Practical teaching and core participation requirements
Core Participation Requirements are abilities, attributes and behaviours that are required to undertake both university learning activities and clinical placement experiences in your course. These requirements are provided for your information and are not entry requirements. Core Participation Requirements may also be referred to as Inherent Requirements by other institutions.
Flinders University wants you to understand the Core Participation Requirements of the Master of Physiotherapy course so you can:
- determine if you may need support during your studies; and
- make an informed decision about whether the course is suitable for you.
If there are any Core Participation Requirements listed below that you do not feel capable of demonstrating, we will seek to make reasonable adjustments in order to meet the topic learning outcomes and degree requirements. You can contact Flinders University Health Counselling and Disability Services or the Course Coordinator to discuss any adjustments you may need.
The following requirements are informed by the specified roles and responsibilities of physiotherapy practice in the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand physiotherapy practice thresholds, and AHPRA code of conduct.
Physiotherapy students must behave ethically and in accordance with relevant laws and relevant professional and university codes of conduct to ensure safe, consensual and professional practice in all contexts. Physiotherapy students are required to exercise emotional and behavioural regulation capabilities when working with people in educational and practice settings, including in situations that can be challenging, unpredictable and stressful.
As part of practical teaching, physiotherapy students are required to conduct physical assessments and be assessed by their peers in mixed-gender practical classes, and to interact with and physically assess their peers and clients of all ages, genders, linguistic and cultural backgrounds in teaching and clinical / hospital environments. With consent, students will be requested to remove layers of clothing, when practicing physiotherapy assessment and treatment techniques on each other for accurate and safe technique application and learning purposes. Students will be required to administer physiotherapy treatment to clients in teaching and clinical settings who, with consent, will also remove layers of their clothing.
In teaching and practice contexts, students are required to adhere to infection control requirements. In practice settings and consistent with SA Health Guidelines, prior to working in a clinical area, students having contact with a patient or a patient’s environment must remove all hand and wrist jewellery (a single, plain, non-porous ring is exempt) including wrist watches and fitness bands. Students who have direct contact with patients need to ensure that nails are clean, short and unvarnished. Artificial nails (of all types) are not be worn. When direct patient contact occurs arms should be bare below the elbows to enable adequate hand hygiene of the hands and forearms. Long sleeves are not recommended, but if worn then sleeves are required to be rolled up. Students must be prepared to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) for infection prevention and control of infectious respiratory diseases. Facial hair and facial piercings must not interfere with the safe use of protective equipment, including a N95 face mask. If students have facial hair or coverings due to cultural and/or religious and/or medical reasons, the university will need to liaise with placement WHS units to determine risk-based alternatives.
The ability to effectively detect, interpret and apply verbal and non-verbal communication are fundamental to physiotherapy practice. This includes adapting your own communication to be culturally responsive, ensuring the care you deliver is safe, respectful, empathetic, and non-judgemental. Throughout the course, you will be required to use clear and precise English language speaking, listening/comprehension and writing skills. This includes the completion of clinical documentation and reports and recognising and responding to cues with clients and colleagues from a wide range of cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds.
Cognitive capabilities are required to reach the practice threshold of autonomous practice. Accordingly, safe, effective and efficient delivery of physiotherapy practice is based on comprehensive knowledge that must be sourced, reviewed, comprehended, recalled, summarised and applied appropriately in context. This includes application of numeracy and literacy skills, organisational and problem-solving skills, and an ability to adapt to and use required technologies (such as electronic medical record systems). Sustained concentration and alertness is required to ensure consistently safe, effective and efficient implementation and monitoring of physiotherapy practice, and support time-management.
Physiotherapy students require sufficient tactile, visual and auditory function to perform a range of clinical skills and assessments, and to respond to client and environmental cues to ensure a safe environment and practice.
Physiotherapy students require sufficient gross and fine motor skills, that includes strength and mobility, to provide effective healthcare over sustained periods of time. This includes the ability to appropriately position self, equipment, and clients to perform tasks consistently and safely to reduce risk of harm to self and others. Gross motor skills include lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, sitting, walking, twisting, bending, kneeling, squatting, stair climbing. Examples of fine motor skills that are important for physiotherapy include: include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate with precision limbs/body areas and objects.
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
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