Entry requirements

For admission to the course, 82.5 passed credits (55 credits) are required. All oral, written and practical examinations in physiotherapy from earlier semesters must be passed. If the examination consists of a report, this should be submitted before end of the actual semester and must be approved at the latest the following semester.

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to prepare the student for the basics in independent exercise of the profession as a physiotherapist within inpatient, somatic care in acute and subacute stages of musculoskeletal, respiratory and circulatory functional disorders in connection with internal medicine, surgical and orthopaedic treatment.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

1. In writing and orally account for physiotherapeutic measures in functional disorders existing in inpatient somatic care. Justify measures based on basic biopsychosocial knowledge

Skills and abilities

2. Apply knowledge and skills in physiotherapeutic examination, treatment and evaluation methods relevant for physical disabilities in inpatient somatic care.

3. Work ergonomically, risk preventively and with good safety for the patient

Judgement and approach

4. Interact, support and motivate individual patients, the relative and other staff.

5. Have basic ability to notice, analyse and handle health care ethical problems.

6. Handle patient information based on relevant laws, statutes and guidelines. Analyse and evaluate clinical conduct in relation to evidence and proven experience i.e. clinical reflecting and decision making

Content

The course comprises nine weeks (13.5 HE credits) including clinical placement and contains:

* Examination, assessment, preventive and treatment measures and evaluation; oral, written and practical application theoretically and clinical.

* Clinical reasoning, problem-solving and decision making

* Documentation in connection with patient care.

* Application of behavioural medicine, educational and psychological models and methods individually and in groups.

* Training to assess, stimulate and evaluate the patient's attitude to (motivation) and confidence to own ability (self-efficacy) to carry out own treatment.

* Theories and models as well as methods to handle ethical problems in health care: theoretical and clinical.

* Planning and organising own work.

Instruction

The teaching is given in the form of lectures, practical training, seminars and clinical placement.

Assessment

*Passed written examinations that examine aim 1 5, 6 and 7

*Passed oral and practical presentation of physiotherapeutic examination, treatment and evaluation methods that examine aim 1 2 and 3.

* Attendance and active participation in introduction and follow up of ethical issues before respectively after the clinical education that examines aim 5.

* Attendance and active participation in compulsory seminars during the theoretical part of the course that examines aim 2 and 3.

* Passed achievements according to Assessment criteria in "Instruments for development and assessment in placement" that examines aim 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.

Students who have not passed the examination have a right to make 4 additional examination attempts (i.e. 5 examination attempts in total). If special circumstances apply, the programme committee can admit additional examination. Every time the student participates in an examination is counted. Submission of a so-called blank examination counts as an examination attempt.

The student has the right to request a change of examiner after two failed examinations.

A student is qualified to start a clinical placement if he or she has shown sufficient knowledge during the theoretical physiotherapy course to be able to accomplish the clinical placement..

If failing the clinical placement due to insufficient knowledge and skills and/or absence 25% or more during the internship the student has to redo the clinical placement one more time for a full time period

If the student fails to accomplish the clinical placement with a pass the student has to get a pass in all theoretical parts of the course before starting a renewed clinical placement period.

Prematurely interrupted clinical placement:

A student may be failed and has to interrupt the clinical education prematurely if there is a noticeable risk that the student due to incompetence may injure another individual or valuable property if he or she continues the clinical education. An individual plan shall be decided for the student, and to be informed in writing. This plan, decided by the programme committee, must state the knowledge and skill shortages at hand, the support the student may receive from the department and also state how and when the assessment will take place. A student is entitled to a maximum of two assessment occasions, however no more than once a year. The student may not participate in the clinical education again, until the programme committee has checked and accepted the required knowledge and skills of the student. Decisions on the individual study plan may be delegated by the programme committee to a student welfare committee or equivalent with student representation.

A student who has failed to accomplish the clinical education with a pass has the right to undergo renewed clinical education once. If special circumstances apply, the programme committee can admit an additional occasion to undergo clinical education..