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PHTY30190

Academic Year 2025/2026

Physiotherapy Clinical Education VI (PHTY30190)

Subject:
Physiotherapy
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Public Hlth, Phys & Sports Sci
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Ms Margaret Fitzpatrick
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
Yes
Module Type:
Clinical Module
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This is an eight-week placement module for stage 4 BSc Physiotherapy students. Working in small groups within clinical settings across the health service, students will gain hands-on experience through face-to-face and direct interactions with patients / service users. This will enable them to understand the role of physiotherapy in enhancing functional ability in a range of acute and chronic conditions across the lifespan.

Students will practice in a wide range of settings reflecting current practice and demands of the profession, including hospitals, primary care, community and private practice settings. Under the supervision of practice educator(s) and/or practice tutor, students will practice safely and effectively while adhering to the legal, ethical, and professional standards of the physiotherapy profession.

Students will build upon previous clinical experience by assessing and managing service users across the lifespan who may present with complex conditions arising from multi-morbidity. They will also gain experience in establishing safe and effective working environments, delivering a range of treatment techniques and modalities, including exercise prescription and the application of physiotherapy equipment and devices, while demonstrating the ability to identify contraindications and necessary precautions associated with therapeutic interventions. Students will be expected to take greater responsibility for managing their caseloads, providing more opportunities to enable students to develop increasing levels of professional responsibility.

This module has two assessment components;
a) the practice placement is assessed using the National Physiotherapy Clinical Placement Assessment Form Level 2
b) a digital portfolio submission.

Mapped to CORU SoP: 1.1-1.20, 2.1-2.6, 2.8, 2.9, 2.11-2.15, 3.1-3.10, 3.12-3.14, 4.1-4.3, 4.5, 4.6, 5.1-5.28, 5.30

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should:


1. Achieve the competencies set out in the Clinical Placement Assessment Form, Level 2 in the areas of assessment & management, professionalism, communication & documentation.
2. Show documentary evidence of completion of HSELand modules as outlined in practice education handbook
3. Demonstrate the ability to perform detailed assessments using appropriate techniques & evidence-informed sound logical reasoning to determine appropriate problem lists, action plans and goals.
4. Demonstrate an ability to adapt practice to the needs of the service user and draw on appropriate knowledge and skills, enabling professional decision-making.
5. Demonstrate evidence-based practice in relevant clinical area through treatment choices that address assessment findings and reflect best available evidence, patient values and knowledge of physiotherapy-driven changes in physiology, structure and behaviour.
6. Demonstrate an evidence-informed approach to problem solving enabling professional decision-making, adapting practice to the needs of the service user and draw on appropriate knowledge and skills in order to make professional judgments.
7. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate intervention plans using appropriate tools and recognised performance/outcome measures along with service user responses to the interventions. Revise the plans as necessary and where appropriate, in conjunction with the service user.
8. Demonstrate the ability to engage in discharge planning with a holistic approach, supporting health and lifestyle changes that may be appropriate to the clinical area.
9. Demonstrate the ability to act in the best interest of service users at all times with due regard to their will and preference .
10. Manage documentation and communication of service of user information clearly and in a timely manner that adheres to the legal requirements of the profession within a multidisciplinary setting.
11. Reflect on broader professional, social, and ethical responsibilities associated with the application and evaluation of practice. 12. Demonstrate learning skills that support ongoing professional development in a largely self-directed and independent manner.


Indicative Module Content:

Direct clinical patient management experience in the clinical setting varies depending on the specialties available on site.
Clinical practice assessment is determined by the Physiotherapy Clinical Placement Assessment Form:
Part 1 - Safe Practice & Professional Conduct
Part 2 - Three areas of Professional Practice: Assessment & Management,
Professionalism, Documentation / Communication.
The portfolio includes the reflective practice assignment, the evidence based clinical reasoning form & unplanned learning activities.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

50

Placement/Work Experience

240

Total

290


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
During practice placement, student learning takes place on-site through patient interactions and collaboration with physiotherapists and the multidisciplinary team.
Teaching may occur one to one or in groups both face to face and virtually. Evidence informed case based discussions,tutorials, peer learning and presentations are often used as methods of teaching and learning.
The Physiotherapy Learning Portfolios provides the opportunity for students to submit written reflection on their placement and the evidence based clinical reasoning form level 2 affords students the opportunity to demonstrate their problem solving approach to clinical decision making through the application of evidence based assessment & treatment/ intervention efficacy on a specific patient encounter.

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
Learning Recommendations:

This is module is suitable for BSc stage 4 students. Successful completion of clinical placement modules is a requirement for professional regulation.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
PHTY30010 - Physio Clinical Education III, PHTY30020 - Physio Clinical Education IV, PHTY30030 - Physio Clinical Education V


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Portfolio: Clinical Reasoning Form
Reflective Practice Assignment
Unplanned Learning
Week 8 Graded No
20
No
Practical Skills Assessment: Clinical Placement assessed using the Physiotherapy Clinical Assessment Form (CAF) Week 7 Alternative non-linear conversion grade scale 50% Yes
80
Yes

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat (CFP) Within Three Semesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Clinical feedback will be given on-site by practice supervisor. Portfolio feedback will be on submission in assignment on brightspace.

Reading lists specific to each students allocated clinical area will be confirmed by the clinical site prior to placement