Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
OTHY303 Professional Practice Education 1
Teaching organisation
150 hours of focused learning.Unit rationale, description and aim
Professional Practice Education provides students with the opportunity to integrate theory into practice and experience occupation as a therapeutic medium for enhancing participation in self-care, leisure and productivity. Participation is viewed within the person, environment, occupation framework and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. This unit includes the second Professional Practice placement in third year, enabling students to consolidate and build on the professional behaviours, self-management skills, communication skills, and occupational therapy core practice skills developed in the first Professional Practice placement. Placements may occur in a range of settings and locations (rural and metropolitan). At the end of this placement, students will have built their capacity for adapting occupational therapy skills to different practice contexts and further developed their professional identity.
This unit contains learning outcomes from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (HCF) (2014) specifically addressing the HCF cultural capabilities Respect and Safety & Quality. The overall aim is for students to demonstrate a standard of professional practice skills during placement that align with their practice supervisor’s expectations of third year undergraduate students. Students will thus progress towards the competencies outlined in the Australian occupational therapy competency standards in readiness for their final fourth year block placement.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Demonstrate professional practice in an ethical, safe, lawful and accountable manner, supporting client health and wellbeing through occupation and consideration of the person and their environment | GC2, GC8, GC11 |
| LO2 | Apply occupational therapy knowledge, skills and behaviours in practice informed by relevant and contemporary theory, practice knowledge and evidence | GC2, GC8, GC12 |
| LO3 | Evaluate and reflect on own performance acknowledging the relationship between health, wellbeing and human occupation, and demonstrating professional practice that is client centred for individuals, groups, communities and populations | GC3, GC4, GC7, GC11 |
| LO4 | Demonstrates open, responsive and appropriate communication which maximises the occupational performance and engagement of clients and relevant others | GC4, GC11, GC12 |
| LO5 | HCF 4.3 Design professional strategies that enable continued learning and development of cultural capabilities in health practice | GC4, GC5, GC8 |
Australian Occupational Therapy Competency Standards (AOTCS) 2018
Australian occupational therapy competency standards (AOTCS) 2018 developed within this unit are:
| Standard/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
Standard 1 - Professionalism An occupational therapist practises in an ethical, safe, lawful and accountable manner, supporting client health and wellbeing through occupation and consideration of the person and their environment. An occupational therapist: 1.1 Complies with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia's standards, guidelines and Code of conduct 1.2. Adheres to legislation relevant to practice 1.3. Maintains professional boundaries in all client and professional relationships 1.4. Recognises and manages conflicts of interest in all client and professional relationships 1.5. Practises in a culturally responsive and culturally safe manner, with particular respect to culturally diverse client groups 1.6. Incorporates and responds to historical, political, cultural, societal, environmental and economic factors influencing health, wellbeing and occupations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 1.7. Collaborates and consults ethically and responsibly for effective client-centred and interprofessional practice 1.8. Adheres to all work health and safety, and quality requirements for practice 1.9. Identifies and manages the influence of her/his values and culture on practice 1.10. Practises within limits of her/his own level of competence and expertise 1.11. Maintains professional competence and adapts to change in practice contexts 1.12. Identifies and uses relevant professional and operational support and supervision 1.13. Manages resources, time and workload accountably and effectively 1.14. Recognises and manages her/his own physical and mental health for safe, professional practice 1.15. Addresses issues of occupational justice in practice 1.17. Recognises and manages any inherent power imbalance in relationships withclients. | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6 |
Standard 2 - Knowledge and learning An occupational therapist’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in practice are informed by relevant and contemporary theory, practice knowledge and evidence, and are maintained and developed by ongoing professional development and learning. An occupational therapist: 2. 1. applies current and evidence-informed knowledge of occupational therapy and other appropriate and relevant theory in practice. 2.2. applies theory and frameworks of occupation to professional practice and decision-making. 2.3. identifies and applies best available evidence in professional practice and decision making. 2.4. understands and responds to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health philosophies, leadership, research and practices. 2.5. maintains current knowledge for cultural responsiveness to all groups in the practice setting 2.6. maintains and improves currency of knowledge, skills and new evidence for practice by adhering to the requirements for continuing professional development. 2.7. implements a specific learning and development plan when moving to a new area of practice or returning to practice. 2.8. reflects on practice to inform current and future reasoning and decision- making and the integration of theory and evidence into practice. 2.9. maintains knowledge of relevant resources and technologies, 2.10. maintains digital literacy for practice. | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6 |
