• Before you enrol
• Observation Skills
• Communication skills
• Motor skills
• Intellectual, such as conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities
• Behavioural and social skills
• Sustained Performance 

Committed to equity and diversity

At UniSC, we are committed to facilitating the integration of all students into the University Community.

Reasonable adjustments in teaching and/or assessment methods can be made for students provided those adjustments do not compromise the inherent requirements of the program.

The inherent academic requirements of the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) are the fundamental skills and abilities that the student must be able to achieve in order to demonstrate the essential learning outcomes of the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours).

This Statement provides realistic information about the inherent academic requirements that you must meet in order to complete your program and graduate. Make sure you read and understand the requirements for the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) so you can make an informed judgement about your ability to fulfil them.

Externally accredited

UniSC offers BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) which is designed to meet external Australian Physiotherapy Council accreditation requirements and provide graduates with the necessary qualification to be admitted as a Registered Physiotherapist to practice physiotherapy in Australia.

• Key physiotherapy practice skills are embedded and assessed throughout the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours).

Skills you need

The BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) has inherent academic requirements in six categories:

• Observational skills
• Communication skills
• Motor skills
• Intellectual, such as conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities
• Behavioural and social skills
• Sustained Performance

Before you enrol

If you intend to enrol in a BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) degree at UniSC, look carefully at the inherent academic requirements listed in this statement and think about whether you might experience challenges in meeting them.

If you think you might experience challenges related to your disability, health condition or for any other reason, you should discuss your concerns with a UniSC Ability Adviser or School staff.

Reasonable adjustments

Students with disabilities or other special circumstances may be provided with reasonable adjustment to enable them to meet the inherent academic requirements of the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) if the adjustment is:

• logistically reasonable
• likely to result in the student being able to perform the skills adequately and in a timely manner.

Support and further information is available from UniSC

• Ability Advisers

• Career Advisers

• Relevant academic contacts

Observational Skills 

The capacity to demonstrate adequate observational skills including visual, auditory, and tactile abilities relevant to physiotherapy practice.

Justification

These are inherent requirements of the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) because visual, auditory, and tactile ability is required to demonstrate safe and effective physiotherapy practice and to perform the required range of physiotherapy skills, tasks, assessments, and treatments.

Adjustments

Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of skills, tasks, assessments, and treatments involved in physiotherapy clinical practice. Any strategies to address the impact on observational and sensory impairments must be effective, consistent, and not compromise the assessment treatment and safety of the client and ensure the safety of others.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Observe and detect subtle changes in posture, movement, muscle tension/tone and the ability of clients to perform functional activities during assessment and treatment
• Palpate joints, muscles, and soft tissues to detect anatomical or movement abnormalities and to detect changes in skin temperature (e.g., assessment of tissue inflammation)
• Safely operate equipment (e.g., mechanical ventilation bags, electrotherapy equipment) and safely, accurately and sensitively apply clinical skills with correct technique, position, tensioning and force (e.g., suctioning, tape, brace, plaster, manual therapy)
• Ensure safety and support of clients when mobilising (including negotiating stairs, slippery floors and obstacles) when they are acutely unwell, have medical attachments, use gait aids and/or at risk of complications or falling due to health status or impaired physical ability
• Assess and monitor a client’s status and safety at rest and during activity (e.g. observe client pallor, read clinical notes, review medical imaging, monitor vital signs and ventilator settings on monitors/machines, take client pulse and blood pressure, assess cardiorespiratory function via auscultation, hear client call bells and medical alarms, adjust and read settings on electrotherapy equipment, assess skin, bone and soft tissue condition, integrity and response such as bruising, cuts, swelling)

Communication Skills

The capacity to demonstrate effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills relevant to physiotherapy practice.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) because physiotherapists need to use clear, accurate, sensitive, and effective communication skills to ensure the safety of client assessment and treatments, to involve the client, health professionals and others in client care, and to fulfill legal and professional responsibilities with regards to clinical documentation.

Adjustments

Adjustments must meet physiotherapy standards of functional effectiveness, timeliness, clarity, and accuracy of verbal and non-verbal communication to ensure safe and appropriate client care. Written communication needs to be clear, accurate and timely to meet professional and legal requirements and to ensure the continuity and safety of client care.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Actively listen, understand, and respond to verbal and non-verbal communication in a timely manner to ensure client safety during assessments and treatments, and to build trust and rapport with others
• Demonstrate, explain, and instruct others clearly, accurately, and respectfully to ensure safe and effective client care and optimise education, cooperation, and retention of information
• Consider the body language of yourself and others, and demonstrate consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact and respect for client boundaries of space and time
• Demonstrate empathy, sensitivity, and flexibility in your verbal and non-verbal communication style to accommodate for individual or cultural differences
• Complete written client notes, reports and documentation in a timely, accurate and clear manner that meets legal and professional standards, and ensure client care is safe and effective

Motor skills 

The capacity to demonstrate gross and fine motor skills, physical strength, and manual dexterity relevant to physiotherapy practice.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) because sufficient gross motor and fine motor skills, physical strength, and manual dexterity is required to perform physical tasks, skills, assessments, and treatments required in physiotherapy clinical practice.

