OPN163 Clinical Practice 1

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit begins clinical optometric practice in the primary care area within the Optometry Clinic of the Faculty of Health Clinics. Through clinical practice, students will develop specific problem solving strategies, and develop problem specific examination techniques, reinforcing and refining clinical skills developed in the previous units. This unit begins the transfer of theoretical and practical skills to the clinical situation, providing the early basis for transition to professional practice.

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. Apply technically competent eye examination skills within a supervised, optometric environment.
2. Use evidence-based practice skills to differentially diagnose visual disorders.
3. Plan and implement treatment and management plans for patients under your (supervised) care.
4. Provide empathetic, culturally safe, and ethical advice and care to patients.
5. Communicate efficiently (written and verbally) with colleagues and other health care professionals about eye health conditions.

Content

Learning Approaches

Clinical practice in the primary care clinic under supervision of qualified and registered optometrists. Clinical practice will be supported by tutorials with emphasis placed on clinical assessment, case management and problem solving, differential diagnoses, with reference to current and developing clinical management strategies.

You will receive additional training from the Student Success Group on managing stress.

Expected Clinical Conduct:
Clinical attendance is mandatory for all students.

Clinical hours are documented to demonstrate fulfilment of Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand course accreditation requirements. Absence from a scheduled clinic session due to illness requires a medical certificate sighted by the unit coordinator and clinic coordinator. In addition, any clinical hours missed must be completed in the next scheduled semester break clinic.
In some exceptional circumstances, prior approval may be obtained from the unit and course coordinator to alter a student's individual clinical timetable. However, supporting evidence is required to justify the need for any timetable alterations.
Students are required to comply with the policies and procedures of the QUT Optometry Clinic at all times. Failure to comply with relevant policies and procedures may lead to exclusion from the QUT Health Clinics and inability to complete the unit.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Formative feedback on the development of your clinical skills, and diagnostic and management skills will take place during clinical practice sessions on an ongoing basis through your clinical supervisors and clinic coordinator.  You are encouraged to communicate with the clinical supervisors if you require any specific feedback on clinical skills and to communicate with the unit coordinator if you have any questions or concerns about the assessment items.

Summative feedback on your clinical skills, assessed patient consultations and case study will be provided in written format within 2 weeks of the assessment.  

Assessment

Overview

Patient encounters are assessed in a formative way to provide feedback regarding development of clinical skills, and in a summative way toward the end of the unit. Skills competency assessment and assessment of patient consultations will include a written component (referral letter or report using patient management software and appropriate selection of digital technology to compile relevant clinical imaging information) and may include an oral examination component.  Submission of a case report discussing a clinical patient encounter will be due at the end of semester.

Satisfactory performance in Assessment Items 1 (Clinical skills assessments) and 2 (Patient examinations) is a condition for passing this unit.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Clinical skills assessments

As a student optometrist, you will be required to undertake core clinical skills on a colleague in an optometric environment. Technical skills and ability to communicate instructions in a patient care setting will be assessed.

Four clinical skills are assessed in Week 4, and an additional four clinical skills are assessed in Week 8.

Threshold Assessment:

Satisfactory performance in this assessment item is a condition for passing this unit. For professional accreditation, demonstration of safe clinical practice and performance consistent with the Entry-Level Competency Standards for Optometry is required. You will be eligible for one reattempt at the minimum pass level, only when your achieved mark is within 40-49% of the pass level. You are advised to seek feedback on your performance from the unit coordinator prior to the reattempt. You will not be eligible for a reattempt if their overall grade in the unit is a failing grade.

Assessment: Patient examinations

As a student optometrist, you will undertake a routine eye examination on a QUT Health Clinics Optometry Clinic patient.  Across three different patient consultations, you will be assessed on different components of the eye examination, concentrating on your ability to solve clinical problems through a problem oriented clinical routine, and the ability to communicate effectively with a patient.  A written referral or report relating to one of your patient consultations using patient management software and appropriate use of digital technology to compile clinical information will be submitted for assessment.

Threshold Assessment:

Satisfactory performance in this assessment item is a condition for passing this unit. For professional accreditation, demonstration of safe clinical practice and performance consistent with the Entry-Level Competency Standards for Optometry is required. You will be eligible for one reattempt at the minimum pass level, only when your achieved mark is within 40-49% of the pass level. You are advised to seek feedback on your performance from the unit coordinator prior to the reattempt. You will not be eligible for a reattempt if your overall grade in the unit is a failing grade.

Assessment: Case Study

You will be required to submit a 'clinical picture' discussing a clinical case you have seen in clinic.  A 'clinical picture' is the format of one of the article types accepted in the journal Clinical and Experimental Optometry.  Clinical pictures are limited to 500 words, up to five references and three figures.  Your submission can report a rare condition, an unusual presentation or fairly ordinary cases that demonstrate a clinical lesson, such as a risk of misdiagnosis or the effectiveness of treatments. Clinical pictures need not be of ocular disease but can be about refractive errors, optical dispensing, contact lenses and ocular motility disorders or any other aspect of optometry.

This is an assignment for the purposes of extension.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

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.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

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.

Risk Assessment Statement

This unit will involve practice of clinical techniques on fellow students and on people from the general public who present as patients to the QUT Optometry Clinic. High standards of hygiene and safe practices are required. You will be informed of relevant Standard Operating Procedures of the School of Optometry as they pertain to this unit.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Entry-Level Competency Standards for Optometry 2014

1: Professional Responsibilities

1. 
   Relates to: Clinical skills assessments, Patient examinations, Case Study
2. 
   Relates to: Clinical skills assessments, Patient examinations, Case Study
3. 
   Relates to: Clinical skills assessments, Patient examinations, Case Study
4. 
   Relates to: Clinical skills assessments, Patient examinations
5. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations, Case Study
6. 
   Relates to: Clinical skills assessments, Patient examinations, Case Study
7. 
   Relates to: Clinical skills assessments, Patient examinations, Case Study
8. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
9. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
10. 
    Relates to: Patient examinations
11. 
    Relates to: Patient examinations, Case Study

2: Communication and Patient History

1. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
2. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
3. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
4. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
5. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations

3: Patient Examination

1. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
2. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
3. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
4. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
5. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
6. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
7. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
8. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations

4: Diagnosis and Management

1. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
2. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
3. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
4. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
5. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
6. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
7. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
8. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
9. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
10. 
    Relates to: Patient examinations

5: Health Information Management

1. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
2. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations
3. 
   Relates to: Patient examinations

Course Learning Outcomes

OP85 Master of Optometry

1. Synthesise complex optometric knowledge, cognitive, clinical and technical skills and research methodology in vision science.
   Relates to: Clinical skills assessments, Patient examinations, Case Study
2. Reflect and apply critical thinking and researchable questions to generate solutions to complex conditions in clinical and research settings.
   Relates to: Patient examinations, Case Study
3. Assess and diagnose patients using proficient clinical skills and evidence-based practice that result in culturally safe and effective management plans.
   Relates to: Clinical skills assessments, Patient examinations
4. Communicate complex information effectively using oral, written and digital formats responsive to the clinical and cultural needs of diverse patients, other health professionals and community.
   Relates to: Patient examinations, Case Study
5. Practice as an inclusive, collaborative and reflective healthcare professional with capacity to adapt and develop resilience, and commitment to sustainable health care delivery within ethical, legal and professional frameworks.
   Relates to: Patient examinations