Standard 3 - Occupational therapy process and practice An occupational therapist’s practice acknowledges the relationship between health, wellbeing and human occupation, and their practice is client-centred for individuals, groups, communities and populations. An occupational therapist: 3.1. addresses occupational performance and participation of clients, identifying the enablers and barriers to engagement 3.2. performs appropriate information gathering and assessment when identifying a client's status and functioning, strengths, occupational performance and goals 3.3. collaborates with the client and relevant others to determine the priorities and occupational therapy goals 3.4. develops a plan with the client and relevant others to meet identified occupational therapy goals 3.5. selects and implements culturally responsive and safe practice strategies to suit the occupational therapy goals and environment of the client 3.6. seeks to understand and incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples experiences of health, wellbeing and occupations encompassing cultural connections 3.7. reflects on practice to inform and communicate professional reasoning and decision making 3.8. identifies and uses practice guidelines and protocols suitable to the practice setting or work environment 3.9. implements an effective and accountable process for delegation, referral and handover 3.10. reviews, evaluates and modifies plans, goals and interventions with the client and relevant others to enhance or achieve client outcomes 3.11. evaluates client and service outcomes to inform future practice 3.12. uses effective collaborative, multidisciplinary and inter-professional approaches for decision-making and planning 3.13. uses appropriate assistive technology, devices and/or environmental modifications to achieve client occupational performance outcomes 3.14. contributes to quality improvement and service development | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6 |
Standard 4 - Communication Occupational therapists practise with open, responsive and appropriate communication to maximise the occupational performance and engagement of clients and relevant others. An occupational therapist: 4.1. communicates openly, respectfully and effectively 4.2. adapts written, verbal and non-verbal communication appropriate to the client and practice context 4.3. works ethically with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to understand and incorporate relevant cultural protocols and communication strategies, with the aim of working to support self- governance in communities 4.4. uses culturally responsive, safe and relevant communication tools and strategies 4.5. complies with legal and procedural requirements for the responsible and accurate documentation, sharing and storage of professional information and records of practice. 4.6. maintains contemporaneous, accurate and complete records of practice. 4.7. obtains informed consent for practice and information-sharing from the client or legal guardian 4.8. maintains collaborative professional relationships with clients, health professionals and relevant others 4.9. uses effective communication skill s to initiate and end relationships with clients and relevant others 4.10. seeks and responds to feedback, modifying communication and/or practice accordingly, 4.11. identifies and articulates the rationale for practice to clients and relevant others | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6 |
Content
Topics are drawn from the Occupational Therapy Competency Standards in preparation for the placement block.
AOTCS 1: Professionalism
Professional Behaviours:
- Review of placement settings and expectations for placement
- Preparing for different supervision models, and feedback
Professional attitudes:
- Professional communication skills
- Professional responsibilities
- Self-Management, Resilience and Wellbeing
Ethical practices:
- In interprofessional teams
- In accordance with World Federation of Occupational Therapy standards
Cultural capability:
- Incorporating and responding to historical, political, cultural, societal, environmental and economic factors influencing health, wellbeing and occupations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
AOTCS 2: Knowledge and Learning
Active Learning
- Debrief and reflect on OTHY303 Professional Practice Education 1 Experience
- Being an active learner & tools for placement
Performance evaluation
- Utilising reflective practice regularly and effectively
- Determining appropriate actions to enhance future performance
- Adjusting intervention plans
- Determining and utilising appropriate therapy outcome measures
AOTCS 3: Occupational therapy process and Practice
Extending skills in occupational therapy practice implementation:
- Establishing the therapeutic relationship
- Interview and assessment approaches relevant to the practice setting
- Interpreting interview and assessment results
- Planning an intervention
- Incorporating evidence-based practiceImplementing individual and group intervention sessions, and implementing a series of intervention sessions
- Utilising professional reasoning skills
- Understanding and incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples experiences of health, wellbeing and occupations encompassing cultural connections
AOTCS 4: Communication
Effective Communication Skills in the professional practice setting:
