Unit Outline
CXA709
Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Practice
Semester 1, 2024
Nagarajan Manickaraj
School of Health Sciences
College of Health and Medicine
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B
Unit Coordinator
Nagarajan Manickaraj
Email: nagarajan.manickaraj@utas.edu.au
 
What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
This professional experience placement unit brings together core foundational physiotherapy practice knowledge and skills and requires students to apply them to work in supervised practice with clients who present with neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. There is a retained focus on the application of core theoretical knowledge and threshold concepts related to person and client centredness, biopsychosocial models of practice, clinical reasoning, self-reflection, critical thinking, cultural safety and awareness, pharmacology and evidence-based practice to direct client care. Students will further develop knowledge and skills, to a new graduate level, related to physiotherapy assessment and treatment skills for in the management of neuro-musculoskeletal disorders. Students will learn to evaluate, quantify and interpret participation and activity limitations and impairments in people with neuro-musculoskeletal conditions, and to provide appropriate interventions.
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1.
Evaluate and integrate evidence in the assessment of clients with neuro-musculoskeletal disorders.
2.
Assess and interpret neuro-musculoskeletal dysfunction in relation to underlying impairments and use clinical reasoning to plan and implement physiotherapy interventions.
3.
Conduct a client assessment, including examination of the neuro-musculoskeletal system, client history, physical examination, and demonstrate the use of basic measurement and testing procedures used to assess neuro-musculoskeletal dysfunction.
4.
Collaborate interprofessionally and communicate clinical information to patients/clients, carers, other healthcare practitioners and other stakeholders.
5.
Justify the clinical reasoning rationale for assessment and selection and implementation of active and passive treatment procedures commonly used in the management of neuro-musculoskeletal dysfunction.
Requisites
REQUISITE TYPE
REQUISITES
Pre-requisite
CXA736 Foundation of Physiotherapy
CXA737 Physiotherapy Practice
Co-requisite
CXA708 Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
Alterations as a result of student feedback
 
 
 
Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
On Campus
Workshop
Workshop x180 min x 8per semester
3
Study Period 8 times
Workshop
Workshop x 7hrs x 13per semester
7
StudyPeriod 13 times
Independent Learning
Online activity x2hrs x8per semester
2
Study Period 8 times
Clinical or Professional Practice
PEP x8hrs x 26 per semester
8
StudyPeriod 26 times
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
This unit is delivered in flexible mode with,
(i)    Independent learning content delivered online via MyLO (My Learning Online)
(ii)    Weekly face-to-face workshops (Tuesday 1 to 4 pm; except during residential schools)
(iii)    Residential school in week 3, week 6 and week 9
The self-directed, independent online learning (MyLO) contents and activities are designed to support building and integrating new knowledge and skills to your existing knowledge of musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice. You are expected to be active in the learning process and monitor your levels of mastery and understanding. No Zoom facility will be available for Tuesday's workshops. The specific online content completed before weekly workshop and residential schools will be communicated through the MyLO announcement. You are expected to devote around 3 hours per week to the online study materials, assessment tasks, and self-directed learning when not at the on-campus activities.
In this unit, your active engagement will be monitored in the following way:
1.    Confirmation of you having read the MyLO learning contents through the successful completion of the learning activities from each topic.
2.    Attendance at weekly workshops and residential schools. 
3.    Completion of all the FOUR Assessment Tasks of this unit 
The learning activities and assessment tasks in this unit are designed for you to build, apply, and demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes against the intended learning outcomes. If attendance is not possible due to illness, a medical/dental certificate or counsellor’s letter is required and should be emailed to the Unit coordinator. Not meeting these requirements may result in you not meeting the intended learning outcomes for the unit and therefore not meeting the requirement for a pass standard.
 
