LQB504-3 Clinical Physiology Professional Internship

Unit Outline: Summer 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Clinical physiologists (clinical measurement scientists) perform diagnostic tests, working with patients in health care in multidisciplinary teams. Disciplines include cardiac science, neuroscience, respiratory science, sleep science and multidisciplinary practice. The placement is full-time, intensive, unpaid and hands-on, working in the profession. This practical component is compulsory for completion of the unit and the clinical physiology minor. You will learn and develop core competencies in a field of clinical physiology including: communication skills, the demonstration of professional and ethical practice, infection control, patient confidentiality and privacy and cultural issues. Successful completion of this unit provides students with the competencies and experience required to apply for graduate positions in clinical physiology and employability skills. Entry into the minor is competitive (based on GPA and application) due to the limited number of placements.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Effectively apply your discipline-specific knowledge and complex reasoning skills in the workplace.
2. Develop and apply your professional competencies and the capacity to work independently and collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams and communicate with patients in a professional, sensitive and appropriate manner..
3. Competently apply a range of practical clinical physiology skills, interpret clinical measurements, perform troubleshooting and be able to reflect on the development of your practical and clinical competencies.
4. Demonstrate reflective, responsible, professional and ethical conduct in an organisation, the application of infection control and quality control standards and a respect for patient privacy, confidentiality and culturally-sensitive issues.
5. Apply effective information retrieval skills, be able to synthesise and critically review up to date information and emerging knowledge and apply your knowledge by communicating effectively with a scientific audience in written and oral forms.

Content

Learning Approaches

You will work for 8-10 weeks full time in a clinical physiology practice and will be directly supervised by clinical physiology staff at the placement site to develop practical competencies, employability skills and theoretical knowledge in order to help you achieve the learning outcomes. Your study and assessment will also be supervised by your unit coordinator, who you will communicate with weekly throughout your placement. 

Although there are no formal classes timetabled for this unit, you may be required to attend orientation and preparatory sessions or tutorials (face to face or online) and zoom sessions regarding assessment and you will be encouraged to attend student seminars and the Clinical physiology student symposium prior to your placement.

A site visit and an interview with your placement provider will be required and this may be required prior to acceptance into the program. You will be required to submit your resume to your supervisor.

In preparation for your placement you will need to complete a number of preparatory and online career-development modules, (including professional communication, interview skills and resume preparation) and other online training modules.

In the semester following the completion of your placement you will attend a symposium, where you and other clinical physiology students will each present a case study. Attendance and participation is a requirement of the unit.

All placements must be organised through the unit and course coordinators and work integrated learning support (WILS). In order to prepare for this placement you must show evidence of completed health and safety inductions, immunisations, a blue card, National Police check and complete other documentation as described in the Risk assessment statement section. You are required to read the document 'Managing your rights, responsibilities and safety on placements' and mandatory disclosure information produced by the WILS team. Students must disclose conditions that will impact on their placement and that will require management by the placement supervisors.

Throughout the placement you must liaise with your unit coordinator and clinical supervisors to support your learning. Prompt communication is essential.

You should contact the unit coordinator if any concerns arise during placement and you must contact the unit coordinator weekly to submit your journal entries.

Students must adhere to the unit's absence policy and inform their placement providers and unit coordinator as soon as possible of any absences. In preparation for placement and throughout the placement, prompt, polite, proactive and professional communication with your coordinators, the WIL coordinator and the placement supervisor is required.

You will have the opportunity to reflect on your developing professional practice on placement and clinical cases and procedures that you have undertaken through a weekly journal. Your unit coordinator will give you feedback on your weekly journal entries and on your placement and detailed feedback will be given using marking criteria sheets for your literature review and oral presentation. Your placement supervisor will assess your progress and complete a formal supervisor assessment using marking criteria after week 5 and the completion of your placement. Your QUT supervisor will assess your placement performance and professionalism at the end of your placement. 

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will be provided with feedback during your placement, from your clinical supervisor and the unit coordinator. You will have the opportunity to reflect on your developing professional practice on placement and clinical cases and procedures that you have undertaken through a weekly journal. Your unit coordinator will provide feedback on these weekly journal entries.

At the completion of each assessment you will be provided with feedback on your performance, based on the marking criteria sheets provided on Canvas.

You will also be asked to provide specific feedback to the teaching team.