- Clients
- Groups and / or communities
- Professional colleagues
- Managers and key stakeholders
- Professional Reasoning
- Managing your professional practice portfolio
- Culturally responsive, safe and relevant communication tools and strategies
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Professional Practice Education 2 provides students with a second 3rd year professional practice experience with opportunities to continue exploring, fine-tuning and mastering the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to practise as a new graduate occupational therapist. In line with WFOT requirements, students must have a range of professional practice experiences with a variety of clients and settings throughout their qualifying degree. This second 3rd year placement allows students to build on skills learnt in previous professional practice placements (including community engagement and simulated placement) and to integrate academic learning with practical experience. Preparation sessions, online learning and hurdle tasks prior to students beginning their placements are designed to connect previous learning to the anticipated practice experience and to build their professional identity as future occupational therapists. Students will develop inter-professional skills through an online NDIS learning module and are required to prepare a learning plan prior to commencing placement, to seek and respond to peer and tutor feedback, and to reflect on progress towards meeting the learning plan at the end of the placement block. Learning and Teaching approaches included in this unit were developed in collaboration with First Peoples’ Cultural Advisors.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with university assessment requirements. Students are required to maintain compliance with mandatory documents in order to be eligible for allocation to placement. Professional Practice placements are assessed in line with Occupational Therapy Australia guidelines using the common assessment tool the SPEF-R2 (Student Practice Evaluation Framework – Revised (Second Edition 2).
The SPEF-R2 is an accredited method of assessing student performance on placement and includes eight domains, i.e., Professional Behaviour, Self-Management Skills, Co-Worker Communication, Communication Skills (Direct Service Provision or Project Management Consultancy), Documentation, Information Gathering (Direct Service Provision or Project Management Consultancy), Service Provision (Direct Service Provision or Project Management), and Service Evaluation/Reflection. Learning plans which indicate a student’s capacity to reflect on their learning needs and identify learning goals aligned with these SPEF-R2 domains are developed by students prior to placement and submitted as a hurdle requirement. In order to pass this unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every learning outcome and pass hurdle tasks. Students are required to gain a pass rating on the Student Practice Evaluation Form – Revised (Second Edition SPEF-R2) as determined by their Professional Practice Educator and OTHY307 LIC and to submit their placement timesheet and reflection on their learning plan. Students are offered one attempt to achieve a pass on the SPEF-R2, and two attempts to achieve a pass on their learning plan. It is an accreditation requirement that students engage in 1000 hours of professional practice placement throughout their program of study. Students must submit evidence that they have passed the SPEF-R2 for each placement in order to be approved for course completion and deemed eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Assessment approaches in this unit were developed in collaboration with First Peoples’ Cultural Advisors.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|
Hurdle Pass grade on SPEF-R2 as determined by Unit Coordinator and Practice Educator in order to meet AHPRA registration requirements at the end of program of study | Pass/Fail | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5 | GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC11, GC12 |
Hurdle Submission of a pre-placement Learning Plan which will address professional practice competency (Professionalism, Knowledge and Learning, Occupational Therapy Process and Practice and Communication) and a minimum of one Cultural Capability development goal. | Pass/Fail | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5 | GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC11, GC12 |
Hurdle Submission of SPEF-R2, post-placement reflection on the Learning Plan, and Timesheet via CANVAS, as evidence of having passed the placement and met the requirements for placement hours. | Complete/Incomplete | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5 | GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC11, GC12 |
Representative texts and references
Levett-Jones, T. (2018). Clinical reasoning : Learning to think like a nurse (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Schell, B. & Schell, J. (2018). Clinical and Professional Reasoning in Occupational Therapy. (2nd ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Stagnitti, K., Schoo, A. & Welch, D. (Eds.). (2013). Clinical and Fieldwork Placement in the Health Professions (2nd ed): Oxford University Press
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. (2020). Student Practice Evaluation Form – Revised (Second Edition) (SPEF-R2). In Student Practice Evaluation Form – Revised (Second Edition) (SPEF-R@) Package. Brisbane: The University of Queensland.
World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT). (2016). Minimum standards for the education of occupational therapists.https://wfot.org/resources/new-minimum-standards-for-the-education-of-occupational-therapists-2016-e-copy