CSH471 Advanced Clinical Practice 1

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This unit is in the fourth year of your course, and builds on your acquired knowledge and skills of your previous units of study and leads into CSH481 Advanced Clinical Practice 2, and aligns with CSH472 Business of Healthcare. It will provide you with stepping stones to advance your clinical skills, preparing for your core practice in routine situations by developing the technical, clinical, personal and professional skills relevant to the day-to-day practice, and forming the basis of an advanced pharmacy practice framework.

This is a designated unit which is essential to your course progression. Designated units include professional experience units, units requiring the development of particular skills, and units requiring demonstration of certain personal qualities. If you fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit, you may be excluded from enrolment or will be put on academic probation. If you fail a designated unit twice within your course, you may be excluded. Supplementary assessment is not available on designated units.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Contribute to strategic planning to extend boundaries of service delivery as a member of an inter-professional team
2. Critically apply established culturally safe practice protocols in responding to situations around core practice areas.
3. Assess situations, formulate discussion and conclusions, options in the absence of evidence or data or where there is conflicting evidence or data.
4. Use reasoning and judgement in decision making informed by expert knowledge, available evidence and treatment goals or outcomes from services delivered in a core practice area(s).
5. Evaluate the delivery of accountable and flexible patient care that adheres to legal, socio-cultural, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit builds on the active and collaborative learning processes and the search for solutions to real world problems and cases. Students will be challanged with complex cases requiring collaborative inter-professional approaches. Students will be encouraged to cross inter-professional boundaries, consider multiple and diverse stakeholder perspectives. The unit will simulate real world practice e.g. hospital admission, including, medicines reconciliation, medication review, prescribing, discharge, communication with other health professionals. This approach aims to achieve transformative and sustainable problem solving capability by requiring students to articulate and be challenged in their decision making, building resilience and accountability.

This is the fifth in the suite of six units involving a placement experience. You will develop your understanding of your role as a pharmacist through experiential learning over a four week period. You will participate in a wide range of pharmacy operations, with a focus on integrating all knowledge, skills and attributes from the entire course. During this placement experience, you will also complete an independent QUM research project, and your preceptor(s) will support self-initating, research, and problem-solving activities for you to demonstrate your competency.

The content presented for this unit may be presented in face to face sessions, via video-conferencing, or recorded online medium through Canvas.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

For the cases in your professional practice portfolio, you will receive both individual written and oral in-class feedback on your submission before you move on to the next case in the portfolio.

For the OSCE, you will have the opportunity to practice OSCE cases in Week 10 and receive feedback before your OSCE in Week 11. You will also have the opportunity to receive individual feedback for your OSCE after you sit this assessment; this applies to both students who pass the first OSCE and for those who are required to sit a hurdle. 

For your placement, you will receive individual written feedback on your project proposals and ethics documents at the start of your placement block, and academics will be available for any questions or concerns throughout the four weeks as well. You will receive written individual feedback on your final placement report, and you have the opportunity to request individual face-to-face feedback as well. 

Assessment

Overview

The assessment items are situated across the semester to provide feedback on your learning.

There are three pieces of assessment to be completed in this unit. Each task is designed to assess particular learning outcomes. For the purpose of professional accreditation and demonstration of competencies, a satisfactory performance in the Project (research), OSCE (threshold assessment conditions apply), and an overall passing mark of at least 50% are required to obtain a passing grade for this unit.

Electronic access to resources in school-based examinations may be provided using University computers only (this is at the discretion of the Unit Coordinator and further details will be provided via Canvas). If electronic access is provided, students should be aware that access to resources cannot be guaranteed and students should ensure they are able to utilise hard copies of the same references.

Special conditions of assessment:

Participation and attendance at placement
This unit includes a four week placement experience. In order to receive a grade in this unit, the unit coordinator must receive completed activity sheets, feedback sheet completed by the preceptor, and preceptor signoff that placement hours have been satisfactorily completed by the end of the central exam period.

Threshold assessment conditions
In this unit, for you to be eligible to receive a passing grade, threshold assessment conditions apply. You are advised to seek feedback on your assessment from the unit coordinator prior to resubmission.

• Standard assessments: If you do not achieve a satisfactory result, you are able to make one resubmission of this task for the minimum pass level, only when your achieved mark/grade is within 10% (or 1 grade) of the pass level for the assessment item.
• OSCE (if weighted 0%) or competency (cut-score) assessments: If you do not achieve a satisfactory result, you are able to make one resubmission of this task for the cut-score pass level, only when your achieved mark is above the minimum attempt cut-score level for the assessment item. 

You may be required to electronically submit all written assignments for content matching checks.

Group assessments are to be completed and submitted as a group. Individual submissions will receive a score of 0 for the assessment.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Professional Practice Portfolio

By analysing complex case studies, you will demonstrate your ability to balance professional, clinical, and legal knowledge in order to provide patient centred care. Being a three part assessment, this allows you to demonstrate a variety of problem solving skills to provide patient centred care to address unique patient needs and situations. 

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions

Assessment: Project (research)

Based on your placement research in QUM, you will submit your research findings as a written report for potential investors or stakeholders.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Threshold Assessment:

Threshold conditions apply.

Assessment: OSCE

Working individually, apply knowledge, and source and interpret evidence to demonstrate a safe and effective assessment and management of case(s). Awareness of cultural perspectives and interpersonal communication skills required will be assessed. You will justify your clinical decision making to patients and/or professionals.

This assessment is approximately 1 hour duration.

Weight: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

The late submission period does not apply and no extensions are available, however this assessment can be deferred according to QUT MOPP. 

