CSB522 Podiatric Medicine 2

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit is a work integrated learning (WIL) unit in which you will complete clinical placements in the QUT Podiatry Clinic. This unit builds on the foundational knowledge and clinical skills acquired in Podiatric Medicine 1 and enables you to consolidate your skills and begin to effectively manage patients under staff supervision. Your clinical decisions will be informed by physical and diagnostic examinations conducted within the framework of technological, ethical, financial and legal considerations and an evidence-based context. You will demonstrate clinical competencies at an introductory level and aligned with AHPRA's professional capabilities for podiatrists, professional guidelines and codes of conduct. You will develop your proficiency in examining and treating patients who have common foot conditions and continue to increase your awareness of the role of the podiatry profession in the community.

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. Acquire technical skills for conducting comprehensive objective clinical and biomechanical assessments in a culturally responsive and person-centred manner, ensuring both proficiency and safety
2. Plan assessments utilising an evidence-based approach, while incorporating theoretical knowledge and considering the patient's context and presenting complaint
3. Systematically obtain and organise information gathered from patient history and assessments, and employ clinical reasoning skills to create a well-justified and patient-centred podiatric treatment plan
4. Competently apply safe work principles within relevant ethical, professional, and regulatory frameworks to select and implement appropriate management strategies for common foot pathologies, utilising manual clinical skills

Content

Learning Approaches

The integration of theory and practice is achieved by linking lectures and tutorials to teaching activities in the podiatry clinic. Teaching methods include lectures, discussion groups, self-directed learning, peer-assisted learning and clinical practice. This unit utilises contemporary approaches to learning and teaching in a clinical environment that places you at the centre of all clinical activities, clinical reasoning and reflection.

This unit requires compulsory attendance at on-campus clinical placement (45 hours), and any absence from clinical placements will reduce the opportunity for development of your professional capabilities. Where absence is due to special or unforeseeable circumstances independently supported by documentation (e.g. medical certificate), make-up clinical placement days will be facilitated wherever possible. In certain circumstances, involving a substantial number of missed clinical hours, you may be advised to seek withdrawal from the unit without academic penalty. Standard course progression cannot be guaranteed following withdrawal from a clinical placement unit (or fail grade).

Clinical rotations will include general patient clinics. Online case studies will be available via the Canvas teaching website. Clinical skills workshops and tutorials will also be used to facilitate the development of practical skills expected of a second year podiatry student.

In consultation with staff, you will be required to undertake a self-audit of performance against relevant professional capabilities for podiatrists, with a view to goal setting. This activity will guide your learning throughout the unit.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You are provided with the following formative assessment opportunities in this unit:

• Online case scenarios with feedback provided in tutorial sessions.
• Weekly verbal feedback from staff in clinical sessions regarding the development of skills in preparation for your placement performance assessment. Your clinical supervisors will discuss your handling of patient cases, your clinical reasoning and interactions with your patients.
• Formative feedback from staff and peers will be provided in practical sessions as you compile items for your workbook assessment.

Assessment

Overview

The learning outcomes in this unit address elements of AHPRA's professional capabilities for podiatrists. The Podiatry Board of Australia recognises these capabilities as the minimum standards for professional practice. As such, this unit contains specified threshold assessment conditions for the Placement Performance assessment.

There are three assessment items that will enable you to demonstrate achievement of the unit learning outcomes. You will evidence your practical learning by compilation of a workbook throughout the semester. Your workbook includes a reflective task (submitted mid-semester) which will provide an early feedback point for your progress on this assessment item. Your second assessment item is a clinical placement performance and logbook of your clinical hours. Thirdly, you will complete a written examination to demonstrate your integration of theoretical concepts.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Workbook

You will be required to reflect on your experiences in clinical practice and engage in self-evaluation and self-directed learning to write a piece of reflective prose, which will be the first part of your workbook to be submitted. Throughout the semester, you will be required to demonstrate specific skills in your supervised practical sessions, and you will submit the remainder of your workbook at the end of the teaching period as evidence of your learning in this unit.

