Theme Healthcare - Physiotherapy for Children and Older Persons, 10.5 credits

To start the course Theme health care - Physiotherapy for children and older adults, a pass grade is required for all courses in semester 1 and 2 (60 credits), and component 1 Clinically integrated training in in-patient care (9 credits) in the course Theme health care - Physiotherapy in in-patient care, semester 3.

Students who fail a clinical placement (or equivalent) as a result of demonstrating such a serious lack of knowledge, skills or attitude that patient safety or the patients' confidence in medical care is at risk, will only be qualified for a new clinical placement once the individual action plan has been carried out.

The aim of the course is that the students develop their professional skills by being able to adapt interventions for children and older individuals in a clinical context. Furthermore to be able to analyse and assess children and older adults' functioning and health in consideration of individual and environmental factors and develop their role as educationalist and consultant.

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

• analyse and discuss the importance of bio-psycho-social factors for function and health by means of ICF with special consideration of cultural and gender-related aspects
• identify ethical dilemmas in a clinical context and discuss them in relation to professional attitude
• discuss and compare different assessment instruments and clinical tests in relation to different diagnoses and functional states of children and the elderly and be able to use assessment instruments for older individuals
• reflect on person-oriented aims and health promotion interventions tailored for children in different ages
• adapt communication and attitude in the meeting with patients with reduced autonomy and observe patients' participation in decision making based on current laws and regulations
• identify and demonstrate a professional attitude in communication with patients, relatives and health-care personnel in the area of children and older adults
• discuss evidence-based physiotherapy, apply search strategies in databases and use relevant literature in relation to complex health problems
• give an account of the different working methods of physiotherapists and roles in the area of children and older adults and discuss the value of interprofessional cooperation in relation to health care quality and person-oriented care
• apply hygiene regulations in healthcare and be able to modify basic hygiene regimes dependant on the context and patient
• identify, plan and document relevant information according to the physiotherapy process and from the elderly perspective
   

The course is mainly located in clinical activities for children and older adults in in- and out-patient care or municipal settings. The course is divided into three parts; theory connected to physiotherapy for children and older adults, and clinical placement in pediatrics and in geriatrics:

This component includes theoretical teaching in the following subjects relevant to children and the elderly:

• clinical reasoning in relation to ICF and evidence-based practice
• assessment and goal formulation
• person-oriented care
• ethical dilemmas in a clinical context
• interprofessional cooperation and different roles as a physiotherapist

Clinical placement in pediatrics takes place in in-patient care, out-patient care or municipal activities.

Clinical placement in geriatrics takes place in in-patient care, out-patient care or municipal activities.

The teaching is based on a view on learning, where the working methods assume that the students take active responsibility for their learning. The working methods that are used are methodology, lectures, seminars, individual work and peer-learning. Part of the teaching may be given interactively via digital virtual learning environment.
Reflection and clinical theoretical reasoning are included in the learning activities.

The course is examined according to the following:

Physiotherapy for children and the elderly, theory, 4 credits

• examination through written assignments and follow-up seminar

Clinical placement in pediatrics, 2 credits

• examination continuously according to established evaluation template

Clinical placement in geriatrics, 4.5 credits

• examination continuously according to established evaluation template

Compulsory course elements:

• Written reflection task
• workshops
• attendance at the clinical placement

To achieve a pass grade in the whole course, a pass grade on all modules is required.

The examiner decides if, and how, absence from compulsory parts can be compensated. Study results cannot be reported until the student has participated in compulsory course elements or compensated for any absence in accordance with instructions from the course coordinator. Absence from a compulsory educational component may mean that the student cannot take the opportunity until the next time the course is given.

Students who do not pass a regular examination are entitled to re-sit the examination on five more occasions. If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examination is given. Each occasion the student participates in the same test counts as an examination. In case a student is registered for an examination but does not attend, this is not regarded as an examination. Late submissions of examination tasks are not accepted. Students who have not submitted their examination on time are refered to the occasion for re-take.

In case of failure of the regular examination, the student is given the opportunity to re-take one examination during the same semester. Thereafter, the student is given the possibility to take an examination at two occasions each semester in connection with the regular and retake opportunity, in the next coming semesters.

Should the intended learning outcomes for the clinical placement not be met, they should be compensated for at the next coming course of the following semester. The clinical training can be repeated only once.

The examiner may, with immediate effect, interrupt a student's clinical placement (or equivalent) if the student demonstrates such serious deficiencies in knowledge, skills or attitude that patient safety or patient confidence in healthcare is at risk. If a clinical placement is interrupted in this way the student is deemed to have failed that element and to have used up one clinical placement opportunity. In such cases, an individual action plan should be established, that states which learning activities and examinations are required before the student is given the possibility for a new clinical placement in the course. Before the action plan is fulfilled, the student should not be offered a new clinical placement within any education program at KI. The number of examinations in the action plan is limited to two. If the student has failed on the final possible examination no further action plan should be established.

A student who has started and not completed a clinical placement without formal reasons should be assigned the grade fail. In such case, the student has forfeited an opportunity for clinical placement.

In case of the existence of special reasons, or need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to depart from the syllabus's regulations on examination form, number of examination opportunities, possibility of completion or exemption from compulsory educational elements, etc. Content and intended learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities must not be altered, removed or lowered

An examination will be made available for a period of one year in the event of the course being discontinued or a new course syllabus being devised.

Course evaluation and course evaluation take place according to guidelines established by the Committee for education at first cycle and second cycle (KU).

The course will not be credited in a degree together with another course the student has completed and passed which completely or partly corresponds to the contents of this course.