Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 400929

Coordinator Sarah Casey Opens in new window

Description This subject is the first of four podiatry clinical practice subjects. Building on previous core and podiatry-specific theory subjects, this subject introduces students to basic and general clinical skills, including history taking, patient communication, assessment, diagnosis, management and documentation in the clinical environment of common foot disorders under supervision. The student will also be introduced to basic skills in manual therapy as part of the clinical therapies component of the subject. Clinical activities will include Uniclinic sessions, Clinical Therapies, Tutorials and External Clinical Placement.

School Health Sciences

Discipline Podiatry

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 2 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject

Pre-requisite(s) REHA 2007 AND
REHA 2003

Restrictions

The Podiatric Practice subjects have been designed to be an integrated suite of subjects where one subject builds on the clinical competencies of the others. Students participate in patient assessment, diagnosis and management. It is essential that students have been able to demonstrate baseline competencies in theoretical content, patient management, infection control and safe work practices (i.e completed the preceding prerequisite subjects including Podiatry PreClinical). The subject is Podiatry specific and restricted only to students enrolled in 4708 and 4709.

Assumed Knowledge

Completion of all core subjects to this semester/ year of study.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Apply the principles of professionalism, infection control and work health and safety in a clinical setting.
2. Apply appropriate and safe use of clinical and manual therapy skills in assessment and management of foot and ankle conditions. 
3. Utilise skills in clinical reasoning and knowledge of podiatric medicine and interprofessional practice to develop patient-centred, goal orientated management plans.
4. Practice communication strategies that support inclusive engagement, person-centred therapeutic relationships, and patient self-determination.
5. Demonstrate strategies that enable ongoing self-reflexivity and life-long learning, and employ values and behaviours required to practice cultural humility as a health practitioner.

Subject Content

This is the first of four clinical practice subjects, the student will participate in basic and general patient assessment, diagnosis, and management of common foot disorders.
The activities will be divided into four areas:

• Patient Clinic (UniClinic)
• Clinical Therapies
• Clinical Tutorials
• External Clinical Placement

1. Patient Clinics (UniClinic)

• All students must be deemed competent in their safety OSCE prior to commencing patient clinics, where students will be heavily supervised by registered practitioners.

2. Clinical Tutorials
Content includes:
a). General Information

• Compliance with Immunisation, First aid and advanced resuscitation CPR certificates, Criminal record and working with children checks, Bulk compliance checks, Inherent Requirements for UniClinic.

b). Professional Behaviour

• Student Clinical Handbook Procedures
• Dress code

Application of practitioner cultural humility to culturally safe clinical practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

• Applying strength-based communication
• Self reflexivity and culturally safe practice in Podiatry

c). Infection control

• Infection Control Handbook Procedures
• Sterilisation room
• Clinical protocols
• Sterilisation procedures
• Preparing a work area
• Applying a dressing using aseptic technique 

d). Documentation

• Legalities
• Responsibilities
• UniClinic assessment forms and patient record keeping
• SOAPE format
• Goal Orientated Management Planning
• Clinical Checklists
• Referrals and responses

e). Clinical Protocols

• Principles and procedures of clinic
• Consultation thought processes
• History gathering concepts and skills

f). Assessments and Diagnosis

• Cursory neurological
• Cursory vascular
• Cursory dermatological
• Cursory functional and biomechanical

g). Developing basic clinical skills

• Handling sharps
• Needle-stick injuries
• Scalpel work
• Nail treatments
• Padding and strapping
• Silicon devices
• Braces and supportive devices
• Footwear assessment
• taping techniques
• non-cast orthoses 

h). Occupational/Work Health and Safety Practical Issues

• Patient safety
• Practitioner safety
• Managing a changing environment
• Risk assessments

i). External placement

• External placement orientation
• Developing learning objectives for placement
• Professional and ethical issues associated with placement
• Assessment and feedback on placement

3. Clinical Therapies
Content includes:

• Principles of manual therapy
• Safety factors within the workshop area and using machinery safely
• Non-cast devices and the introduction to off the shelf devices
• Historical aspects on orthoses
• Review of foot posture, foot function and neutral foot position
• Neutral casting and pouring of casts
• Negative and positive casts
• Fabrication custom-made functional orthoses and simple devices

4. External Clinical Placement

• Placements will take place in private practice and public sectors.

Special Requirements

Legislative pre-requisites