Preparing for placement
In addition to dress standard recommendations below, students are required to wear a Health Sciences polo shirt while on placement. These are not required but optional if the placement is undertaken within the University. There is also an optional jacket and vest available for purchase.
Purchase via the link below.
Corporate Image
2/72 Everard Av, Keswick
Ph: 8293 1120
Shirts and tops
- Men are to wear collared shirts. T-shirts and other non-collared tops are not acceptable.
- Women are to wear preferably collared shirts, however if wearing non-collared tops, ensure they have short sleeves as a minimum i.e. no singlets. Tops should adequately cover the cleavage.
- Women should not wear sleeveless tops unless under a blazer or other suitable over-garment.
- Bold/large logos on shirts and tops are not acceptable.
- Shirts and tops should be clean and neatly ironed.
Skirts, dresses and pants
- For women, skirts and dresses should be at least knee length. Items should be of a professional standard and in keeping with a professional image.
- For men, the design and fit of pants should allow adequate freedom of movement as is required for the jobs performed and not compromise modesty. Hipsters and low-rider pants are not acceptable.
- For women, the design and fit of pants and skirts should allow adequate freedom of movement as is required for the jobs performed and not compromise modesty. Hipsters and low-rider pants and skirts are not acceptable.
- For industrial worksite visits, cotton drill pants can be worn.
- Denim jeans, cargo pants, leggings and tracksuit pants are not acceptable.
Footwear
- Shoes should provide good foot coverage.
- The height of the heel and degree of foot support should be consistent with the work performed and any relevant safety or comfort factors.
- Footwear with a peep toe/rear strap may also be inappropriate if attending industrial worksites.
- Sneakers, sandals, crocs, thongs or other such informal styles of footwear are not acceptable.
Personal presentation
- Presentation should be of a professional standard and in keeping with a professional image.
- Jewellery should be kept to a minimum. Nails are to be short and free from nail polish.
- To adhere to a professional image, we generally ask that employees wear no more than three ear piercings in each ear. Any form of visual body piercing other than ear piercing (e.g. facial) must be removed in working hours to ensure a professional image is portrayed at all times, unless otherwise negotiated with your workplace supervisor.
- Hair should be kept neat and tidy and not pose a safety risk to self, colleagues or clients. Keep hair away from face with hair longer than collar length tied back. Facial hair should be neatly trimmed and tidy.
- Tattoos should be discreet and considerate to a professional image. Offensive and/or inappropriate tattoos are not permitted.
Identification badges can only be obtained once you have a student ID card. How to obtain a student ID card.
Collecting in person from Central Library
- Complete the online form to order and pay at: unicard.com.au/flindersplacementbadge. The cost is $4.40 if collecting in person. Payment is not available at the office and is only available via the online form.
- Visit the Unicard office level 1 Central library, with student card. Placement cards/badges will be printed while the student waits.
- Cards/badges will not be issued if a student card is not presented.
Mailed out
- Check your address is current in the student system before trying to order.
- Complete the online form to order and pay at: unicard.com.au/flindersplacementbadge. The cost is $10 if mailed out. Payment is not available at the office and is only available via the online form.
- Cards/badges will be processed and mailed out via unregistered Australian Post within 2 working days.
During placement
Venue orientation
All venues will provide an orientation for students prior to or on the first day of placement. Some venues require that students attend an on-site orientation in person, others provide an online package prior to placement, and some venues will require both.
On your first day of placement you will:
- produce your current compulsory pre-placement compliance documents
- meet the venue staff
- be shown around the venue
- be advised of any specific requirements for the venue.
If you do not attend or complete your allocated placement venue orientation, you will not have met the venue compliance criteria and your workplace supervisor will send you home; you will not be able to complete this placement.
Roster
As part of your professional responsibility, you are required to ensure that you:
- have completed or attended a placement venue orientation
- know where to arrive and meet on day 1
- know your shift times and attend all shifts for the entire allocated shift
- are well rested before each shift. Failure to be rested places yourself or others at risk and is considered unprofessional practice, as you are unable to meet your professional obligations and thus standards of practice.
