University of Technology Sydney

96017 Clinical Practice 4

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Health (GEM)
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 96009 Professional Services 3 AND 96010 Integrated Therapeutics 2 AND 96025 Clinical Practice 3
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

In this subject students apply the theory learnt and the skills developed through coursework in elective, focused placements. They choose from the range of pharmacy settings: community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, rural settings, compounding sites, specialist clinics, and professional organisations.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

0011. Understand the importance of life-long learning
0013. Use a process of reflection to guide continuous learning
0014. Describe the expectations of the profession in relation to maintenance of competence and ongoing professional development
0100. Integrate relevant patient, drug, disease and system factors in the selection and management of appropriate therapy for populations and individual patients
0144. Apply a critical understanding of the process of problem-solving
0161. Apply coursework learning in a range of practice settings

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

The learning outcomes for this subject are as follows:

  • Reflect on knowledge, skills and attributes required for the evaluation and integration of emerging evidence into practice, promoting the growth of personal and professional learning and the education of others (01.02)
  • Analyse and synthesise knowledge of health science concepts and theory, and apply skills of scientific research and clinical reasoning to support decision-making in pharmacy practice. (01.03)
  • Demonstrate safe and competent operational, interpersonal and clinical skills for the benefit and care of patients and the wider community. (02.01)
  • Engage in team undertakings adopting a range of roles in diverse teams, building cohesion and maximising team contributions. (02.04)
  • Demonstrate sound ethical, compassionate and respectful patient-focused care, taking responsibility for personal health and wellbeing. (02.05)
  • Capably communicate to patients, their families, carers and members of the healthcare team; contribute to wider health education and promotion, choosing and adapting communication modes to address cultural and linguistic diversity. (02.06)
  • Represent pharmacy perspectives in multidisciplinary environments, and optimise patient outcomes through self-awareness and acknowledgement of the contributions of other healthcare disciplines. (02.08)
  • Integrate into daily practice knowledge of health systems and concerns in national and global communities, with awareness of the social and cultural contexts of health to meet the diverse needs of individuals and communities. (03.07)
  • Acquire specialised knowledge and skills to inform professional cultural capability to work effectively with and for, Indigenous Australians across the pharmacy profession. (04.09)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

Clinical placements provide an important platform for the integration of the knowledge gained through the coursework, emphasising the relevance and application to the practice setting, as well as practicing newly developed skills. The Master of Pharmacy Clinical Practice Subjects contribute to the following UTS:Pharmacy Graduate Attributes:

Lifelong learning

Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy are lifelong learners, committed to and capable of reflection and inquiry in their quest for personal development and excellence in professional practice.

Professional capacity

Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy are client-focused, ethical practitioners with the understanding and proficiency to be leaders in their profession, capable of effectively researching and communicating solutions in a global context.

Global citizenship

Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy contribute to society, resolving to undertake those actions and responsibilities that will enhance their role in local, national and global communities.

Cultural competence

Graduates of the Master of Pharmacy are culturally competent professionals, able to reflect on and explain their own cultural perspectives, accommodate cultural differences and achieve optimal outcomes through the adoption of a consultative approach to health care with indigenous Australians and other cultural groups.

Teaching and learning strategies

Experiential learning in real clinical placement settings. In Clinical Practice 4, students learn by reflecting on their experiences in real clinical situations, and through patient-centred tasks related to the learning content of their other Master of Pharmacy subjects.

Experiential Learning (Practice-orientated Learning): As a clinical placement subject, students have the opportunity to engage in clinical pharmacy practice, utilise and further develop their hands-on clinical skills and apply their academic knowledge of pharmacists to real patients and authentic experiences and scenarios within the clinical environment. Learning in the clinical environment is under the mentorship of qualified registered pharmacist. Students are expected to actively engage in all aspects of clinical practice under the guidance of the preceptor registered pharmacist.

Collaborative Learning: pharmacists work within a multi-disciplinary team environment and often collaborate with other health professionals to provide optimal patient care. Through clinical placement, students have the opportunity to work within these collaborative teams and develop both general teamwork skills and specific clinical skills such as; medication history taking, medication reconciliation and case conferencing. Students also have the opportunity to collaborate closely with peers, registered pharmacists, general practitioners and other allied health professionals throughout their clinical placement.