 
How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Physiotherapy Skills Performance
Week 8
0 %
LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 2:
Short quizzes
Refer to Assessment Description
30 %
LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 3:
Applied Clinical Reasoning
Refer to Assessment Description
30 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5
Assessment Task 4:
Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice
Refer to Assessment Description
40 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
 
Assessment details
    
Assessment Task 1: Physiotherapy Skills Performance
Task Description:
Physiotherapy Skills Performance.
This is a skills-based hurdle assessment to assess your ability to meet the participation requirements for your placement. These participation requirements are based on professional standards, the course accreditation requirements and the College of Health and Medicine Mandatory Functional Requirements.
For this practical assessment you will be provided with a brief case description and asked to 1) indicate relevant conditions and/or assessments with reasons for your choices, 2) perform and interpret assessment/s selected by your examiner, and 3) perform and interpret treatment/s selected by your examiner.

This hurdle task must be passed to commence PEP.

Task Length:
30 minutes
Due Date:
Week 8
Weight:
0 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Perform practical skills in accordance with best practice guidelines using a person-centered approach.
LO3, LO4
2
Use best practice structured communication for safely sharing clinical information with others.
LO3, LO4, LO5
 
Assessment Task 2: Short quizzes
Task Description:
Three online multiple choice quizzes each lasting between ten and 15 minutes.

• Quiz 1: Thursday 14th March 0830 AM
• Quiz 2: Tuesday 26th March 0930 AM
• Quiz 3: Tuesday 24th April 0830 AM

Task Length:
Each quiz lasting between ten and 15 minutes.
Due Date:
Refer to Assessment Description
Weight:
30 %
 
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Demonstrate knowledge of assessment and treatment of neuro-musculoskeletal conditions of the spine, pelvis and upper limb.
LO1, LO2
 
Assessment Task 3: Applied Clinical Reasoning
Task Description:
Applied Clinical Reasoning: Client with a Neuro-musculoskeletal Condition.
The assessment task requires you to describe a situation from your placement experience and critically reflect on your performance. The situation must involve undertaking a client assessment and formulation of a physiotherapy intervention plan for a client with a neuromuscular condition.
Part A. Application of Clinical Reasoning (1500 words)

The description must outline your approach to client assessment and depict how you applied a systematic clinical reasoning approach to the design and evaluation of an intervention/treatment program. approach. The clinical reasoning approach must be person centred and evidence based, and include descriptions of:
• biopsychosocial factors relevant to the case
• your diagnosis and differential diagnoses based on assessment and clinical presentation
• your client centred physiotherapy interventions based on the best evidence available
• medication indications, actions and interactions, and adverse effects
• strategies you used to evaluate therapy outcomes
• plans for adjustment of intervention program in line with diagnosis and stage of progress
• referring to or strategies for working with other disciplines to exclude and or address confounding problem
• outcome measures that are valid and reliable and discuss considerations that might impair body structure, healing and function as well as activity limitation and participation restriction.

Part B. Critical Self-Reflection (500 words)

• In this part you will write a critical reflection about your performance in the application of clinical reasoning with a real client. There are four required components to your reflection:

• Draw on Driscoll’s Model to reflect on how your cultural location, and your attitudes, values and beliefs, might affect the assumptions and practices you brought to the client interaction.
• Discuss how your approach to client interaction demonstrated respect, dignity and consent
• Using the Physiotherapy Threshold Standards, identify the competencies in which your performance aligns and describe the strengths and limitations of your performance in these areas.
• The critical reflection must be uploaded to your Professional Portfolio and used to update your professional development plan.

• Friday 14th June 2024 23:59 (NB4 PEP Batch)
• Friday 19th July 2024 23:59 (NB5 PEP Batch)

Task Length:
2000 words
Due Date:
Refer to Assessment Description
Weight:
30 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Use a structured clinical reasoning process to devise, implement and evaluate client-centred physiotherapy initiatives.
LO2, LO3
2
Use evidence-based practice to inform clinical decision making.
LO1, LO3
3
Use effective person-centred professional interaction that is respectful and ensures dignity and consent.
LO2, LO3
4
Critically reflect on practice.
LO5
5
Relate reflection back to key areas of ongoing professional development.
LO5
 
Assessment Task 4: Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice
Task Description:
Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice.
During your professional experience placement (PEP), you are required to demonstrate entry-level performance in practice. The supervising physiotherapist will assess your performance twice over the duration of the five-week placement. One assessment will occur mid placement and another will occur at the end of the placement.

