Clinical Physiotherapy (8985.1)
Available teaching periods | Delivery mode | Location |
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View teaching periods | ||
EFTSL | Credit points | Faculty |
0.125 | 3 | Faculty Of Health |
Discipline | Study level | HECS Bands |
Discipline Of Physiotherapy | Level 3 - Undergraduate Advanced Unit | Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021) Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021) |
Students will be placed in clinical environments, including but not limited to public, private, acute care, rehabilitation or community health care settings.
Clinical skills will be applied for patients with more complex and varied conditions. Students will be moving towards more independent clinical practice, while still under close supervision.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:1. Demonstrate consistent professional behaviour, including understanding of patients' rights, good teamwork and commitment to learning;
2. Communicate effectively and efficiently, verbally and in writing, in the clinical context;
3. Perform a clinical assessment using appropriate and valid tools;
4. Analyse assessment findings in context of current research to set treatment goals;
5. Select and apply effective treatment based on patient goals, current evidence and rationale;
6. Identify and minimise risks in the healthcare context; and
7. Critically appraise decisions in health care systems from an ethical, resource, and scientific perspective.
Graduate attributes
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
Prerequisites
8986 Musculoskeletal Interventions 2 and8983 Neurological Interventions 2 and
8979 Cardiothoracic Interventions 2.
Corequisites
Enrolment in the Bachelor of Physiotherapy 202JAIncompatible units
NONE.Equivalent units
NO.Assumed knowledge
NONEYear | Location | Teaching period | Teaching start date | Delivery mode | Unit convener |
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Required texts
There is no prescribed textbook for this Unit of study. It is advised that you revise all suitable material from pre-requisite Units of Study and any additional revision requested by your specific clinical site. Please see Canvas for required resources as they vary between clinical sites.
Submission of assessment items
Extensions & Late submissions
Students must have successfully completed Cardiothoracic Intervention 1 (CI1) before they will be permitted to go out on any clinical placement. They must also have attended 100% of the clinical lectures offered in first semester each year. Students who do not attend these lectures will not be able to go on placement.
Work integrated learning aims to evaluate the student's ability to derive clinical implications from the theoretical framework provided and implement these safely and effectively in a variety of settings. As such, a satisfactory grade must be obtained in the clinical practice component in order to pass this unit.
Details of assessment and competency standards for this component are shown below and will be provided to the student in the clinical handbook, on the unit Canvas site and Physiotherapy student WIL information Canvas site.
To achieve satisfactory progress you must:
- Attend the full 5 week clinical placement.
- Keep a record of your clinical placement by completing the clinical experience log. The logbook is on Smartabase and it must be completed daily for every placement. Submit your clinical journal log via Smartabase to the Clinical Coordinator on the final day of relevant clinical placement. Failure to do so may result in a failure of the clinical placement or a loss of 1% of the total unit marks per day.
- Complete the weekly clinical reflection diary. The diary and instructions are found as an assignment on the Physiotherapy student WIL information Canvas site. The final reflection must be completed by midnight of the Sunday after the last day of placement. The assignment must be completed satisfactorily for you to pass the clinical placement. In the case of inadequate or incomplete reflections you will fail the placement and need to repeat the unit it is attached to.
- Pass the "Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice" (APP). The APP is a standardised instrument developed for assessing the competency of physiotherapy practice in Australia and New Zealand. A copy and details of this APP are found on this unit's and Physiotherapy student WIL information Canvas sites. The tool is accessed via http://www.applinkup.com.
Assessment will be moderated to ensure that judgments of students' performance are consistent, transparent, reliable and valid. If you require further information on how the assessment tasks of this unit are moderated please see the unit convener.
In order to pass this unit all assessment items on the APP must be completed to a pass level (50%). Please also see Section 6g and 6h.
Special assessment requirements
To pass the unit, students must attend the workshops and feedback sessions, pass both clinical placements, and complete the clinical logs and reflection diary satisfactorily.
Supplementary assessment
This unit is not in the final semester of the course, and a supplementary assessment is not available.
Moderation of assessment
The University of Canberra’s policies on moderation apply to all physiotherapy units. The standard of assessment in this unit will be equivalent wherever and however the unit is delivered.
Assessment will be moderated to ensure that judgments of students’ performance are consistent, transparent, reliable and valid. The moderation policy can be provided by the Unit Convenor upon request. In the case of clinical placements, fieldwork, or other forms of practicums, moderation processes are outlined below.
Clinical moderation may take a number of different forms:
The APP
The APP form was developed to help physiotherapy clinical educators to be consistent when assessing students. Workshops training Clinical Educators to apply the APP are held at the university regularly to standardise its application. The APP has been validated and tested across Australia and New Zealand for this purpose.
Workshops
Workshops for clinical educators are held several times per year. Both formal and informal moderation may occur at these workshops.
