Course Title: Chiropractic Clinical Practicum 1

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Chiropractic Clinical Practicum 1

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

REHA2185

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2006,
Sem 1 2007,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014,
Sem 1 2015

Course Coordinator: Dr Navine Haworth

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 6657

Course Coordinator Email: navine.haworth@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 202.4.59


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

To successfully complete this course, students should have the ability to:

  • know and understand basic and clinical science principles underlying health care;
  • apply their knowledge of diagnostic procedures;
  • develop a knowledge and understanding of basic health strategies required to produce positive health outcomes;
  • build on a basis for understanding the scientific literature in manual medicine and related fields and demonstrate the ability to put this understanding to effective use;
  • be information literate; locating, evaluating, managing and using a range of information;
  • adopt appropriate behaviours including socially and ethnically sensitive communications skills and empathy;
  • engage personally with a body of knowledge by ongoing learning, reflection and analysis;
  • work independently or as part of a team;
  • demonstrate consistent ethical professional behaviour; and
  • understand the principles involved in due duty of care to patients.

Students are required to have successfully completed the program Bachelor of Applied Science (Complementary Medicine) – Chiropractic Stream or an equivalent program.

This course requires the student to interact with members of the community who may be patients of the University Teaching Clinics. The ability of a student to have patient contact is a privilege granted at the discretion of the Head of the Division of Chiropractic, on delegation from the Head of the School of Health Sciences. The granting of patient-privileges allows the student to participate in the assessment of patients and the provision of therapeutic care under the rights accorded to a member of the University’s staff or other such duly appointed person who is a chiropractor registered in the state of Victoria or in any other jurisdiction where a student may undertake this course. Patient privileges may be revoked in any case where a student demonstrates behaviours that are not compatible with the professional behaviours expected by the registration board or equivalent statutory body. Where patient privileges are revoked they may either be reinstated so that the student may continue in the course, or they may not be reinstated and thus result in a fail grade for the course.

This course is a prerequisite for enrollment into REHA2186. To enroll in REHA2186 The student must meet the other prerequisites for REHA2186, must have a passing grade in this course (REHA2185), and must demonstrate a passing capability in the technique and skills assessment of REHA2185 no more than 8 weeks before the commencement of REHA2186. This means a student who does not progress from REHA2185 to REHA2186 in the same calendar year must again take and pass the technique and skills exam of this course (REHA2185) no more than 8 weeks before commencing REHA2186 the following or subsequent year.


Course Description

This course introduces the student to the knowledge and skills necessary to be granted responsibility for patient care in the University’s Teaching Clinics. This course builds upon capabilities achieved during the Bachelor of Applied Science (Complementary Medicine – Chiropractic) program or other qualifying articulating program, allowing the student to begin to apply previously obtained knowledge and skills in a clinical setting.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • act in an ethical manner in all relationships, including behaviour congruent with the duty of care of a primary contact health care practitioner, an understanding of the policies and procedures within the teaching clinics, and the elements of the chiropractic code of conduct
  • Apply diagnostic procedures to patients as required
  • Understand when and why diagnostic procedures should be applied to patients in the clinical setting 

Within the context of evidence-based care and the legal scope of practice students will gain or improve capabilities for patient-centred care in:

  • skills in diagnostic decision-making;
  • skills in clinical management (including chiropractic-specific skills);
  • empathetic communication skills (such as listening, relating, reassurance, and taking into account non-verbal cues) in the doctor-patient relationship, and other professional and personal relationships;
  • effective communication skills, utilizing a variety of media in clinical, professional, political, academic and public settings;
  • their ability to demonstrate the duty of care required of a primary contact health care practitioner, including ethical practice management; and
  • their ability to uphold the professional code of conduct in all relationships maintained by the chiropractor.



Overview of Learning Activities

The learning activities included in this course are:

  • attendance at lectures where issues regarding the operation of the RMIT Teaching Clinics and in relation to clinical practice will be presented and explained. The student will be responsible for self-study of the clinical practicum manual;
  • On-site clinical training to be held in the clinical skills rooms located on the 4th floor of Building 201
  • Completion of introductory clinical tasks


Overview of Learning Resources

Students will be able to access course information and learning materials through myRMIT Studies and will be provided with copies of additional materials in class. Lists of relevant reference texts, resources in the library and freely accessible Internet sites will be provided.


Overview of Assessment

The assessment for this course comprises:

1) Successful completion of the clinical entrance examination (written and practical) which is a hurdle requirement

2) Clinical Tasks: 

a) New patient requirements,
b) Radiological report,
c) Observation Requirements in the Outpatient Clinic
d) Induction to Clinic Software

In the practical examination a student must pass a minimum of 7/10 practical tasks in order to obtain a passing grade.