You will be formatively assessed against twenty items listed in the Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) tool, which includes competencies within the following domains:
• Professional Behaviour
• Communication
• Assessment and Planning
• Intervention
• Evidence Based Practice

The APP tools are to be uploaded to your Professional Portfolio to maintain a record of your professional development across all competency domains on multiple occasions.
The requirements for performance in PEP are stated in your Clinical Education Handbook. Whilst physiotherapy clinical educators report on your performance in practice, it is the UTAS School of Health Sciences that has the responsibility for determining your final assessment results in this unit.

This is a hurdle assessment task and you must pass all items in the Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) tool to be eligible for a pass in the unit.

• Friday 7th June 2024 (NB4 PEP Batch)
• Friday 12th July 2024 (NB5 PEP Batch)

Task Length:
PEP rotation
Due Date:
Refer to Assessment Description
Weight:
40 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Perform across the identified APP domains at an entry-level standard.
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
 
 
 
How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.
 
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
 
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
 
Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.
 
 
 
Required Resources
Required reading materials
You will be able to access the topic-specific reading list via the Readings List section on the MyLO homepage. You will be directed to topic-specific readings to complete related activities on each topic.
 
Recommended reading materials
You will have access to the following books that will be useful to expand your knowledge and understanding of the contents of this unit. When seeking sources of evidence to support your assignments you will find these textbooks as a useful starting point. These textbooks are available for a limited loan period from the University Library collections. 
•    David, M., James, Z., William, Q., Robert, M., 2016. Pathology and Intervention in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. 2nd Ed. Elsevier. 
•    Elly H. and Kevin A., 2013. Maitland’s Vertebral Manipulations. Management of Musculoskeletal disorders – Vol 1. 5th Ed. Elsevier. 
•    Elly H. and Kevin A., 2013. Maitland’s Peripheral Manipulations. Management of Musculoskeletal disorders – Vol 2. 5th Ed. Elsevier. 
•    Jull, G., Moore, A., Falla, D., Lewis, J., McCarthy, C. and Sterling, M., 2015. Grieve's Modern Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, 4th edition. Elsevier.
•    David, M. and Robert, M., 2018. Orthopedic Physical Assessment. 7th Ed. Elsevier.
•    Brukner, P., Clarsen, B., Cook, J., Cools, A., Crossley, K., Hutchinson, M., McCrory, P., Bhar, R. and Khan, K., 2017. Brukner & Khan’s Clinical Sports Medicine: Injuries, Volume 1. 5th Ed. McGraw Hill.
•    Biel, A. and Dorn, R., 2014. Trail guide to the body: How to locate muscles, bones, and more, 5th Ed. Andrew Biel.
•    Butler, D.S. and Moseley, G.L., 2013. Explain Pain. 2nd Ed. Noigroup publications.
•    Kisner, C., Colby, L. and Borstad, JC., 2018. Therapeutic Exercise: Foundation and Techniques. 7th Ed. McGraw Hill.  
•    Kim D. and Amy K.S., 2018. Therapeutic Exercise Prescription. 1st Ed. Elsevier.
•    Kate Woolf-May., 2006. Exercise Prescription – The Physiological Foundation: A guide for health, sports and exercise professionals. 1st Ed. Elsevier.
•    John, D., Stanley, M., Erwin, G., 2013. The Physiological Basis of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2nd Ed. Butterworth-Heinemann. 
•    Leon, C. and Judith, D., 2011. Clinical Application of Neuromuscular Techniques: Volume 2 The Lower Body, 2nd Ed. Churchill Livingstone. Elsevier. 
•    Thuy, B. and Clint, B. Length, Strength, and Kinesio Tape., 2016. Muscle testing and Taping interventions, 1st Ed. Elsevier.
•    Tim Watson., 2008. Electrotherapy: Evidence based practice. 12th Ed. Churchill Livingstone. Elsevier
 
Other required resources
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