Unit rationale, description and aim

To successfully transition from on-campus learning to the clinical practice year students are required to integrate and apply all previously acquired physiotherapy knowledge and skills to comprehensively meet the clinical needs of people in all contexts. In this unit, students will investigate different models and contexts of health care and health related services from local, national and international perspectives and will further develop the professional behaviours and communication skills required across a range of clinical contexts. Students will use clinical reasoning skills to plan delivery and evaluation of evidence-based, culturally sensitive, person-centred physiotherapy for individuals with complex health issues. Students will also develop professional report writing to document their clinical practice. Students will apply these skills as they transition into clinical placement to optimise outcomes for individuals with complex health issues in a variety of practice frameworks.

This unit aims to prepare students for physiotherapy clinical practice. Students will develop skills in professional documentation, report writing and delivering effective handovers. The unit also specifically addresses the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (HCF, 2014) on equity and human rights in healthcare (HCF15.3)(https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health-curriculum-framework). Students will be able to draw on all the skills learnt in this unit as they transition into clinical placement to optimise outcomes for individuals with complex health issues in a variety of practice frameworks.

2025 10

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  • Term Mode
  • Professional Term 1Campus Attendance
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  • Professional Term 1Campus Attendance

Prerequisites

For Bachelor of Physiotherapy Students:

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 )

For Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) Students:

(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 (PHTY415 Preparation for Physiotherapy Honours AND PHTY416 - Research Methods for Physiotherapy Honours) OR (ALHT411 Honours Literature Review for Allied Health AND ALHT412 Honours Research Methods for Allied Health )

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.

Identify and evaluate different models of health c...

Learning Outcome 01

Identify and evaluate different models of health care provision in local, national and international contexts
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC5, GC9, GC11, GC12

Identify and evaluate the influence of environment...

Learning Outcome 02

Identify and evaluate the influence of environmental and social determinants of health when planning, delivering and optimising individualised physiotherapy
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC9

Plan, evaluate and document evidenced-based, cultu...

Learning Outcome 03

Plan, evaluate and document evidenced-based, culturally responsive, person-centred care for individuals with complex health care problems including transition to community based health services
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Reflect critically on professional and personal be...

Learning Outcome 04

Reflect critically on professional and personal behaviours and skills that underpin effective, culturally responsive, client-centred practice in the provision of health care
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11, GC12

Develop strategies for redressing inequity in heal...

Learning Outcome 05

Develop strategies for redressing inequity in health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities (HCF15.3)
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC5, GC8, GC11

Content

Topics will include: 

Models of health care provision and the influence upon physiotherapy practice:

  • Aboriginal Community-Controlled health care services
  • Australian healthcare system (including federal, state and territory)
  • Physiotherapy in primary health care
  • Physiotherapy in developing countries
  • Community-based rehabilitation


Physiotherapy practice for people with complex health care issues. Students will explore complex health care issues relevant to contemporary physiotherapy practice through the use of case scenarios. Within these scenarios students will identify and discuss ethical, legal and professional issues relevant to physiotherapy practice. Examples include:

  • Children and adolescents living with disabilities
  • Chronic pain management
  • Domestic violence
  • Frailty
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' health
  • Infectious diseases
  • Mental Health
  • Palliative care
  • People with multiple co-morbidities
  • Rural and remote practice
  • Torture and trauma

 

Community resources for supporting individuals/groups of people with complex health issues:

  • Ageing and community care
  • Indigenous health services
  • Transitional care services for adolescents and young adults with chronic disease and/or disability
  • Digital health care including telehealth

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment tasks for this unit align with the presentation of the content and comprise a practical examination, a group seminar and a written letter of referral.

Assessment task 1, an individual submission of a letter of referral for a client, requires students to provide evidence of professional report writing to document clinical practice and provide succinct information to another health professional regarding the client’s current short and long term goals. 

Assessment task 2 requires students to demonstrate clinical reasoning and effectively apply appropriate therapeutic techniques and training of planned rehabilitation for complex cases.

Assessment task 3, a group seminar presentation, requires students to develop an evidence-based individualised comprehensive physiotherapy management plan for a person with complex health care needs. 

To pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome and obtain a minimum mark of 50% in graded units.

Overview of assessments

Assessment 1 Letter of Referral for Client: Requi...

Assessment 1 Letter of Referral for Client:

Requires students to provide evidence of professional report writing to document clinical practice and provide succinct information to another health professional regarding the client’s current short and long term goals.

Weighting

30%


Learning Outcomes LO3, LO4, LO5
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC5, GC8, GC11, GC12

Assessment 2 Practical Examination: Requires stud...

Assessment 2 Practical Examination:

Requires students to demonstrate clinically reasoning and effectively apply appropriate therapeutic techniques and training of planned rehabilitation for complex cases.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Assessment 3 Group Seminar:  Requires students to...

Assessment 3 Group Seminar: 

Requires students to develop an evidence-based individualised comprehensive physiotherapy management plan for a person with complex health care needs.

Weighting

30%

(25% Group Mark, 5 % Individual mark)

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of learning through an intensive on campus delivery (2 weeks). For both delivery patterns, learning and teaching strategies include a combination of face-to-face, online, simulation, and other directed independent learning activities. Students will transition from tutor-led to peer and finally self-directed learning. Peer learning is encouraged through seminar presentations of physiotherapy practice for people with complex health care issues during the intensive delivery period. Additionally, students will contribute to a shared online collection of resources encouraging self-directed learning.

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.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) https://www.ahpra.gov.au/

Australian Digital Health Agency: https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/

Burgess, A., van Diggele, C., Roberts, C., & Mellis, C. (2020). Teaching clinical handover with ISBAR. BMC Medical Education, 20(Suppl 2), 459–459. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02285-0

Shala, R., Roussel, N., Lorimer Moseley, G., Osinski, T., & Puentedura, E. J. (2021). Can we just talk our patients out of pain? Should pain neuroscience education be our only tool? The Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 29(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/10669817.2021.1873259

Taylor, K., & Guerin, P. (2019). Health care and Indigenous Australians : cultural safety in practice (3rd ed.). Macmillan International Higher Education..

Van Griensven, H., Strong, J., & Unruh, A. M. (Eds.). (2014). Pain : a textbook for health professionals (2nd ed.). Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Willis, E., Reynolds, L., & Rudge, T. (Eds.). (2019). Understanding the Australian health care system (4th Ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.

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