Your placement supervisor will give you regular verbal feedback throughout your placement. They will complete a formal supervisor assessment using a form with marking criteria half way through your placement (formative) and at the completion of your placement (summative).

Assessment

Overview

Your assessment includes a professional placement proposal, a weekly reflective journal, a literature review, an oral presentation of a case study, and two supervisor evaluations (formative and summative).

The placement itself will consist of 8-10 weeks in the workplace and additional time will be required for the completion of assessment tasks. Some of your assessment, however, may be completed in your workplace and you will require input from your workplace supervisors. You are required to submit these items progressively across your enrolment period for LQB504-1, LQB504-2 and LQB504-3 (according to the marking criteria and guidelines provided). A single grade will be scored on completion of the third part of this unit, LQB504-3. You are required to pass all assessment items to achieve a passing grade for this multi-component unit.

To monitor progress, the following assessment items must be completed to satisfy the requirements of each individual unit component (LQB504-1, 2, 3) and completed (according to the guidelines and criteria provided and in consultation with your unit co-ordinator). Completion of the practical component (placement) is a requirement for this unit.

- Placement proposal (LQB504-1)
- Reflective journal (LQB504-1, 2); 10 entries, each submitted weekly throughout the placement.
- Supervisor evaluations (LQB504-2)
- Case study (LQB504-3)

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Placement proposal and reflect

Part A: Placement Proposal (2.5% or your total grade) - The placement proposal will be submitted prior to the start of your placement (or within the first week of your placement). As this is an agreement with your placement supervisor it will be a written in collaboration with your placement supervisor and negotiated with them using the guidelines and form provided on Canvas. This will include details of work placement, including the location, dates and required working hours and your supervisor's expectations.  You will also provide a timeline for the completion of your study while on placement and for the preparation of your assessment, including your case study. This assessment will be graded, however, if unsatisfactory, you will be required to resubmit following receipt of feedback.

Part B: Reflective Journal - You will write a series of detailed journal entries (a minimum of 10 entries with one entry submitted per week) describing your experiences in the workplace, according to the guidelines and marking criteria provided on Canvas.

In allied health and clinical physiology, reflective practice is an essential and authentic tool for developing your clinical practice. In addition to documenting case details, this includes reflecting on the development of your technical skills, interactions with patients, interactions with multidisciplinary team members, demonstration of cultural competency, maintaining privacy and good record keeping and infection control. You will reflect on your learning, interactions with staff and learning materials and plan which areas to focus on in the following week. This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Supervisor evaluation

Your application of clinical physiology skills and professionalism will be assessed by your supervisory team. You will receive formative assessment at the half-way point of your placement and both formative and summative assessment at the end of your placement.

This is an authentic assessment as reflective practice and feedback are important in clinical physiology to ensure best practice in patient-centered care. This assessment has been designed in collaboration with clinical educators. Clinical physiologists are regularly given feedback by their supervisors with a view to continually improving their skills, knowledge and practice in a rapidly changing field.

Your supervisory team will provide constructive feedback on:

• your professionalism (including privacy, confidentiality)
• health and safety and infection control
• communication 
• practical skills and record keeping 
• data interpretation and record keeping
• knowledge and understanding
• reflective practice 

You will be required to provide your supervisor with an electronic version of the assessment form which is available on Canvas and ensure that the completed form is returned to the unit coordinator. 

Assessment: Case study

Part A: Case study - Literature review. (30%)

You will write a review of the literature in an area of interest related to the field of your clinical placement in order to increase the depth of your knowledge and understanding of the field and the role of the clinical physiologist. The literature review will form the basis of the background and introductory material you will require for your case study, which will be based on an interesting case that you have encountered during your placement. 

This assessment will be completed according to specific guidelines and marking criteria provided on Canvas. You are encouraged to seek advice from your placement supervisor regarding appropriate topics and directions of research.

This is an authentic assessment as according to the Australian Council of Clinical Physiologists (ACCP) accreditation framework, clinical physiologists must show an understanding of the knowledge that underpins clinical physiology and have information retrieval skills required. 

Date Due: To be negotiated but approximately 4 weeks after the completion of placement.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Part B: Case study - oral presentation (30%)

Clinical physiologists and other health professionals regularly attend seminars and present interesting cases as a part of their ongoing professional development. As a clinical physiologist you will present a case study to a broad physiology audience at a Clinical Physiology Symposium which will include cardiac, sleep, neurophysiology and respiratory scientists, in addition to some general physiologists. The audience will ask questions about the case. 