Feedback will be provided on the development of your workbook components throughout the semester.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Placement Performance and Logbook

As a student practitioner, you will be required to undertake the supervised assessment and treatment of patients in the clinical environment. You will be required to elicit a medical history, demonstrate competence in completing the patient's medical record, conduct relevant screening tests, apply podiatric theory to the diagnosis of the patient's foot condition(s), demonstrate competence in infection control procedures and clinical skills and provide patient care. In preparation for this assessment, you will engage in guided self-reflection on your clinical performance.

In your logbook you will document completion of the required number of clinical hours (45 hours) and this will be recorded in InPlace.

Threshold Assessment:

In order to receive a grade for this assessment item, fulfilment of all clinical hours must be completed and you must achieve the minimum pass level as indicated by a criterion-referenced assessment rubric mapped to AHPRA’s professional capabilities for podiatrists. You will be eligible for one reattempt at the minimum pass level, only when your achieved mark/grade is within 10% (or 1 grade) of the pass level. You are advised to seek feedback on your performance from the unit coordinator prior to the reattempt.

Assessment: Examination (Theory)

A final examination consisting of multiple choice and short answer questions will be used to assess theoretical knowledge across all content areas.

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

Clinical attendance is mandatory for all students and will be documented to fulfill course accreditation requirements. Any absence must be either accompanied by a medical certificate or prior approval, in writing, obtained from the unit coordinator. In these circumstances your clinical hours will need to be completed in the next scheduled semester break clinic (in addition to mandatory break clinics). You will be required to attend additional clinical rotations scheduled during semester breaks as part of this unit.

You must comply with the policies and procedures of the QUT Health Clinics at all times, and you will be required to sign a declaration form stating that you have read and understood all policies and procedures. Failure to comply with relevant policies and procedures may lead to exclusion from the clinics and inability to complete the unit. 

The Health Work Integrated Learning Support (WILS) team supports checking of mandatory documentation required for all student clinical placements.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in your exclusion from clinical activities. 

• Blue Card: A blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (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 (https://qutvirtual4.qut.edu.au/group/student/jobs-and-careers/get-work-experience/blue-cards). 
• Vaccine Preventable Diseases Evidence:  It is a mandatory requirement for students to be vaccinated against a number of vaccine preventable diseases. For more information, please refer to QUT Health students placements website.  
• First Aid Certificate: You are required to have a current Senior First Aid Certificate before you begin your podiatry placement. There are a variety of First Aid certificate courses that are delivered by approved providers and duly authorised under the Ambulance Service Act 1991. 

All documentation needs to be provided to Work Integrated Learning Support (via InPlace) before the commencement of clinical placements.

Specific disclosure: Students will be required to disclose specific personal or medical information where: 

• A medical condition or medication use may increase the risk of injury to yourself or others (e.g. use of sedative medications or communicable disease). 
• Adjustments may be required for a disability, injury, health condition or pregnancy (e.g. access to facilities, manual tasks such as scalpel work or orthosis fabrication, working with chemicals). 

Please seek advice about disclosure from your Disability Advisor. Refer to Disability Services homepage for information. 

Further information regarding WIL policies and procedures, such as health and safety, risk management, confidentiality, intellectual property, disclosure and insurance, are available via the following QUT Health student placements website. 

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

Students are required to meet the specific course costs, including uniform and suitable footwear, immunisations and CPR/first aid certificate.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Gordan Burrow, and et al. (2020). Neale's disorders of the foot. (9th Edition). Published 2020. Elsevier.

Merriman, L.M. (2012). Assessment of the lower limb. (3rd Edition). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Risk Assessment Statement

This unit will involve lab-based and clinic-based sessions in on campus clinic facilities. You will be required to attend a mandatory induction session in Orientation week and/or at the commencement of the semester, where the safety precautions to be observed while working in the labs and clinic will be outlined. You are required to read the Clinic Policies and Procedures documents, and sign forms indicating that you have read and understood the material contained in these manuals. Please direct any questions regarding safe working procedures to the unit coordinator. Protective clothing outlined in the Policies and Procedures documentation must be worn at all times in the laboratories (eg face mask, goggles/face shield, lab coat) along with closed in footwear and the clinic uniform during all clinic sessions. This unit involves contact with patients, and risks associated with the clinical environment (e.g. scalpel injury and exposure to patients with a blood borne virus) are outlined in the policies and procedures manuals for podiatry students. You are expected to comply with these procedures and guidelines at all times.