Unit Outline

This professional experience placement unit consolidates physiotherapy practice knowledge and skills and requires you to apply them to work in supervised practice with clients who present with complex neurological conditions. The focus is on your professional experiential learning, including clinical reasoning skills and the use of an evidence-based approach, and their application within rehabilitation practice settings. You must complete capstone assessment tasks to demonstrate work readiness by performing at an adequate standard against all key competencies as defined by the national standards required of an entry to practice physiotherapist in Australia.

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.	Critically evaluate and reflect on the evidence base that supports the physiotherapy assessment and management of common neurological conditions.
2.	Select, conduct, and interpret real and simulated client assessments and treatments of people with neurological conditions.
3.	Demonstrate professional conduct and consistent adherence to legal, professional, ethical standards, codes and guidelines in the delivery of person-centred physiotherapy practice with people with neurological conditions.
4.	Perform advanced skills in a safe manner, related to patient centred physiotherapy clinical practice for people with neurological conditions as part of a multidisciplinary team.
5.	Produce a professional portfolio of evidence that demonstrates threshold competence required for initial registration as a physiotherapist in Australia.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	CXA739 Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy Practice

Alterations as a result of student feedback

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:	Stroke Rehabilitation Program	Week 5	10 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Physiotherapy Skills Performance	Week 8	0 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Professional Portfolio	Week 10	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 4:	Advanced Clinical Reasoning: Client with a Neurological Condition	Week 14	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 5:	Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice.	Week 14	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Stroke Rehabilitation Program

Task Description:

You are required to source a stroke rehabilitation program of education and exercise
that is designed to meet client goals relevant to the profession of physiotherapy.
You will discuss how the program interventions support client goals and a biopsychosocial approach and examine evidence to compare and contrast that the education and exercise components of the chosen program with other programs described in the literature.

Task Length:

1000 Words

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Compare and contrast physiotherapy interventions in an evidence based stroke rehabilitation program.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
2	Analyse the relationship between stroke interventions and outcomes using the ICF framework.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
3	Critically examine features of stroke rehabilitation programs using best available evidence.	LO1, LO4
4	Design strategies that use a client-centred approach to increase participation in stroke rehabilitation.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Physiotherapy Skills Performance

Task Description:

This is a skills-based practical hurdle assessment to assess your ability to meet the participation requirements for your placement. These participation requirements are based on professional practice standards, the course accreditation requirements and the College of Health and Medicine Mandatory Functional Requirements.

You will be provided with a brief neurological case description and asked to apply a clinical reasoning framework and use a contemporary evidence base in the selection and safe performance of assessments and treatment interventions within a controlled environment on a simulated client.
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.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
2	Use best practice structured communication for safely sharing clinical information with others.	LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 3: Professional Portfolio

Task Description:

This assessment task is a substantive body of work that should evidence how you have synthesized, integrated and consolidated the whole of program learning to develop as a work ready entry to practice level physiotherapist. You are required to produce a professional portfolio that documents a critical examination and reflection on the significant professional learning, leadership, educational outcomes and impact of learning experiences. The professional standards workbook provides you with a guide as to the physiotherapy threshold competency standards that you can use to provide evidence of your development over the course. Self-reported entry level competency is standard required, and must contain evidence to demonstrate this. This is a hurdle task which is required to be passed, in order to pass the unit.

Task Length:

Word limit does not apply.

Due Date:

Week 10

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Evaluate and prioritise evidence that validates a highly developed clinical expertise and ability to apply advanced clinical reasoning in a professional capacity.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
2	Critically reflect on professional learning and leadership development and identify ways to continually improve practice, professional identity formation and influence in professional practice.	LO3, LO4, LO5
3	Critique and assess threshold competence against professional standards that demonstrate development against all areas required for initial and continuing registration as a physiotherapist in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5

Assessment Task 4: Advanced Clinical Reasoning: Client with a Neurological Condition

Task Description:

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 neurological 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.. The clinical reasoning approach must be person centred and evidence based.

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. You are required to use a critical reflection framework to structure your reflection.

Task Length:

2000 Words

Due Date:

Week 14

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Devise, implement and evaluate client-centred physiotherapy initiatives using a structured clinical reasoning process.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
2	Justify clinical decision making with evidence-based practice.	LO1, LO3
3	Interpret and transmit knowledge and clinical guidance to specialist and non-specialist audiences utilising person-centred professional interactions that are respectful and ensures dignity and consent.	LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
4	Critically reflect on practice.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
5	Relate reflection back to key areas of ongoing professional development.	LO5

Assessment Task 5: Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice.

Task Description:

During your professional experience placement (PEP), you are required to demonstrate adequate performance in practice. Your performance will be assessed twice over the duration of the five-week placement (first formatively at mid-placement and summatively at the end).
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

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

Task Length:

PEP Rotation

Due Date:

Week 14

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Meet PEP requirements as outlined in the Clinical Education Handbook.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
2	Perform across the identified APP domains at an adequate level of mastery.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
3	Demonstrate threshold competence against all areas of the required for initial and continuing registration as a physiotherapist in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.	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.