This will be given as an oral presentation during a clinical physiology symposium which you will attend with the rest of the students from your cohort. You will also be assessed on your ability to answer questions about your placement and your presentation and for asking questions of other students. Other QUT academics, clinical professionals and other Biomedical Science undergraduate students will also be invited.

You will be assessed on the knowledge of your field, the data that you present and its interpretation, your conclusions, your explanation of the tests applied, treatments, pathophysiology and future directions in the field. Some criteria will relate to the delivery of your presentation. Detailed marking criteria and guidelines provided on Canvas.

This assessment relates to the ACCP capability framework, including the ability to communicate professionally and effectively with colleagues within the discipline and in the wider clinical community. 

Date Due: Approximately 4 weeks after the completion of placement - to be negotiated.

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

As the number of placements in the profession are limited, enrolment numbers in this unit must be capped. Students are invited to submit an application at the end of the first year of LS40. Acceptance into this unit is therefore competitive and requires a high level of performance in first year units, and is also based on GPA, and statements describing the student's experience in the workplace (including voluntary work) and their interest in gaining experience in clinical physiology.

Students must also complete clinical placement requirements, listed in the ‘Risk Assessment’ section of this unit outline, in a timely manner.

You will be required to obtain a Blue card for working with children and a National Police check. There may be other mandatory requirements that also will incur some cost for the student. You may be required to supply personal protective equipment, and will be required to wear fully enclosed shoes and professional attire. Students are required to purchase QUT Clinical Physiology polo shirts for their placements.

You will be required to provide evidence of your Hepatitis B immune status (serology results). The Hepatitis B vaccinations require at least 3 inoculations over a period of six months, and therefore, you need to prepare and commence your vaccination schedule approximately 12 months in advance. Hepatitis B vaccinations are available from the University Health Services or your local General Practitioner. Other vaccinations and other requirements will be communicated by WILS (Work Integrated Learning Support), including vaccination for COVID-19.

You are required to abide by the occupational health and safety regulations of the workplace and QUT regulations: http://www.hrd.qut.edu.au/healthsafety/index. You are also required to complete appropriate occupational health and safety (OH&S) inductions specific to the workplace to a satisfactory level before commencement of your placement. By following these safety guidelines you are insured by Queensland University of Technology during your work placement.

You will be required to complete a number of Queensland Health induction documents, including a Student Deed and Occupational health and safety checklist. This information must be provided to the work integrated learning team well in advance of your placement. N2 mask fitting may also be required prior to placement.

If specified by the placementy supervisor you may require certification of Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training prior to your placement.

You are required to read all documents provided by the WILS team and disclose relevant health information as specified in these documents (mandatory disclosure).

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

There may be costs related to immunisations. 

Students are required to purchase QUT Clinical Physiology polo shirts.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

All accidents, incidents and critical near-misses should be reported to the clinical workplace safety supervisor, and your unit co-ordinator and your WILS advisor and reports made to the Faculty of Health OH&S manager, QUT.

Further information
Further information regarding policies and procedures, such as health and safety, risk management, confidentiality, intellectual property, disclosure and insurance, is available via the following QUT Faculty of Health websites:
Faculty of Health Practicum and clinical placement costs and requirements website
Faculty of Health Workplace Integrated Learning Canvas site

Course Learning Outcomes

LS40 Bachelor of Biomedical Science

1. Critically review, analyse and synthesise foundational knowledge in a broad range of biomedical discipline areas and in depth theoretical, technical and practical knowledge in specialised discipline areas.
   Relates to: Placement proposal and reflect, Supervisor evaluation, Case study
2. Demonstrate the technical skills required to solve multi-disciplinary problems in biomedical research, industry and clinical settings and do so in an ethical, safe and responsible manner.
   Relates to: Supervisor evaluation
3. Demonstrate the cognitive skills required to find solutions to scientific problems.
   Relates to: Supervisor evaluation, Case study
4. Contribute effectively to biomedical projects, either as an individual or as a member of a team, by demonstrating professional behaviour and participating in continuous learning.
   Relates to: Placement proposal and reflect, Supervisor evaluation
5. Apply knowledge and skills to rapidly source, critically analyse and communicate biomedical science information using appropriate technologies.
   Relates to: Placement proposal and reflect, Supervisor evaluation, Case study