning.
Knowledge: Graduates at this level possess a broad factual, technical and theoretical knowledge of paramedical principles.
Skills: Graduates at this level will have a broad range of cognitive, technical and communication skills to select and apply a range of methods, tools, materials and information to:
Application of knowledge and skills: Graduates at this level will apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, judgement and limited responsibility in known or changing contexts and within established parameters.
Career outcomes
Start your life-saving career now
Fill in a short application form and one of our Career Advisors will give you a call to discuss the course and your goals in more detail. They’ll also answer any questions you might have.