Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
(OTHY203 Occupational Therapy Interventions for Physical Conditions OR OTHY210 Physical Rehabilitation 1 ) AND OTHY205 Mental Health Recovery in Occupational Therapy 1 AND OTHY207 Vocational Preparation and Rehabilitation
Teaching organisation
150 hours of focused learning.Unit rationale, description and aim
Occupational therapists work with people of all ages and communities in a wide range of settings to enable their participation.. This unit will provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate and apply knowledge and skills learnt in prior units in a 5-week (200hr) professional practice placement. Students will engage in learning activities to ensure they are prepared for this placement experience. This learning will focus on occupational therapy competencies and standards for safe and ethical practice.
This unit contains learning outcomes from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (HCF) (2014) specifically addressing the HCF cultural capabilities Safety and Quality, and Reflect.
The overall aim of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to integrate theory into practice and to apply professional and clinical skills to an area of practice.
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 one’s 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 | Demonstrate open, responsive and appropriate communication which maximises the occupational performance and engagement of clients and relevant others | GC4, GC11, GC12 |
| LO5 | HCF 9.2 Research age-related morbidity differences and analyse implications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander client care | GC4, GC5, GC9 |
| LO6 | HCF 13.2 Demonstrate internal strategies to examine and monitor personal responses to cultural and social differences | GC3, GC5 |
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 with clients. | 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 | 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 skills 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:
- In accordance with the WFOT standards
- Professional attitudes
- Professional communication skills
- Professional responsibilities
- Expectations for placement
- Supervision models and supervisor feedback
Ethical practice:
- In interprofessional teams
- In accordance with WFOT standards (2016)
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
- Performance evaluation:
- Utilising reflective practice
- Determining appropriate actions to enhance future performance
- Adjusting intervention plans
- Determining and utilising appropriate therapy outcome measures
AOTCS 3: Occupational therapy process and practice
Occupational therapy practice implementation
- Establishing the therapeutic relationship
- Interview and assessment approaches relevant to practice setting
- Interpreting interview and assessment results
- Developing goals and planning an intervention
- Incorporating evidence-based practice
- Implementing an individual intervention session
- Implementing an individual or group intervention session, and 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
- Clients, carers, family
- Groups and / or communities
- Professional colleagues
- Managers and key stakeholders
- Culturally responsive, safe and relevant communication tools and strategies
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Students will complete mandatory preparatory sessions prior to their 5-week (200 hours) Professional Practice Placement. The preparatory sessions will introduce students to the expectations, frameworks, and learning tools required for placement. These sessions will include case studies, group discussions and self-directed online learning activities to develop skills in reflective practice and professional practice reasoning. 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.
On completion of preparatory sessions and the learning plan, students will complete 5 weeks (200 hours) of professional practice. These professional practice placements will provide students the opportunity to develop competencies expected of a 3rd year undergraduate occupational therapy student. 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. 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 (2nd Edition). 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), Documentation, Information Gathering (Direct Service Provision or Project Management), Service Provision (Direct Service Provision or Project Management), and Service Evaluation. 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 are required to gain a pass rating on the Student Practice Evaluation Form – Revised (2nd Edition) SPEF-R2 as determined by your Professional Practice Educator and OTHY303 LIC and to submit your placement timesheet and reflection on your learning plan. 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 |
|---|---|---|
Summative – Professional Practice Placement: Pass grade on the Student Practice Evaluation Form – Revised (SPEF-R2) as determined by Lecturer in Charge and Practice Educator in order to meet AHPRA registration requirements at the end of program of study | Pass/Fail 100% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6 |
Hurdle Task Attendance at manual handling workshop and completion of manual handling workbook to learn safe manual handling skills | Hurdle | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Hurdle Task Pre-placement Learning Plan which will address each of the four areas of professional practice competency (Professionalism, Knowledge and Learning, Occupational Therapy Process and Practice, and Communication) and one Cultural Capability development goal) | Hurdle | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6 |
Hurdle Task 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 | Hurdle | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5, LO6 |
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-R2) Package. The University of Queensland https://www.spefr.online/
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