Admission and Unit Information - Bachelor of Health Science / Master of Physiotherapy

This unit deals with foundational concepts and factors relating to population health in our society. Issues that determine both social and environmental aspects of disease, health and wellbeing will be examined. Contemporary problems impacting on states of health will be explored, including current day trends in communicable and non-communicable disease.

This is the first of two units covering systematic anatomy and physiology at an introductory level. This unit is designed to provide students especially those in applied health science programs with an overview of body systems and their functions to ensure a suitable basis for their future studies. The unit studies the basic concepts of biochemistry and histology, general anatomy and physiology of the major body systems such as central and peripheral nervous systems, integumentary system, musculoskeletal system (bones, muscles and joints), special senses and endocrine system. Emphasis will be placed on the interconnection and relationship between structure and function at every level of organisation.

This unit introduces students to the concept of physiotherapy as a profession and its scope of practice in Australia. It includes exploration of the roles and responsibilities of physiotherapists in the context of the changing health environment. Ethical issues and relevant legal and regulatory requirements will be discussed. In addition, students will be introduced to complexity of normal development, and its relation to human movement. Finally students will learn therapeutic techniques of soft tissue mobilisation. Unit material is presented to students in three blocks.

This unit introduces skills for studying and working in health science. Students will gain an understanding of the interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary nature of health science practice in the 21st century, and how this interacts with the specialty health professions, client and community expectations of health care and employment opportunities in health science. Students will learn foundation competencies that will underpin their academic development and their safe, responsible and ethical practice in health science service environments.

Communication is integral to professional relationships, whether working individually with a client, educating community members on health matters, or working with other professionals as part of a multidisciplinary team. This unit aims to develop communication skills in preparation for work within the health professions across these areas. Communication skills will include those needed to form therapeutic relationships with individual clients and groups, as well as those required to communicate health information to clients, groups and the wider community. Students will develop skills to establish appropriate working relationships with professional colleagues.

This is the second of two units covering systematic anatomy and physiology at an introductory level. This unit is designed to provide students especially those in applied health science programs with an overview of body systems and their functions to ensure a suitable basis for their future studies. The unit studies the general anatomy and physiology of the major body systems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive and lymphatic system/immunity, body fluids & acid-base balance and metabolism. Emphasis will be placed on the interconnection and relationship between structure and function at every level of organisation.

This unit will consider the reasons and roles of evidence-based practice and research, and introduce students to their language and core concepts. Skills will be developed for asking clinical or professional healthcare questions and to translate these into search strategies for finding evidence. To make sense of that evidence, students will be introduced to quantitative and qualitative research methods, types of data, how data is described and how biostatistics is used to provide meaning to research data.

This unit covers in depth the functional anatomy of the musculoskeletal system. Special attention is given to the relationship between form and function, the terminology used to describe human movement and thorough knowledge of the bony landmarks, joints, muscle attachments, innervation, blood supply along with detailed actions of specific muscles and muscle groups. Emphasis is on a practical functional context with the relevance to clinical applications such as surface and imaging anatomy, and the anatomical basis of common injuries. Learning experience intends to stimulate proactive deep approach in learning anatomy motivated by the outcomes driven from specialist work within the Health professions.

The study of biomechanics, the science that examines the forces acting upon a structure and the effects of these forces, is essential for understanding how the human body moves during daily activities, exercise and sport. It is also important when considering where problems may arise with human movement, such as with disease processes, over exercising and injury and postural pathology. This unit is designed to introduce the student to biomechanics by studying: the mechanical principles of human movement: balance and equilibrium: mechanical factors involved in tissue type and motion; and the analysis of human movement.

This unit is intended for students enrolled in a range of health science courses within the School of Science and Health. It is designed to equip students with a detailed knowledge of pathophysiological processes evident in a number of key human diseases that are vocationally relevant to these students. The content is organised using a systems based approach. Problem-based learning methods will be adopted in the tutorial component of this unit to help students develop crucial problem solving skills.

This unit further explores research methods used to acquire knowledge in healthcare. This includes research designs, international standards, key statistics, and interpretation of results. The range of health research methods will be presented, and studies about treatment effectiveness (clinical trials and systematic reviews), diagnostic effectiveness and qualitative approaches will be explored in detail. The pathways and resources for conducting beginner research will also be introduced in this unit.

This unit introduces skills for understanding and engaging effectively with the culturally and socially diverse world in which we live and work. Indigenous Australia is a major theme and students will gain an appreciation of the achievements and needs of Indigenous Australians. The unit examines cultural awareness more broadly and puts these issues in the context of health professionals working in multi-cultural settings and handling culturally different health philosophies and practices. Cultural diversity is increasingly recognised as a major issue in the delivery of health care and a major determinant of Indigenous health.