Arriving at shifts
It is your responsibility to arrive at your venue at least ten minutes before the shift begins. This will ensure you arrive in a timely manner, ask required questions and clarify work for the day.
Missed placement hours or shifts
Any hours missed during your placement must be ‘made up’ as you need to attend for the allocated duration. Missed placement hours may mean that you:
- cannot complete the topic requirements for placement
- may not meet the course graduation requirements.
Contact your workplace supervisor as soon as possible to discuss strategies for making up missed hours. With limited placement opportunities available, it is not always possible to negotiate make-up shifts or an extension to your placement.
Paid employment
You may not count your paid employment hours in a health care venue towards your placements hours or undertake a placement in your place of employment due to conflicting expectations around roles.
Elite athletes
If you are an elite athlete, you need to advise topic coordinator of your status as soon as this is confirmed. This will enable appropriate placement arrangements can be accommodated. The University’s rule for Elite Athlete status provides further details, including the need to renew applications annually.
Australian Defence Force personnel
If you are a member of the Australian Defence Forces, and expect to be deployed or required for compulsory training exercises during a placement period, please advise your topic coordinator as soon as details are known. Wherever possible, alternative arrangements will be made for your placement.
Withdrawing from placement
If you decide to withdraw from your placement either before or soon after commencement you need to email the topic coordinator advising that you intend to withdraw from the topic - in some instances your placement can then be reallocated to another student.
This section provides guidance for finding solutions for issues that may arise during a placement, and suggestions about appropriate people to contact.
Issues sometimes arise on placement that you may not be able to resolve by yourself. Who to contact and potential solutions are covered below. Keep in mind that you are required to maintain professional behaviour and communication at all times, especially with those at the placement venue.
The placement communication framework (available below) provides information about who to contact when you have a question about your placement.
First point of contact
When an issue arises at the venue where you are doing your professional experience placement, the first person to contact is always your workplace supervisor.
If you have done this and the problem is still not fixed - what to do next:
- Make an appointment to speak with your course coordinator.
- If the matter if still not resolved arrange to meet with the topic coordinator to discuss your concerns.
Where appropriate and as far as is possible, your anonymity will be preserved.
Remember that you have free access to the University Health, Counselling and Disability Services.
Are you experiencing bullying or harassment?
Flinders University is committed to ensuring that students can participate in workplaces that are free from bullying, harassment and discrimination, and where people are respected and diversity is embraced.
The College complies with the Flinders University principles outlined in No bullying at Flinders.
If you feel that you are being, or have been, bullied or harassed at a placement venue, report this immediately to your Placement Educator/facilitator and/or your Topic Coordinator.
Also, seek support and assistance as soon as possible from the University Student Equal Opportunity Adviser, who provides assistance to resolve complaints that arise from harassment or bullying, under the University’s Equal Opportunity Policy (PDF).
What is breach of conduct?
A breach of conduct is when situations arise where there are serious deficits in the way a student conducts themselves or behaves while on placement, for example when a student:
- behave in an unprofessional manner or
- does tasks outside their scope of practice
- engages in unsafe professional practice
When a breach of conduct occurs, the student will be referred to the topic coordinator who will review whether they can continue activity within the topic, depending on the severity of the breach.
The public expect to be in a safe environment within a placement venue. If at any time a student demonstrates unsafe practice during a placement, they will be immediately withdrawn from the placement venue. The workplace supervisor will then notify the topic coordinator and course coordinator, in writing, of the event or activity that required the removal of a student from the venue.
Unsafe professional practice include:
- inadequate knowledge for safe practice
- inadequate performance of skills, including communication
- unprofessional behaviour that places staff or clients at risk of physical harm, unreasonable emotional distress or neglect
- unlawful or unethical behaviour.
If the issue/s that caused the removal of a student from placement can be resolved, and the venue agrees, a student may continue their placement. Negotiation for the support of a Professional Learning Plan may also be considered.
The topic coordinator, in consultation with the placement educator (facilitator) and relevant clinical staff, will determine whether a student may be reinstated.
If a student’s behaviour or practice is such that they would fail the topic, then they will not be reinstated.
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