PHTY406 - Physiotherapy Clinical Practice 5

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

PHTY300 Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy Practice 2 AND PHTY301 Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Practice 3 AND PHTY302 Neurological Physiotherapy Practice 1 AND PHTY303 Neurological Physiotherapy Practice 2 AND PHTY304 Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice AND PHTY306 Integrated Physiotherapy Practice in Selected Populations AND HLSC220 Health Care Ethics AND (UNCC300 Justice and Change in a Global World OR PHCC320 The Just Society ) AND PHTY400 Preparation for Physiotherapy Practice

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit enables students to develop an integrated problem-solving approach to assessing and understanding individuals’ problems and an ability to apply treatment skills and specific techniques in the clinical setting. Students will be required to manage individuals in specific and a variety of settings in order to be exposed to a range of caseloads, model/s of intervention and service delivery. Students will be prepared to perform clinical practice at a new graduate level according to the Physiotherapy practice thresholds in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

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.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Demonstrate integration of knowledge, theoretical concepts and skills to inform, justify and implement a safe and effective person-centred physiotherapy management plan (assessment, intervention, evaluation and progression) (GA3, GA4, GA5, GA8)

LO2 - Apply critical thinking in developing new understanding in unique clinical settings, demonstrating well developed judgements, adaptability and responses as an entry-level practitioner (GA2, GA3, GA6)

LO3 - Demonstrate effective communication and collaboration with individual clients, carers, professional colleagues and managers, and in multi-disciplinary teams (GA1, GA7, GA9, GA10)

LO4 - Autonomously and continuously evaluate their own performance using reflective practice, developing strategies for ongoing learning and continued professional practice (GA5)

LO5 - Demonstrate professional and ethical behaviours in physiotherapy practice in accordance with Physiotherapy Board of Australia’s Code of conduct (GA5)

LO6 - Relate a range of socially-determined health issues with how they are experienced by people of a community organisation/s (GA1)

*only for students on Community Engagement placements

LO7 - Reflect critically on personal and professional behaviours, and how community engagement experiences have extended your understanding of the importance of respecting the dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights of people (GA2, GA4)

*only for students on Community Engagement placements

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Students’ clinical experience will involve working in a variety of settings (inpatient, outpatient and community), with different funding and service models (public, private), locations (metropolitan, regional, rural, international), and serving a variety of populations, people from different socio-economic status including Indigenous and vulnerable people from marginalized groups. 

Students will undertake three compulsory clinical placements: Musculoskeletal Outpatients; Neurology; Cardiorespiratory. 

Students will undertake three other clinical placements (subject to availability). Examples of other placements offered include but are not limited to: Paediatrics, Gerontology, Women’s Health, Occupational Health, Musculoskeletal Inpatients, Burns and Plastics, Rheumatology, Intensive Care Unit, Psychiatry, Hand Clinic, Disability Services, Spinal Unit or Community Physiotherapy. Successful completion of a specific compulsory clinical placement may be a pre-requisite for some of these placements. 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Each clinical placement (unit) is 5 weeks in duration, during which students undertake supervised clinical practice including both direct (patient/client) and non-direct (administration) clinical care. In addition to supervised clinical practice students are expected to reflect on their clinical practice and, contribute to workplace activities as required. Other learning and teaching strategies may include directed independent and simulation learning activities. 

Students will also develop reflective skills through considering their personal growth and development from community engagement experience/s. 

At the completion of year 4 clinical placements students will have accrued clinical hours to meet the requirements of the Australian Physiotherapy Council for registration. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

Student performance on clinical placement will be assessed using the Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) tool. This assessment tool is used by all Schools of Physiotherapy in Australia and New Zealand and addresses the requirements of the Physiotherapy practice thresholds in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Students will complete a reflective journal regarding their community engagement experience/s in which they will reflect on their experience of the lives of others, and how this has shaped their beliefs and behaviour on a personal level. 

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Students should refer to the prescribed texts for the relevant academic units undertaken for this course and to the facility’s descriptor for any required readings. 

Community Engagement: 

Arbuckle, C.A. (2007). A preferential option for the poor: Application to Catholic health and aged care ministries in Australia. Deacon, ACT: Catholic Health Australia. 

Balloch, S., & Hill, M. (Eds.). (2007). Care, community and citizenship: Research and practice in a changing policy context. Bristol, UK: Policy. 

Egan, L., Butcher, J., & Ralph, K. (2008). Hope as a basis for understanding the benefits and possibilities of community engagement.  Strathfield, NSW: The Institute for Advancing Community Engagement, Australian Catholic University.  

Howard A, Rawsthorne, M (2019) Everyday community practice: principles and practice. Allen and Unwin, Sydney.

MacLaren, D. (2008). Towards a more just world: The social mission of the church and new Catholic approaches.  Alexandria, NSW: Australian Catholic Social Justice Council. 

McArdle, P., & Tuohy, A. (2007). On being pastoral. Deakin, ACT: Catholic Health Australia Inc. 

Prilleltensky, I., & Prilleltensky, O. (2006). Promoting wellbeing: Linking personal, organization, and community change. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley. 

Serr, K. (Ed.) (2006). Thinking about poverty (3rd ed.). Annandale, NSW: Federation Press.