Adjustments

Adjustments must ensure the safety of the client, therapist and others, and the therapist needs to have the capacity to demonstrate the required range of physiotherapy skills, tasks, assessments, and treatments in an effective, accurate and timely manner.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Demonstrate and perform gross motor skills and manual handling tasks (e.g., lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, twisting, bending) consistently and safely when physically assessing and treating clients (e.g. assessing movement, sensation, strength, and assisting clients with gait, performance of exercises)
• Demonstrate and perform fine motor skills (e.g., grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate objects and client) and manual tasks (e.g., joint mobilisation/manipulation, suctioning, soft tissue massage) consistently and safely when physically assessing and treating clients.
• Appropriately position yourself, equipment and the client consistently and safely to optimise client care and to reduce risk of harm to self and others (e.g., gait aids, electrotherapy, drips and drains, IV poles)
• Maintain your own and the client’s balance, while providing client with support when transferring and mobilising clients in a safe and effective manner (including stairs and varied terrain, with different aids)

Behavioural and Social Skills

The capacity to demonstrate behavioural stability, compliance with ethical, legal and professional standards, and ability to collaborate and work effectively with others.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) because physiotherapists are a registered health profession bound by an ethical and professional code of conduct and mandated by legislation to provide safe and effective client care. Physiotherapists need to be able to manage their own health, recognise their personal and professional limitations, and collaborate with clients and other health professionals to ensure client care is safe and effective.

Adjustments

Adjustments must be consistent with ethical, professional, legislative, and regulatory requirements and need to ensure that therapist is able to provide safe and effective care to clients and work collaboratively with other health professionals to deliver appropriate health care and support.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Demonstrate knowledge and compliance with legal, ethical, and professional standards stipulated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (e.g., scope of practice, code of conduct)
• Demonstrate knowledge and compliance with policies and procedures of clinical facilities and medico legal requirements (e.g., informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, infection control)
• Demonstrate, self-awareness, regulation and management to be able to engage safely and effectively in uncertain and stressful situations
• Demonstrate ability to critically reflect, recognise personal and professional limitations and to seek help and feedback from others when required (e.g., for self-care, professional development, referral of clients)
• Communicate and collaborate effectively, respectfully and in a timely manner with clients and other health professionals to optimise safety and quality of care

Intellectual – Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities

The capacity to demonstrate intellectual abilities (i.e., conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities) relevant to physiotherapy practice.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) because physiotherapists need to have sufficient intellectual capacity and conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities to provide safe and effective client care, and perform the required range of skills, tasks, assessments, and treatments.

Adjustments

Adjustments must ensure therapists can acquire, comprehend, interpret, and apply relevant information in a timely and accurate manner to ensure the safety and effectiveness of client care. Adjustments must also ensure a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills required for performing the required range of physiotherapy skills, tasks, assessments, and treatments.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Source, collect, process, critically evaluate, and integrate information from multiple sources relevant to client care in a timely and effective manner (e.g., history, physical assessment, imaging, pathology, research, medical chart/reports)
• Demonstrate clinical reasoning skills to understand, grade, and interpret client assessment findings, and to plan, prioritise and negotiate treatments with the client and other health professionals
• Apply theoretical knowledge, research evidence, and an understanding of policies and procedures in clinical practice (e.g., clinical pathways, understanding of pathology, level and quality of evidence)
• Produce accurate, concise, and clear clinical documentation that meet legal requirements in a timely and effective manner (e.g. clinical notes, referrals, letters, reports)
• Conceptualise information from client assessments, and be able to simplify and deliver clear and accurate messages and instructions to clients and others in a clinical setting (e.g., education, exercise prescription, self-management)

Sustained Performance

The capacity to demonstrate sustained and consistent physical and mental performance relevant to physiotherapy practice.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the BH001 Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) because physiotherapists need to have physical energy, mental concentration, and endurance to complete required tasks and skills, and assess and treat clients over time in a safe and effective manner.

Adjustments

Adjustments must ensure that the physical and mental performance of the therapist is consistent and sustained over time to ensure client care is safe and effective. The therapist also needs to be able to complete required tasks, demonstrate skills, perform assessments and treatments within a specified time.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Demonstrate consistent and sustained level of physical energy and concentration to complete physiotherapy tasks and skills over time (e.g., exercise classes, gait re-training)
• Maintain accuracy, consistency and quality of clinical assessments and treatments over time, including when tasks are repetitive or similar (e.g., joint mobilisations, soft tissue massage)
• Demonstrate physical and mental endurance to see expected client caseload in specified time frame while still ensuring the safety and effectiveness of client care

Adapted from Inherent Requirements © Western Sydney University, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International licence.