This module will prepare students for physiotherapy practice in acute care and rehabilitation settings as part of a multidisciplinary team. This is a major area of physiotherapy practice and our physiotherapy students are typically allocated at least one practice-based placement in these settings during the programme.
Students will build upon the knowledge developed in term 1 of the programme (e.g. clinical skills and transition to physiotherapy) by applying this knowledge to address typical problems experienced by people with health conditions resulting in hospital admission (e.g. pneumonia, stroke, trauma, surgery), developing common principles and core skills that may then be applied across the care setting. Students will use the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a framework for assessment and intervention when working with people in an acute setting.
Development of knowledge and skills relevant to varied acute settings will be facilitated by a case-based learning approach built around scenarios which reflect the complexity of current clinical practice. The module has an emphasis on fostering the student's problem-solving and self-directed learning skills through engaging active-learning approaches and a substantial practical component including clinical simulation.
Some of the learning outcomes of this module will be also assessed using a synoptic assessment module.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of common problems experienced by people admitted to hospital with a range of health conditions and the typical recovery/progression trajectories.
Critically evaluate the role of the physiotherapist in the interprofessional management of people who are acutely unwell.
Demonstrate ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and management of people who are acutely unwell supported by critically reflective practical knowledge and application of key skills.
Synthesise research evidence with person-centred clinical reasoning to provide and justify safe and effective physiotherapy practice in acute settings.
Critically analyse adaptations to practice that enable equitable care for people, considering varying personal and environmental contexts that may be encountered in acute settings.