Threshold Assessment:

Threshold conditions apply.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

Mandatory requirements for pharmacy placement. Failure to comply with these requirements by the due date given will result in your exclusion from placement activities:

• Blue Card: A Blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (the Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the Blue card and how to apply, please refer to Blue cards - QUT Digital Workplace.
• Vaccine Preventable Diseases Evidence: It is a mandatory requirement for students to be vaccinated against several vaccine preventable diseases. For more information, please refer to Faculty of Health's website at Health student placements How to complete your pre-placement requirements - QUT Digital Workplace before the commencement of placement. You must provide evidence of immunity for Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis and Varicella on the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Evidence Certification Form. The form includes information on the evidence that is required for each vaccination. More information will provided by WILS.

There may be additional mandatory requirements for placements within specific external organisations (eg. QLD Health) and these expectations will be conveyed to you by the Health WILS team. Failure to meet these requirements by the due date given, may prevent you from undertaking your placement.

Blue Card

A blue card is required to complete this unit. A blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (the Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the blue card and how to apply please visit the QUT website.

Costs

All Work Integrated Learning placement costs, including immunisations, the prescribed QUT placement uniform, travel and accommodation expenses, are the responsibility of the student. See QUT - Additional course costs.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

APPF Steering Committee. (2012). An Advanced Practice Framework for Australia (draft). ACT: Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

AusDI: evidence based medicines information resource for Australian practice. St Leonards, NSW: Phoenix Medical Publishing; 2014. http://libguides.library.qut.edu.au/databases/ausdi

Clinical Skills for pharmacists. Elsevier. 2015.

The Singapore Statement on Research Integrity, 2nd World Conference on Research Integrity, 21-24 July 2010 , http://www.singaporestatement.org/

Therapeutic Guidelines. http://www.tg.org.au/

eMIMS (current edition), St Leonards, NSW: MIMS Australia, CMPMedica Australia Pty Limited. http://www.mims.com.au/

Risk Assessment Statement

Learning is the responsibility of all stakeholders. Students have a responsibility to minimise risk to themselves, other staff and clients while on placements both on campus and off campus.

Students must make themselves aware of and abide by the occupational health and safety requirements of all placement workplaces, and are expected to undergo any induction or other training provided for employees or visitors to the workplace as appropriate.

You are required to read the document 'Managing your rights, responsibilities and safety on placements' Your safety and wellbeing on placement - QUT Digital Workplace and disclose relevant health information as specified in this document. Students who are pregnant at the time of their placement also have particular disclosure requirements, as detailed in this document. Personal or medical information must be disclosed for example when there is an increased risk to the student or others, an impediment exists where adjustments to tasks will be required and/or if there are specific religious, cultural or family requirements.

All accidents, incidents and critical near-misses should be reported to your placement workplace and QUT. If an incident occurs on placement, a report needs to be submitted online through the Health, safety and environment HSE Hub accessed via  Your safety and wellbeing on placement - QUT Digital Workplace.

Course Learning Outcomes

CS47 Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)

1. Understand and apply knowledge of the health care consumer: person-centred care promoting wellness, person and societal good, prevention of poor health outcomes and harm, treating disease.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
2. Demonstrate expertise in knowledge of medicines, including knowledge of the drug substance and drug action: sources, properties and actions of medicinal substances.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
3. Demonstrate the formulation and compounding of safe, efficacious and high-quality medicinal products tailored to individual needs.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
4. Understand and apply knowledge of health care systems and wider contexts, including legal, ethical, professional frameworks and economic systems and work in interprofessional teams.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
5. Promote and advocate for cultural safety, respect and responsiveness, particularly in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
   Relates to: ULO2, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
6. Demonstrate ethical, legal and professional responsibilities, whilst considering quality, risk, best interests and safety of patients and public, formulating strategies to address any issues.
   Relates to: ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, OSCE
7. Demonstrate proactive, reflective, accountable behaviours and practice to develop professional competence and expertise and manage change.
   Relates to: ULO2, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
8. Communicate and collaborate with a socially and culturally diverse range of people on interpersonal and interprofessional levels.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
9. Provide tailored information, advice and documentation using a range of communication modes including written, verbal, non-verbal and digital.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
10. Demonstrate quality use of medicines including actions and recommendations for safe, rational and cost-effective use and management, prescribing, and medication reviews.
    Relates to: ULO3, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
11. Provide medications and other management options including administering, dispensing, preparing and supplying, safe storage, tailored counselling, and assessing ambulatory conditions.
    Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
12. Demonstrate health promotion and harm minimisation approaches providing evidence-based screening, assessment, prevention, referral and strategies to reduce harm from misuse of legal and illegal drugs, and participating in health promotion activities.
    Relates to: ULO4, ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
13. Undertake structured reflection to enhance learning and practice, self-awareness, self-regulation and ability to evaluate personal health and wellbeing status, demonstrating awareness of professional limitations and adopting strategies to address.
    Relates to: ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, OSCE
14. Demonstrate awareness and recognition of signs indicating risk to safety of performance and care, formulating responses and strategies.
    Relates to: ULO3, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
15. Promote quality assurance and continuous improvement, with awareness of, and complying with policy, processes and protocols, whilst demonstrating risk awareness with strategies to assess, monitor, mitigate and manage.
    Relates to: ULO1, ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
16. Demonstrate knowledge and skills in research and inquiry through questioning and critique, appreciating the complexity and ambiguity of professional practice, using research processes and synthesis to disseminate and apply outcomes in practice.
    Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE
17. Access, use, adapt and share information and/or other technologies to meet current and emerging needs of professional practice.
    Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, ULO5, Professional Practice Portfolio, Project (research), OSCE