OPN365 Clinical Practice 3

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit continues the clinical optometric practice in the primary care area within the Optometry program. Through supervised clinical practice, students will refine specific problem-solving strategies in clinical practice, and further develop problem-specific examination techniques, reinforcing and refining clinical skills developed in the previous units. This unit continues the transfer of theoretical and practical skills to the clinical situation.  Students will take on a greater responsibility for clinical decision making and management, demonstrating early independence and responsibility in decision making and problem solving, beginning the transition to professional practice. Students will also participate in clinical placement activity off-campus in a range of practice environments to further develop their clinical management skills and exposure to business management in practices.

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. Design and implement problem-specific eye examinations in a technically competent manner in optometric practice;
2. Formulate and revise treatment and management plans for patients;
3. Differentially diagnose visual disorders;
4. Give advice to patients in a caring, culturally safe and ethical manner;
5. Communicate efficiently with other health care professionals.

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 case management and problem solving, differential diagnoses, with reference to current and developing clinical management strategies. Off-campus clinical placements will allow exposure to an increased range of patient presentations, and exposure to clinical thinking and management of clinical practitioners in their practice environments.

You will further develop your evidence portfolio of clinical experiences through clinical practice in the on-campus clinical and through off-campus clinical placement activity. You will use your own self-reflection on your developing clinical experience gained in this unit, and the subsequent Semester 2 unit OPN465, to develop a continuing professional development plan in the unit OPN461.

Expected Clinical Conduct:
Clinical attendance is mandatory for all students and compulsory clinic sessions may be scheduled during the mid-year break (June-July) or the summer semester (November-January).

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 addition to any mandatory clinics scheduled during the mid-year break or summer semester).

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.

You 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

Written feedback will be provided by your clinical supervisors following each initial consultation you perform within the QUT Optometry Clinic, which will focus on your clinical skills and decision making processes.

Assessment

Overview

Patient encounters are assessed in both formative and summative ways to provide feedback regarding development of clinical competency, and in a summative way toward the end of the unit.  Clinical skills competency assessments and summative assessment of patient consultations must each be passed to complete the unit, and repeat (supplementary) assessment will be undertaken until the required competency is demonstrated.

Satisfactory performance in each of the assessment items is a condition for passing this unit.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Clinical Examination

You will be assessed on each initial patient consultation seen during Primary Care Clinics throughout semester 1. You will be assessed on your ability to address the patients' clinical concerns through a problem-oriented optometric routine, and the ability to communicate effectively with a patient. As you enter your final year, greater emphasis is placed on clinical diagnostic and management skills in the clinical practice units, with the expectation that you will begin to take on the primary role. These assessments will reflect real-world clinical scenarios you will encounter upon graduation.

You will also be assessed on specific clinical techniques during a practical skills examination held during the end of semester exam period. You will be required to demonstrate three clinical skills specific to therapeutic optometry practice.

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 per clinical skill, if you achieved a mark within 40-49% of the pass level on your first attempt for any of the three therapeutic clinical skills. You are advised to seek feedback on your performance from the unit coordinator prior to the reattempt.

Assessment: Clinical Practice Portfolio

You will be required to complete and maintain a portfolio of clinical experience that identifies the clinical work carried out during campus-based and external placement clinical activity. The portfolio will contain the following components: (i) a record of your work completed during campus-based clinical activity, noting any activity relating to ocular therapeutic management; (ii) a record of your work completed during external placement clinical activity, noting any activity relating to ocular therapeutic management; and (iii) submission of two short case-reports throughout the semester. 

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Threshold Assessment:

Satisfactory performance in this assessment item is a condition for passing this unit. For professional accreditation, demonstration of the ability to communicate and collaborate with other health professionals, and ability to self-reflect on professional development needs consistent with 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.

Assessment: Structured Oral Examination

The viva voce assessment will be undertaken during the end-of-semester examination period and will consist of 4 short (10 min each), consecutive case discussions with an examiner on a one-on-one basis. During this assessment you will be presented with a patient history and some key clinical findings from real world cases, and you will be asked to talk through your clinical thinking, decision making and patient management strategies. Your examiner may present more information as the case unfolds to allow you to adjust your working diagnosis and management strategies, as you would in practice. These cases will draw up clinical scenarios which you are most likely to encounter in a real-world setting, with a focus on well thought-out differentials and sound clinical decision making that centres on patient safety and wellbeing.

Threshold Assessment:

Satisfactory performance in this assessment item is a condition for passing this unit. For professional accreditation demonstration of the ability to gather and utilise all relevant patient information, interpret clinical findings, establish a working diagnosis and develop and implement an appropriate management plan, consistent with the Entry-Level Competency Standards for Optometry, is required. You will be eligible for one reattempt of this assessment item 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.

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

You are required to meet the mandatory requirements for clinical placement in the QUT Health Clinics and external placement sites, including mandatory vaccinations, a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first-aid certificate and a Blue Card. You must also complete Queensland Health's Cultural Introductory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Practice online module.

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 and in external clinical placements. 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

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2: Communication and Patient History

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3: Patient Examination

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4: Diagnosis and Management

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    Relates to: Clinical Examination, Clinical Practice Portfolio

5: Health Information Management

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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 Examination, Clinical Practice Portfolio, Structured Oral Examination
2. Reflect and apply critical thinking and researchable questions to generate solutions to complex conditions in clinical and research settings.
   Relates to: Clinical Examination, Clinical Practice Portfolio, Structured Oral Examination
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 Examination, Clinical Practice Portfolio
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: Clinical Examination, Clinical Practice Portfolio, Structured Oral Examination
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: Clinical Examination, Clinical Practice Portfolio