Reviewing student performance
A member of academic staff (either the clinical coordinator, unit convenor or their representative) will moderate the APP assessment result or professional behaviour issues (as relevant). The academic staff member may interview the student, interview the clinical educator or other clinical staff involved, review medical records, review clinical reasoning notes made by the student, review a range of feedback provided by the clinical educator, review any documentation provided by the clinical educator or the student. Interviews may take place by any communication method (face to face, phone or skype for example). Communication may be by any communication method (face to face, phone or email for example).
The final decision to pass of fail a student on clinical placement is the responsibility of the academic staff at the university, not the clinical supervisor on site. However, the Clinical Coordinator will draw from the APP results in the first instance for assessment results and implement appropriate moderation procedures according to that.
Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.
Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.
UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).
UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.
Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.
Learner engagement
The amount of time you will need to spend on study in this unit will depend on a number of factors including your prior knowledge, learning skill level and learning style. While out on placement the assumption is made that students will be at the clinical site full time, as per the hours of the site. Please reference the clinical faculty and physiotherapy clinical handbooks for more details.
This Unit contains participatory elements which are vital to the Australian Physiotherapy Council professional learning outcomes for this Unit. Except in the case of extenuating circumstances, 100% attendance is expected at all lectures, and 100% participation is required in all clinical placements.
The successful completion of both clinical placements is a mandatory element of the Unit.
It is expected that students unable to fulfil these participation requirements will inform the Unit Convener as soon as practical by email.
Inclusion and engagement
Work-integrated learning (clinical) placements take place in hospital, community and private practice settings. Arrangements that can be put in place in these locations may not reflect arrangements available in the university.
Students are expected to attend placements that are both local, interstate and rural. Travel and accomodation costs are at the students' own expence. All students will be travelling for some of their 5 placements.
Participation requirements
Participation in each placement is 5 days per week for 5 weeks. Part time placement are not available. Full attendence is required for accreditation and successful completion of the unit. If unable to attend, students must advise their Clinical Educator and the Unit Convener with an appropriate medical certificate.
Placements will be outside the ACT and around Australia.
The successful completion of the clinical placement is a mandatory element of the Unit and the assessment of the Unit.
It is expected that students unable to fulfil these participation requirements will inform the Unit Convener as soon as practical by email.
Absence from a Clinical Placement
Absence from external placement activities must be reported to the clinical educator on site and clinical coordinator at UC. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in failure of the associated assessment piece.
Consideration will be given for illness, however evidence such as a medical certificate will be required.
Required IT skills
Students are assumed to have basic IT skills.
In-unit costs
Additional costs
Cost associated with a clinical placement:
- Travel to practical and work integrated learning (clinical education) locations
- Accommodation costs at interstate placements
- uniform related costs and uniform maintenance
Some sites, such as Canberra Hospital, require students to pay a cash deposit to obtain a (compulsory) ID card. This money is fully refundable on return of the ID on the last day of placement.
Scholarships may be available. See Physiotherapy WIL Canvas for details
Work placement, internships or practicums
Visiting clinical sites and work integrated learning is an essential part of the University of Canberra physiotherapy programs. This experience enables knowledge to be embedded in a clinical context with the assistance of trained clinical supervisors, and cannot be attained in any other setting. The control of access to work-integrated learning facilities derives from contractual arrangements
with ACT Health, NSW Health and other hospitals, centres and practices. University of Canberra is obliged to accept the rules and regulations that govern who they will accept into those premises.
It is beyond University of Canberra's control to influence the health facilities to change their acceptability requirements.
- UC pre-placement requirements – e.g. vaccines, manual handling, police checks etc.
As part of this unit, students are required to undertake professional placement. Students must complete their pre-placement requirements before being able to undertake professional placement. Pre-placement requirements are to be uploaded to InPlace. After these requirements are completed (uploaded to InPlace and verified (green status)), students will be allocated to their Professional Placements as required by their course of study. Pre-placement requirements are located at: www.canberra.edu.au/placement. Further information can be found in the WIL guidelines found on that page.
Pre-placement requirements are due on: 31-01-2019
Student who have not met pre-placement requirements by the specified due date will not be allocated a placement. This will result in a fail grade for the unit.
- Industry mandatory pre-placement requirements (e.g. ACT Health & NSW e-learning modules etc.)
Some practice placement industry partners require students to complete further mandatory pre-placement requirements such as learning packages, prior to the commencing placement. Students will receive specific instructions on what Industry mandatory pre-placement requirements are required to be completed and how to upload certificates of completion. A due date will be set by the industry partner. Students are to complete the Industry mandatory pre-placement requirements and submit completion evidence as per the instructions of the specific industry partner by the due date.
Failure to complete mandatory industry partner pre-placement requirements by the due date will result in the practice placement being cancelled. This will result in a fail grade for the unit.
Police Checks and access to Work-integrated learning (Clinical) Placements
All of the external agencies require a police check prior to permitting a student to undertake work integrated learning (clinical) placement; and the results of the police check may be used as a basis to refuse access to a clinical placement at the external agency. This decision is solely at the discretion of the external agency.
Students unable to gain access to a work-integrated (clinical) placement at agencies approved by the University are unable to complete the mandatory requirements of the Unit. In this case the student will receive a NC (fail) grade and will not be eligible for a refund of any fees.
