96088 Acute Physiotherapy Care
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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
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 96080 Clinical Assessment and Treatment Planning AND 96081 Professional Practice AND 96082 Core Practice for Physiotherapists AND 96083 Pain Neuroscience and Management
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
The physiotherapy management of people with acute respiratory, cardiac, and surgical conditions by the multidisciplinary healthcare team is taught in this subject using inquiry-based and case-based learning. The subject provides students with the understanding of the needs and problems of the acute care patient, including cardiorespiratory, neurological and musculoskeletal systems across the lifespan. Research evidence for cardiopulmonary management across the spectrum of medical, surgical, and acute neurological patients is applied according to evidence-based guidelines and current best practice. Person-centred care is considered from the interprofessional perspective. The role of the physiotherapist in interprofessional teams, including leading teams is introduced and debated. Students are introduced to the interdisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) setting and assessment and treatment skills for ICU. Strategies to manage their own physical and psychological health when working in acute care settings, conflict resolution, and team leadership are introduced in this subject.
Acute physiotherapy care is a specialised area of clinical practice in the Master of Physiotherapy (C04306). This subject consolidates learning from several previous subjects, including 96080 Clinical Assessment and Treatment Planning, 96081 Professional Practice, and 96082 Core Practice for Physiotherapists.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 02. | Link structural and/or functional pathophysiology to a client's clinical presentation |
|---|---|
| 04. | Assess client's problems with reference to the WHO ICF domains of impairment, activity limitation and participation restriction |
| 05. | Integrate appropriate supplementary information in the diagnosis of a client's condition |
| 10. | Demonstrate safe and sensitive therapeutic manual handling |
| 11. | Interpret assessment results |
| 12. | Develop a problem list |
| 13. | Prioritise the problem list |
| 18. | Design an intervention |
| 22. | Execute an effective intervention |
| 25. | Evaluate the efficacy of an intervention |
| 26. | Modify treatments based on restrictions imposed by a client's condition and age |
| 28. | Provide feedback to clients during an intervention |
| 36. | Explain potential risks and benefits of any intervention to the client and caregivers |
| 58. | Effectively organise and prioritise workload and resources to provide safe, effective, and efficient physiotherapy autonomously and, where relevant, as a team member |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
The learning outcomes for this subject are as follows:
- Knowledge and skills: Integrate core biomedical and social health science knowledge across the breadth of physiotherapy practice to inform assessment and safe, competent and skilled practical care of individuals across the lifespan as an autonomous practitioner and as a member of an interprofessional team. (01.01)
- Clinical reasoning: Identify impairment, activity and participation deficits in individuals in accordance with the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health framework and develop evidence-based care plans in accordance with best practice physiotherapy. (01.02)
- Critical thinker: Critically analyse the evidence underpinning practice and effectively apply new knowledge to practice; conduct and disseminate high-quality research to improve professional knowledge and influence direction of future practice. (02.05)
- Professional and ethical practitioner: Embody the physiotherapy profession, demonstrating globally relevant ethical and professional behaviour and social accountability, while utilising deliberate critical analysis, self-reflection and self-awareness to constantly improve practice. (03.04)
- Client focus: Provide empathetic, compassionate and respectful patient-focused care, facilitating client self-management, advocating for best practice care and empowering clients by education. (04.03)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Practice ready
Graduates of the Master of Physiotherapy are knowledgeable, practice-ready clinicians, skilled in providing safe and effective evidence-based care to clients across the lifespan, using a wide range of therapeutic approaches including skilled hands on practice, and in a variety of clinical settings as both independent and collaborative practitioners.
Research-enabled
Graduates of the Master of Physiotherapy effectively integrate research evidence
into practice, are proactive in identifying gaps in knowledge and are competent to undertake research to advance the evidence base and inform future physiotherapy practice.
Professionally Competent
Graduates of the Master of Physiotherapy embody professional and ethical practice, maintaining knowledge and competence at local and global standards. Graduates embrace opportunities for leadership and advanced roles, utilise deliberate practice to optimise physiotherapy care and advocate for the profession in interdisciplinary contexts.
Person-centred
Graduates of the Master of Physiotherapy are empathetic, person-centred practitioners who empower client self-management and endorse preventative care by forming and valuing partnerships with individuals, families and communities.
Teaching and learning strategies
Prep work
Prep work is undertaken prior to masterclasses and workshops. Prep work can include watching a video, reading a blog entry/website/textbook chapter/journal article/magazine article and/or listening to a podcast/video/interview. Questions often accompany the prep work so students read with intent which encourage deep reading. Content covered in prep work is strongly linked to content covered in masterclasses and workshops. Please ensure prep work is carried out so that you have spent some time accessing and making sense of ideas. Attending the masterclasses and workshops will allow you to test these ideas and get feedback from your teachers and peers which will further consolidate your learning. Your knowledge and understanding of the prep work will be tested and applied using quizzes, group discussions and practical activities in masterclasses and workshops. (Prep work in this subject also includes attending anatomy wet lab classes. Activities in anatomy wet lab classes include guided group work where students are trained to observe, palpate and locate anatomical structures.)