Reflective Learning: Reflective practice is an essential skill for health professionals to develop. Students are encouraged to critically reflect on their learning throughout the subject to identify areas where they may improve their performance and to assist in the development of lifelong learning skills. Specific activities where reflective learning is encouraged are; self-evaluation of learning within the clinical environment and reflection on a learning task (CPD Portfolio, assessment 1).

Ongoing Feedback: Feedback will be frequent and will include ongoing feedback from preceptors throughout experiential placement activities as well as from the subject coordinator. Students are provided with ongoing feedback relating to the performance of clinical skills, clinical reasoning and understanding of key concepts of clinical practice by supervisors when on clinical placement. Formative feedback about a student’s performance while on clinical placement is provided via the preceptor evaluation assessment at the end of each 2 week placement block.

Content (topics)

Topics that students will be examined include:

  • Placement activities
  • Clinical competence
  • Reflective Practice and Reflective Writing Skills

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Portfolio

Intent:

Practicing Pharmacists are required to complete forty points of CPD per year. To cultivate a professional approach to Lifelong Learning, and to familiarise yourself with the types of CPD tasks required in future practice, students are required to complete ten hours of Group 2 and Group 3 activities combined (see Pharmacy Board Frequently Asked Questions, 16 December 2015). ?

Objective(s):

This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives:

0011, 0013, 0014, 0100, 0144 and 0161

This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes:

01.02, 01.03, 02.01, 02.04, 02.05, 02.06, 02.08, 03.07 and 04.09

Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Criteria:

Assessment criteria available via Canvas

Assessment task 2: Practicum Report

Intent:

This assessment task contributes to the development of all the course intended learning outcomes listed above.

This task will assist students to become familiar with conducting a clinical case review and/or project report.

Objective(s):

This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives:

0013, 0014, 0100, 0144 and 0161

This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes:

01.02, 01.03, 02.01, 02.04, 02.05, 02.06, 02.08, 03.07 and 04.09

Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Criteria:

You will be assessed on the accuracy and completion of your clinical report and/or project report.

Refer to Practicum Report assessment criteria on Canvas.

Assessment task 3: Preceptor Evaluation (must-pass)

Intent:

This assessment task contributes to the development of all the course intended learning outcomes listed above.

This task will allow the preceptors (supervisors) to engage with the students on placement to facilitate the development of interpersonal skills.

Elements of this assessment involve:

  • Punctuality
  • Presentation
  • Contribution
  • Professional Behaviour
  • Communications
  • Clinical Competence Skills
Objective(s):

This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives:

0013, 0014, 0100 and 0161

This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes:

01.02, 01.03, 02.01, 02.04, 02.05, 02.06, 02.08, 03.07 and 04.09

Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 20%
Criteria:

You will be assessed by your preceptors on placement related to interpersonal skills and clinical competence.

Refer to Preceptor Evaluation Form on Canvas.

Minimum requirements

Students are required to attend 100% of scheduled clinical placements.
Note: there is one (1) must-pass assessments in this Subject. Please check assessment descriptions for details.

Required texts

Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH)

Also:

Coursework Assessments Policy

Coursework Assessments Procedures

Graduate School of Health Policy, Guidelines and Procedures (login required)

Recommended texts

Textbooks and references:

  1. Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary (APF) and Handbook, 25th Edition, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Curtin, ACT.
  2. Rutter P and Newby D. Community Pharmacy: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. (Churchill Livingstone, 2017)
  3. Electronic Therapeutic Guidelines (Available through UTS Library)

Professional Organisations

  1. Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
    www.psa.org.au
  2. Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia
    www.shpa.org.au

Other resources

  1. UTS Pharmacy Uniform and appropriate attire (NB/ closed-toe footware)
  2. UTS Pharmacy Identification Badge
  3. Portable computer (laptop, notebook, netbook, iPad) for use on clinical placements