If the successful completion of a Unit is a mandatory requirement for the completion of a Course, an inability to complete the Unit means the student is unable to complete the requirements of the Course.
Students should note that the external agency reserves the right to withdraw access to a clinical placement at any time prior to or during a placement at the sole discretion of the agency. In these circumstances the same implications noted above will apply.
Students also need to note that they bear the full risk in relation to loss of access to clinical placements and the University will not be liable if an agency withdraws access to a clinical placement because of the actions or omissions of a student.
Privacy and confidentiality
As part of its partnership arrangements with Health Agencies, the Faculty of Health at the University of Canberra is aware of the issue of confidentiality of information gained from authentic field experiences. Students are expected to analyse their experiences from the field as part of their academic study. In order to support learning while protecting confidentiality of information, a privacy procedure has been developed. Please access at the WIL Canvas site.
Working with Vulnerable People
Clinical placements, visits to children's facilities, children's sports, residential aged care and other aged care facilities, require the student to be carrying on their person a current and valid "Working with Vulnerable People Card". This can be obtained from Canberra Connect shopfronts. You can commence the application online, but must attend the shopfront to complete it. For students, this is free.
https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/1804
Additional information
Mandatory notification and physiotherapy student registration
Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009, physiotherapy practitioners (registered physiotherapists) and education providers have an obligation to report ‘notifiable conduct', to the Physiotherapy Board of Australia in order to prevent the public being placed at risk of harm.
Education providers are also required, under s.143 of the National Law, to make mandatory notifications in relation to students, if the provider reasonably believes:
- a student enrolled with the provider has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm¿
- a student for whom the provider has arranged clinical training has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking the clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.
Practitioners are required to make a mandatory notification in relation to a student if the practitioner reasonably believes that a student has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.
All concerns raised within the Discipline of Physiotherapy or by clinical supervisors or preceptors will be reviewed by the Head of Discipline and the Course Convener before any reporting action is taken.
These professional obligations are taken seriously by staff and the University.
Students should be aware of their obligations under student registration. For further information, please refer to the following websites:
1. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority
2. Physiotherapy Board of Australia, Occupational Health and Safety
Occupational Health and Safety
The following applies to all placements, tutorial classes and practicums:
Pre-existing conditions
Students are advised that the same warnings given to patients apply to students undertaking this course e.g. where a pre-existing condition(s) may be affected by any activity in the unit, the student is responsible to advise the unit convenor or relevant teaching staff. Please also note the inherent requirements for physiotherapy
Manual handling
Physiotherapy work requires manual handling. You will be taught the correct way to perform manual handling and should use the principles at all times to prevent injury to yourself or your client. If you have any injury that may affect your capacity to perform manual handling skills you are required to notify the unit convener at the commencement of the semester. If you obtain a new injury during the semester that may affect your capacity to perform manual handling skills you are required to notify the unit convener prior to the next practical class. In the event of an injury being sustained during the practice of skills in class you are required to notify the unit convener within 24 hours of the event and complete a UC incident form.
Respect and consent
Students will be required to play the part of a patient and a therapist during practical classes. This may involve partially disrobing as appropriate. All professional courtesy and respect is to be provided. This includes consent, draping, and safety.
The student who is role-playing the patient should be given the full respect and courtesy that a patient would. This includes giving warnings, obtaining informed consent before a manual technique is performed, covering body areas that do not need to be exposed for the practice of the technique, and not making any inappropriate verbal comments.
As a ‘patient', you will be expected to partially disrobe to allow the ‘therapist' to see relevant body regions. Please ensure you are wearing appropriate clothing for the level of dress required during practical classes. Appropriate clothing reinforces a professional environment that fosters mutual respect, confidence and learning.
Recording devices
Mobile phones must be switched to silent mode prior to the commencement of class. No cameras or videos are to be used in practical classes without the specific permission of other students and the unit convener. Any person taking a picture of another student without permission will be requested to leave the class and the images will be confiscated and deleted. They will then be asked to meet with the Head of Discipline.
Mobile phones must be switched to silent mode or left in lockers while on placement. No cameras or videos are to be used on wards. Any person taking a picture of another student, a patient, a staff member, a member of the public, patient notes or other patient related material without permission will be requested to leave the placement and the images will be confiscated and deleted. They will also be suspended from placement and asked to meet with the ADE.
Counselling
In the course of studying physiotherapy students may be exposed to clinical cases and situations that may be stressful. At UC a free Counselling Service is available for all students. All sessions are confidential. The UC Counselling Service is located in the UC Health and Counselling Centre on Level B in Building 1. For more information please go to http://www.canberra.edu.au/health-counselling
- Semester 2, 2019, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (188356)
- Physio Non Standard Period 1, 2019, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (191781)
- Trimester 1, 2018, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (180885)
- Flexible Period 2, 2017, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (166433)
- Semester 1, 2016, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (153833)
- Semester 2, 2015, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (138670)
- Winter Term, 2015, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (138671)