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PHTY10160

Academic Year 2025/2026

Foundations of Health Care Practice 1 (PHTY10160)

Subject:
Physiotherapy
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Public Hlth, Phys & Sports Sci
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Sinéad McMahon
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is designed to provide the student with an introduction to the fundamental skills, attributes and competencies required for physiotherapy practitioners. Students will be provided with an understanding of healthcare systems in Ireland, including the department of health and its associated policies, the HSE, plans and strategies for health reform such as Sláintecare, along with the national clinical programmes, which provide invaluable contributions to safe high quality and accessible healthcare. Students will learn about the role of the Physiotherapist along with the different areas of practice within the physiotherapy discipline. Students will start to examine their own concepts of identity, culture, equality, diversity and inclusion. Students will be educated on the impact of both personal values and life experience on professional practice, and will also be provided with the knowledge of how to appropriately manage this impact. Students will be introduced to the concepts of professionalism and the associated responsibilities, empathy, teamwork and the importance of communication with both patients and colleagues.
Students will be introduced to the safety, legal, ethical and practice boundaries of physiotherapy, along with the issues that can arise in these areas. The module will address a number of the mandatory requirements for physiotherapy practice as specified by CORU, the health professions regulator, including conduct, performance, the physiotherapist’s responsibility to engage in continuous professional development, the benefits of this ongoing learning and the obligation to provide evidence of this learning.

Mapped to CORU SoP: 1.1,1.7, 2.12, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 5.27

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the healthcare services in Ireland, the national clinical programmes and the role of the physiotherapy within these.
2. Understand the role of the physiotherapist across the range of practice areas musculoskeletal, cardio-respiratory and neurology.
3. Begin to understand the role of empathy and the importance of communication as a health professional.
4. Explore and articulate their perceptions of their own identity as an early stage professional student.
5. Begin to understand the role played by one’s own perceptions of culture, equality, diversity and inclusion
6. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Physiotherapists as outlined by CORU, with specific reference to conduct, performance, and ethics.



Indicative Module Content:

Aspects of professional practice relative to Physiotherapy including CORU Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for physiotherapy, inter-disciplinary working, and teamwork are explored. The department of health, the HSE, the National Clinical Programmes, and Sláintecare.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

30
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Lectures

12
Small Group

10
Total

102

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures
Case based discussion
Workshops

AI/Academic Integrity:
Staff may utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the programme to support teaching and learning and it will be clearly indicated if and when AI is used. Students are prohibited from representing work as their own that they did not write, code or create. Submission of AI-generated content to this module by a student without explicit permission and attribution is not allowed and it may reflect unacceptable professional behaviour. This may result in the initiation of a student disciplinary procedure in accordance with the “University Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (In-person): Short answer questions. End of trimester
Duration:
1 hr(s)
 Graded Yes
80
 Yes
Group Work Assignment: Group poster / presentation Week 10 Graded No
20
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Department of Health:
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/organisation-information/about-the-department-of-health/

Burke, S., Barry, S., Siersbaek, R., Johnston, B., Fhallúin, M.N. and Thomas, S.,
2018. Sláintecare–A ten-year plan to achieve universal healthcare in Ireland. Health
Policy, 122(12), pp.1278-1282.

Slaintecare:
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/campaigns/sl%c3%a1intecare/

National Clinical Programmes:
https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cspd/ncps/

Professionalism in Physical Therapy: History, Practice, and Development Paperback – 2 April 2005
by Laura Lee (Dolly) Swisher PT PhD (Author), Catherine G. Page PhD PT

Name Role
Ms Dee McEvoy Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Ms Nessa Waters Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mrs Alison Brennan Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3, 5, 8, 11 Tues 14:00 - 14:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 4, 7, 10 Tues 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 6 Tues 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 9 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Small Group Offering 1 Week(s) - 8 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Small Group Offering 2 Week(s) - 8 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Small Group Offering 3 Week(s) - 8 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
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