Unit rationale, description and aim
As a physiotherapist you need to be able formulate a problem list for a person with a neurological disorder and develop, implement, evaluate and progress an intervention program which is efficient, effective, culturally responsive, evidence-based and person-centred. In this unit you will build on the knowledge acquired, and clinical reasoning skills developed in year 2 units (specifically exercise, neuroscience and movement science). You will gain new knowledge including the impairments and activity limitations that people may have after stroke and you will develop skills in the management of these impairments and activity limitations. The principles of rehabilitation for people after stroke will be used as the model to guide the rehabilitation of all neurological conditions. The overall aim for the unit is to prepare students for professional practice in the area of neurological physiotherapy.
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.
Describe and discuss physiotherapy practice for th...
Learning Outcome 01
Safely and effectively assess and, develop, implem...
Learning Outcome 02
Demonstrate effective written communication with m...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
Principles of practice in neurological physiotherapy:
Use of the ICF framework and person-centred practice
Enriched environments in rehabilitation
Strategies to enable people after stroke to be active participants in their rehabilitation
Sourcing and applying evidence in designing training plans people after stroke
Working within the multidisciplinary team in rehabilitation
Presentation of Stroke:
Use of the Bamford classification
Lesions of non-dominant vs dominant cerebral hemisphere
Clinical reasoning: application for a person after stroke
Subjective and objective assessment
Creating problem lists
Designing short and long-term goals
Predicting outcome
Treatment planning and progression
Outcome measures to evaluate change in impairments and activity
Common impairments after stroke – characteristics, assessment procedures and application of National Stroke Foundation guidelines to training for:
loss of strength
loss of co-ordination
loss of sensation
spasticity
visual field loss
apraxia
contracture
swelling
shoulder subluxation
soft tissue damage to shoulder/arm
cardiovascular de-conditioning
Assessment and training of everyday activities following stroke:
Identification of common kinematic deviations during the performance of everyday activities including sitting, standing, sit to stand, walking and reaching and manipulation
Identification of possible primary and secondary impairments contributing to the kinematic deviations identified
Training to address common kinematic deviations of everyday activities
Effective communication, manual handling/manual guidance and environment set-up
Strategies to increase intensity of practice
Strategies to decrease or increase the difficulty of training and aid transfer of learning
Application of the National Stroke Foundation guidelines to training of everyday activities
Documentation of assessment and interventions
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks align with the presentation of the content in this unit of study and students should learn while, as well from, undertaking these tasks. This unit takes an authentic assessment approach allowing students to demonstrate their learning and competency for clinically relevant scenarios.
Assessment tasks 1 and 3 (practical examinations) require students to assimilate and apply theoretical knowledge, and perform clinical practice skills, in order to demonstrate their emerging professional competence in the areas of assessment and treatment of people with neurological conditions. Assessment task 2 (written examination) requires students to demonstrate acquired theoretical knowledge and assimilate and apply this knowledge to clinically relevant case scenarios.
Overview of assessments
Mid-semester practical examination: Requires stu...
Mid-semester practical examination:
Requires students to demonstrate competency in professional behaviour, clinical reasoning and the ability to undertake appropriate assessment and treatment techniques on a peer for conditions covered in the first half of the semester (neurological impairments and transfers).
25%
End semester written examination: Requires stude...
End semester written examination:
Requires students to demonstrate their acquisition of knowledge and understanding of physiotherapy practice for the rehabilitation of people with stroke. Students will be required to articulate the rationale for assessment and intervention choices for clinically relevant case scenarios.
35%
End-semester practical examination: Requires stu...
End-semester practical examination:
Requires students to demonstrate competency in professional behaviour, clinical reasoning and the ability to undertake appropriate assessment and treatment techniques (stroke case scenarios and demonstration on a peer.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of learning with a combination of face-to-face, online and other directed independent learning activities.
The theoretical knowledge underpinning assessment and intervention will be delivered via lectures and online modules. Tutorial and practical classes provide students with the opportunity to develop their clinical reasoning skills, through the use of case studies and, communication, assessment and treatment skills through simulation learning activities.
Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively within group activities, demonstrating respect for the individual as an independent learner.