Lifespan Practice (PHTY90121)

Intended learning outcomes

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

• Integrate prior knowledge of paediatric and geriatric physiotherapy, common paediatric and geriatric conditions, and the framework for clinical reasoning to the assessment and management of individuals across the lifespan.
• Implement theoretical frameworks for clinical reasoning in paediatric and geriatric physiotherapy in selecting appropriate problems, goals, assessments, and approaches to treatment in the clinical setting
• Safely and effectively demonstrate and interpret assessment techniques, including history taking, observational movement analysis, objective measures of impairment, activity limitations and participation restrictions across the lifespan.
• Select, justify and demonstrate safe and effective physiotherapy interventions to address impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions in collaboration with the patient and their family.
• Use findings of high-quality clinical research to inform clinical decision-making in assessment and treatment of patients across the lifespan.
• Demonstrate accurate and effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills within the clinical setting, including the ability to develop rapport and accommodate the cognitive, linguistic and cultural needs of the individual and their family/carers.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the patients' rights, medicolegal requirements, and sociocultural preferences, and effectively engage in patient education and advocacy.
• Identify the factors critical to effective time and resource management in the clinical setting and implement strategies addressing these factors within individual treatment sessions and caseload management.
• Develop short-term and long-term treatment goals with the patient (or family/carers as appropriate) with discharge planning designed to meet these goals within existing constraints.
• Articulate the role of the physiotherapist within the multidisciplinary team and demonstrate capacity to work effectively within the team in a clinical setting.

Generic skills

• Responding constructively to feedback
• Accessing new knowledge from all sources, analysing and interpreting it in a critical manner, and applying it appropriately
• Recognising and managing emotions in self and others
• Recognising the role of teamwork and demonstrating the capacity to work effectively within the team
• Communicating empathy, compassion, honesty, integrity and altruism