96034 Professional Practice 1

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.

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Description

This subject provides opportunities for students to observe, understand and apply basic clinical knowledge and skills gained in their foundational subjects in a variety of clinical and community settings. Student learning and development is directed by observation of professional behaviour and strategies used in clinical practice, and in the performance of supervised skill-based activities with patients/clients. This forms the basis of both summative and formative assessment in this subject. Students are required to reflect upon the development of their own professional behaviour and demonstrate clinical competencies commensurate with their role as a novice practitioner.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

The learning outcomes for this subject are as follows:

• Demonstrate professional behaviour and expertise in the delivery of safe, competent and responsible practice for the benefit and care of patients and the wider community. (.01)
• Reflect on knowledge, attitudes and skills acquired for the evaluation and integration of emerging evidence into practice, promoting the growth of personal and professional learning and the education of others. (.02)
• Analyse and synthesise knowledge of health sciences concepts and theory, and apply skills of scientific research and clinical reasoning to support decision-making in orthoptic practice. (.03)
• Engage in leadership and collaboration for the development of patient-focused clinical teams to ensure the integration of effective health care. (.04)
• Be an advocate for their patient, demonstrating sound, ethical, compassionate and respectful patient-focused care while acknowledging responsibility for personal health and wellbeing. (.05)
• Effectively and accurately communicate to patients, their families, carers and members of the healthcare team and contributing to the wider role of health education and its promotion, acknowledging and adapting communication to address cultural and linguistic diversity. (.06)
• Demonstrate respect and value for diverse ways of knowing, being and doing, in particular recognising the diversity of Indigenous Australians while critically reflecting upon the impact of ongoing colonisation and its pervasive discourse on their health and wellbeing, and integrating this knowledge into practice. (.08)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

In addition, this subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:

• Lifelong Learning

• Professional Capacity

• Cultural Competence

Teaching and learning strategies

Online Learning: This subject includes independent learning activities that are designed to support insight into the clinical learning environment. They will be undertaken on Canvas and students will be provided with the details of online activities. These activities are designed to help students prepare for workshops and clinical placement.

Active Lectures: Lectures provide an introduction to topic content considered core to becoming a competent health professional. Lectures are active and require students to engage and participate in analysis of case presentations and class discussion and other collaborative learning methods. Guest lecturers who are expert in a particular field may be engaged to deliver content.

Case based learning: Case-based learning is a form of problem-based learning (PBL) and a key learning strategy used in workshops Workshop activities are intended to promote active engagement of students and provide an authentic case and practice-based learning experience though collaborative analysis, role play and topic discussion

Collaborative learning: As health professionals, teamwork is an essential skill to ensure patients are managed appropriately within interdisciplinary teams of health professionals. Teamwork skills are developed through collaboration with peers in active lectures and workshops, conducted in collaborative POD classrooms, as well as, observing team dynamics as seen while on clinical placement

Professional practice exposure: Under the mentorship of qualified health professionals in particular orthoptists and ophthalmologists students are provided the opportunity to observe and interact in the assessment of patients with ocular problems via clinical placement. Clinical placement places the student in very authentic situations enabling the development of skills that contribute to professional attributes such as team work, communication and clinical reasoning.

Reflective Learning: 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 clinical skill performance while on clinical placement via the placement workbook and the ability to achieve appointed learning goals.

Ongoing Feedback: In-class verbal feedback is an important teaching and learning strategy employed throughout the subject. Students are provided with immediate feedback relating to the performance of clinical skills in clinical practical classes and relating to clinical reasoning and understanding of key concepts by staff facilitating workshops. In addition while students are on placement at various orthoptic and ophthalmic clinical sites, both verbal and written feedback via the “supervisor assessment form” is encouraged for all students attending clinical placement.

Content (topics)

Professional Practice 1 is the first subject in the clinical stream of the Masters of Orthoptics course. This subject allows students to apply clinical skills and orthoptic knowledge obtained in the first semester of the course in 96027 Eye and Visual Systems, 96028 Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility 1, 96029 Ocular Pathology 1 and 96030 Introduction to Professional Practice. This subject provides the foundation for further clinical learning in subsequent clinical subjects 96038 Professional Practice 2 and 96075 Professional Practice 3 and informs learning in 96040 Advanced Professional Practice in the final semester of the course

Topics covered in this subject include; how to communicate with patients and colleagues, team work, professional and ethical behaviour in the clinical setting, understanding your learning style and how this may affect learning in the clinical setting. During this subject students will also have the opportunity to observe real patient assessment and management in the form of clinical placements.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Clinical Portfolio

Assessment task 2: Patient excursion photo diary

Assessment task 3: Supervisor Feedback

Minimum requirements

Students are required to attend 100% of scheduled workshops, learning activities, and clinical placement.

Note: Students must-pass this Subject as it is a pre-requisite for progression into Professional Practice 2.

Required texts

Coursework Assessments Policy

Coursework Assessments Procedures

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

Additional required readings will be provided via Canvas

Recommended texts

Students will be required to access journals through the UTS library and reference appropriate journal articles. Specific references may be indicated if required via Canvas throughout the semester by the coordinator or lecturers. In addition, the following texts may be of use:

Clinical and fieldwork placement in the health professions (Oxford) Edited by Karen Stagnitti, Adrian Schoo, Dianne Welch