This unit builds on the knowledge and skills developed in first one and a half years of physiotherapy study. It focuses on the core competencies of physiotherapy professional practice, which will be developed through a variety experential and community engagement learning activities. Professional competencies addressed in this unit include communication, documentation, reflection, professional and ethical behaviour. In addition, students will develop skills in client assessment, interpretation of findings and education. A professional practice placement is incorporated into this unit.

This unit provides an introduction to the psychology of health and behaviour as relevant to the health sciences. Students will be introduced to the principles and applications of psychology and health behaviour using a developmental framework. This will be followed by an examination of the psychological aspects of injury and illness and an introduction to psychological interventions for health concerns. Emphasis is upon to understanding health status and behaviour in light of relevant theory and research.

This unit explores in depth clinical pharmacology fundamental to the practice of allied health (physiotherapy and podiatric medicine) and complementary medicine (traditional Chinese Medicine). General principles of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics will be discussed. Key drug categories affecting the main body systems will be introduced in terms of their mechanisms of action, adverse reactions and clinical applications. In the context of antimicrobial pharmacology, general concepts of microbiology will be introduced offering students an understanding of the causative microorganisms, the complex relationship between host and pathogen, the pharmacological actions of antimicrobial drugs and the principles of infection control.

This unit builds on the human anatomy and physiology studied in first and second year, equipping students with detailed knowledge of functional neuroanatomy, with particular emphasis on the central nervous system. Cadaver specimens are used to facilitate the learning of spatial relationships between structures. The study of neurological function and dysfuntion integrates many previously learned scientific principles.

This unit builds on the knowledge and skills developed in the first two years of physiotherapy study. It focuses on client assessment and evidence-based management in acute cardiorespiratory physiotherapy contexts. This will require strong communication skills, ethical and professional behaviour and an appreciation of interprofessional care. Professional competencies addressed in this unit include introductory skills in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy assessment, interpretation and prioritisation of findings along with the implementation and evaluation of appropriate treatment strategies.

This unit builds on the knowledge and skills developed in the first 2 years of physiotherapy study. It focuses on client assessment and evidence-based management in acute neurological physiotherapy contexts. This will require strong communication skills, ethical and professional behaviour and an appreciation of interprofessional care. Professional competencies addressed in this unit include introductory skills in neurological physiotherapy assessment, interpretation and prioritisation of findings along with the implementation and evaluation of appropriate treatment strategies.

This unit builds on the knowledge and skills developed in the first 2 years of physiotherapy study. It focuses on client assessment and evidence-based management in acute orthopaedic physiotherapy contexts. This will require strong communication skills, ethical and professional behaviour and an appreciation of interprofessional care. Professional competencies addressed in this unit include introductory skills in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy assessment, interpretation and prioritisation of findings along with the implementation and evaluation of appropriate treatment strategies.

This unit focuses on the core competencies of physiotherapy professional practice in acute care settings. These competencies will be developed through a supervised, community-based clinical education placement. Professional competencies addressed in this unit include communication, documentation, reflection, professional and ethical behaviour. In addition, students will develop skills in physiotherapy assessment and treatment in acute care settings which may span the musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiorespiratory domains.

Exercise Rehabilitation focuses on client management with exercise in a variety of settings across the lifespan. This will require effective communication skills, ethical and professional behaviour and an appreciation of interprofessional care. Professional competencies addressed in this unit include an understanding of the normal physiological responses to exercise, the implications of pathology and exercise and the integration of exercise based interventions with other physiotherapy modalities.

This unit focuses on client assessment and evidence-based physiotherapy management in neurological rehabilitation. This will require strong communication skills, ethical and professional behaviour and an appreciation of interprofessional care. Professional competencies addressed in this unit include clinical reasoning in neurological physiotherapy assessment and treatment, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based interventions and management of complex conditions.

In this unit, students incorporate previous research and biostatistics knowledge to develop new skills for using evidence to inform all aspects of their professional practice. Evidence-based practice uses an enquiry led approach to manage expanding and uncertain knowledge by formulating answerable questions, effectively searching literature, critically appraising evidence validity and results, and to assess its significance in clinical practice and healthcare decision-making.

This unit focuses on client assessment and treatment using manual physiotherapy techniques. An emphasis is placed on diagnostic reasoning and evaluation, understanding the implications of pathology in a physiotherapy context, prioritising problems and integrating manual therapy with other physiotherapy treatments. This requires strong communication skills, ethical and professional behaviour and an appreciation of interprofessional care.