Masterclasses
Masterclasses are conducted in groups of 60 or more. There is usually a presentation of content by the teacher followed by activities which build on the prep work and the content presented. These activities are varied and require students to work alone, work in pairs or work in groups of 3 or more.
Examples of these activities include short quizzes, group discussions and “One Minute Paper” where students reflect on what they have learnt in class and share this with the class. Group discussions often involve solving a problem or answering a question based on case studies or the content topic. All activities are facilitated by the teacher. Feedback is provided by the teacher where there is discrepancy in the knowledge and understanding of the content or disagreement in opinions between groups. Feedback can also be provided by peers.
Workshops
Workshops are conducted in groups of 15-35. Content in classes often include the practice of practical skills and further consolidation of information gained in masterclasses. These activities are varied and often require students to work in pairs or work in groups of 3 or more. Examples of these activities include the practice of practical skills, simulated role play of patients in case studies, group discussions, debates, brainstorming session and “One Minute Paper”. In the classes where practical skills are taught, the teacher demonstrates these practical skills and provide guidance on how feedback should be provided. After the demonstration, students work in small groups of 3 or more to practise. Feedback on their techniques are provided by the teacher or their peers. The content of feedback will cover professionalism, communication, equipment set-up, environment set-up, positioning of patient, positioning of therapist and manual handling/manual guidance. Feedback on common errors and suggestions for improvement will also be included. In the classes where theoretical content are consolidated and applied, feedback is provided by the teacher where there is discrepancy in the knowledge and understanding of the content or disagreement in opinions between groups. Feedback can also be provided by peers.
Content (topics)
96088 Acute Physiotherapy Care builds on the knowledge gained in all subjects covered in the course to date. The subject meets course aims by providing students with fundamental understanding of physiotherapy practice in an acute hospital setting. Acute physiotherapy care is a specialised area of clinical practice in the Master of Physiotherapy. This subject consolidates learning in several previous subjects, including 96080 Clinical Assessment and Treatment Planning, 96081 Professional Practice, 96082 Core Practice for Physiotherapists and 96089 Prevention and Rehabilitation in the Community.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Quiz
| Intent: | This assessment task will give students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the theoretical content to develop clinical reasoning to manage cardiorespiratory conditions. The content to be assessed includes all content covered in weeks 1 to 5. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 02, 04, 05 and 11 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.01, 01.02 and 02.05 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | Students will have 1hr to complete the 30 question in-class assessment. |
| Criteria: | Your total grade on the assessment equates to the number of correct answers you obtain during the in-class assessment. |
Assessment task 2: Case study focused assessment - Clinical reasoning
| Intent: | This assessment task will give students the opportunity to demonstrate their clinical reasoning skills in assessing and planning a treatment for a complex patient. The patient is considered complex as he/she has more than one system that needs to be considered in assessment and treatment planning. The content to be assessed includes content learnt from weeks 1 to 10. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 02, 05, 11, 12, 13, 25, 26 and 36 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.01, 01.02 and 02.05 |
| Type: | Case study |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Students will have 2hrs to complete the assessment. |
| Criteria: | Please refer to Canvas for the marking criteria for this assessment task. Marks have been allocated to clinical reasoning decision and input text for each screen that the student works through. |
Assessment task 3: Practical exam (Must-Pass)
| Intent: | This assessment task will give students the opportunity to demonstrate their practical and clinical reasoning skills in conducting effective treatment for a cardiorespiratory condition. The content to be assessed includes all practical and theoretical content learned from weeks 1 to 14. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task is aligned with the following subject learning objectives: 02, 05, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 25, 26, 28, 36 and 58 This task is aligned with the following course learning outcomes: 01.01, 01.02, 02.05, 03.04 and 04.03 |
| Type: | Examination |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | The practical examination will run for 25 mins per student (which includes reading time). |
| Criteria: | Please refer to marking criteria on Canvas. |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, you are required to
- complete all assessments items,
- pass the practical exam,
- achieve an overall grade of ≥ 50, and
- attend a minimum of 85% of classes
Required texts
Essentials of Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy - E-Book Ellen Hillegass 4th Edition.
Coursework Assessments Procedures
Graduate School of Health Policy, Guidelines and Procedures (login required)
Recommended texts
Lung Foundation Australia (2014) Health professionals [Online]. Available at: http://lungfoundation.com.au/health-professionals/ [Accessed 29 March 2016].
Lung Foundation Australia (2014) The COPD-X Plan: Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for the management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 2015 [Online]. Available at: http://copdx.org.au/copd-x-plan/ [Accessed 29 March 2016].
The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (2015) [Online]. Available at: https://www.thoracic.org.au/ [Accessed 29 March 2016].