What is the AEA Refresher Course?

The Ambulance Emergency Assistant Refresher course is intended for the ILS Practitioner who is looking to refresh their knowledge and ultimately improve their patient care. By successfully completing this course, the ILS Paramedic will earn the annually required CPD point requirement of the HPCSA. The AEA Refresher course also meets the requirements to prepare you for the HPCSA Board Examination that is required for AEA Restoration purposes. Please note that passing the Ambulance Emergency Assistant Refresher course does not automatically mean that your AEA Registration will be restored, you must pass the HPCSA Board Examination first.

Our Ambulance Emergency Assistant Refresher course is CPG Update ready.

What is Covered in the AEA Refresher Course?

On completion of the AEA Refresher course, successful candidates would gain in-depth knowledge on the following sections:

• Ethics – The AEA Paramedic will be taken through medico-legal issues, their ethical responsibilities, and prepare them to deal with ethical dilemmas they may be faced with in the workplace.
• Airway Management – Being confident in adequate airway control is key in dealing with a seriously sick or injured patient. This chapter deals with the basic anatomy and physiology of the airways, airway assessment, basic airway management techniques, and oxygenation techniques.
• Cardiovascular Emergencies – Maintaining adequate circulation is key to keeping patients alive and preventing sudden deterioration. In this chapter, we will have a look at the basic anatomy and physiology, identification and treatment of cardiac arrest, shock, and various other coronary syndromes and cardiac injuries. Basic ECG interpretation is also dealt with, and a few ALS rhythms are introduced to the ILS Practitioner.
• Respiratory Emergencies – Basic anatomy and physiology together with medical and traumatic emergencies are discussed. Various treatment and monitoring procedures are discussed.
• Neurological Emergencies – Brain and spinal injuries, seizures, dementia, delirium, cerebrovascular accidents, and other neurological emergencies are discussed along with their appropriate treatment procedures.
• Gastrointestinal Emergencies – Abdominal injuries are often overlooked in the emergency setting; we dive into various commonly seen gastrointestinal emergencies following various medical and traumatic incidents.
• Metabolic & Endocrine Emergencies – Although diabetes is the most common condition found in this chapter, the ILS Practitioner must also be aware of various conditions leading to acidosis and alkalosis in seriously ill or injured patients.
• Poisoning & Overdose Emergencies – Accidental poisoning as well as overdose of various prescription medications and illegal drugs are discussed along with their treatments.
• Gynaecological and Obstetric Emergencies – The new practical components of breech delivery from the AEA CPG Updates are discussed along with all the other gynaecological and obstetric emergencies that practitioners might be faced with prehospitally.
• Burns, Musculoskeletal, & Vascular Emergencies – Burns, fractures, sprains and strains, and vascular incidents are often seen in traumatic injuries. We look at the anatomy and physiology of the various systems and how to treat the various injuries appropriately. Haemostatic agents and tourniquets for uncontrollable bleeding have been included.
• Psychiatric Emergencies – Dealing with psychiatric patients can be challenging as they hardly ever respond to your presence as a medical practitioner in the same way. The appropriate way to approach and deal with these patients is discussed.
• Environmental Emergencies – Various environmental injuries are discussed including animal bites and stings, the effects of high and low temperatures, and drowning along with the appropriate treatment of each.
• Approaching the Patient – The correct way to approach your patient is discussed in detail including scene safety, triage, primary and secondary surveys, vital signs, and the SAMPLE history.

Who Can Benefit from this Course?

Any qualified Ambulance Emergency Assistant will benefit from this exciting and in-depth Ambulance Assistant Emergency Refresher course. Irrespective of their area of operation or years of experience; this course will assist in updating skills and knowledge to become up-to-date with the best practice and latest research.

This course provides 30 CPD points (25 CEUs + 5 Ethics) which is the number of points required annually by an AEA Practitioner to remain registered with the HPCSA. 

If your HPCSA registration has lapsed and you need to restore your AEA Registration with the HPCSA the requirements are as follows (according to the latest HPCSA Restoration Guidelines dated May 2022):

• 0-2 years since removal from the register – Obtain 30 CPD points before applying to the HPCSA for AEA Restoration. Another 30 CPD points must be obtained in the first 12 months after your AEA Registration was restored.
• 2 years and since removal from the register – Following payment of arrear fees, AEA Practitioners will have to pass the HPCSA Board examination. The Board examination includes various OSCEs, a written assessment, an adult patient simulation, as well as a paediatric simulation. These exams may be attempted twice whereafter additional attempts will not be allowed. A Refresher course from an approved provider is not required, however, we highly recommend doing our AEA Refresher course to prepare you for the AEA Board Examination for Restoration Purposes.

How is this Course Presented?

The Ambulance Emergency Assistant Refresher course was developed, reviewed, and will be presented by experts with many years of experience in the Prehospital Emergency Care setting. Keeping the cost of travelling and availability in mind the AEA Refresher course was approved by the University of Johannesburg as a semi-correspondence course. 

Candidates will receive their training material via courier which includes an A5 training manual, a Workbook, and an AEA Drug Protocol booklet. The Workbook must be completed before the start of the AEA Refresher course, after which candidates will have to attend a 1-day session which consists of a half day of discussions regarding important points followed by various assessments. Successful candidates will receive a certificate for both the Ambulance Emergency Assistant Refresher Course and the CPG Update which will automatically be uploaded to the HPCSA database.

How is this Course Assessed?

The Ambulance Emergency Assistant Refresher course is mostly a correspondence course and on completion of the workbook, candidates will be assessed.

Successful candidates must pass 6/8 OSCEs, the Patient Simulation, the Written Assessment, as well as the Workbook. A second attempt at the assessment will be available should a candidate be found not yet competent.