96034 Professional Practice 1
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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 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 96027 Eye and Visual Systems AND 96028 Binocular Vision and Ocular Motility 1 AND 96029 Ocular Pathology 1 AND 96030 Introduction to Professional Practice
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
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)
| 34.1. | Under supervision and guidance from experienced practitioners, demonstrate novice practitioner level skills in common orthoptic and ophthalmic investigative procedures. |
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| 34.2. | Reflect upon their development as a novice practitioner including professional behaviours, and effective communication in the delivery of ethical and responsible orthoptic practice. |
| 34.3. | Apply knowledge and clinical reasoning skills developed to the analysis of patient's signs and symptoms to formulate reasonable provisional diagnoses and appropriate plans to investigate these diagnoses. |
| 34.4. | Integrate knowledge of fundamental orthoptic and ophthalmic management strategies along with current evidence to propose appropriate management plans for patients with common eye conditions that demonstrate clinical reasoning. |
| 34.5. | Reflect on the role of orthoptists within the interdisciplinary eye care team and the importance of effective communication between health practitioners in the provision of optimal patient care and contribute within this team as a novice practitioner. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
The learning outcomes for this subject are as follows:
- Practice professional expertise and clinical reasoning to provide safe, responsible, and evidence-based orthoptic care for the benefit of the community. (01.01)
- Lead and collaborate within disciplinary and interdisciplinary health care teams to provide best practice health care and contribute to positive patient outcomes. (01.02)
- Utilise research knowledge and skills to analyse and synthesise literature, design research methodology and ethically conduct research in the field of orthoptics. (02.01)
- Engage in reflective practice to support lifelong learning and professional development that enhances patient outcomes and health service delivery. (02.02)
- Critically reflect on Indigenous Australian contexts and apply principles of cultural safety and ethical research practices to work effectively with and for Indigenous Australians within the orthoptic profession. (04.01)
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
| Intent: | The clinical portfolio enables documentation of learning goals, strategies to encourage personal development and self-directed learning in the clinical environment. While on clinical placement students are required to actively participate and challenge their existing knowledge. This will be recorded daily through the keeping of a clinical journal and reflection on their learning in the clinical environment. |
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| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 34.2, 34.3, 34.4 and 34.5 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: .05, .06, 02.01, 02.02 and 04.01 |
| Type: | Portfolio |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 55% |
| Criteria: | See criteria provided in class and on Canvas |
Assessment task 2: Patient excursion photo diary
| Intent: | This assessment task involves documenting your experience of a patient's visit to a hospital. |
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| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 34.2, 34.4 and 34.5 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: .05, .06, 01.02 and 04.01 |
| Type: | Portfolio |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 800 words |
| Criteria: | Detailed criteria can be found on Canvas for this subject. |
Assessment task 3: Supervisor Feedback
| Intent: | Students are required to actively participate and challenge their knowledge and skills on clinical placement. Clinical supervisors have a significant role in assessing a student’s professional behaviour, communication skills, clinical reasoning, and competence in the clinical environment. It is intended that this assessment will provide an indication of the student’s development as a novice practitioner. |
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| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 34.1, 34.2, 34.3, 34.4 and 34.5 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: .05, .06, 01.01, 01.02, 02.01, 02.02 and 04.01 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Criteria: | See criteria provided in class and in Canvas |
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 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