Rural and Remote Primary and Public Health Care in Occupational Therapy

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

Level of Unit in Course

AQF Level(s) of Course

Level of Unit in Course

Introductory

Intermediate

Effective Term:

2027/20

Institute / School :

Institute of Health and Wellbeing

Unit Title:

Rural and Remote Primary and Public Health Care in Occupational
Therapy

Unit ID:

NHPOT2016

Credit Points:

15.00

Prerequisite(s):

(NHPHS1401 and NHPOT1012)

Co-requisite(s):

Nil

Exclusion(s):

Nil

ASCED:

061703

Other Change:

Brief description of the Unit

This unit aims to develop professional knowledge, clinical reasoning and cultural safety practice required by occupational therapists to meet the needs of people from diverse backgrounds. This unit introduces students to the principles and practices of delivering occupational therapy services within primary health care and public health in rural and remote Australian contexts. Students will gain an understanding of the nature of rural society and how these societies have changed over time, including the influences of economy, environment, geography and cultural diversity. Demography and demographic change and its impact on rural society and life will be discussed and the health status and factors that influence the health of rural and remote Australians will be presented, including the health of indigenous Australian peoples. The impact of Australian history and policies upon indigenous peoples will be introduced. Students will be introduced to the concept of cultural safety which includes basic communication principles for effective engagement with indigenous Australian clients. Concepts of inter-professional teamwork and the role of occupational therapy will be introduced. The content is applicable for health practice with rural and remote clients in urban or rural settings and contributes to occupational therapy fieldwork placement preparation.

Grade Scheme:

Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)

Work Experience Indicator:

No work experience

Placement Component:

Supplementary Assessment:Yes

Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment

Course Level:

Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge:

K1.	Compare and contrast the health status of rural and remote indigenous and non-indigenous Australians and factors influencing health and health care needs

K2.	Identify models of primary and public health care, and occupational therapy models, that can be used in the rural and remote context

K3.	Examine rural and remote workforce issues and the interdisciplinary role of occupational therapists in these settings

Skills:

S1.	Explain how history impacts on the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in rural and remote contexts

S2.	Demonstrate effective communication and culturally safe health practices for working with diverse rural and remote populations

Application of knowledge and skills:

A1.	Apply primary, public health and occupational therapy models of care to create respectful healthcare in rural and remote contexts.

A2.	Apply reflexivity and humility in occupational therapy practice to continually create respectful healthcare in rural and remote contexts.

A3.	Apply community engagement models/framework to health-related issues within a rural and remote context.

Other outcomes:

Unit Content:

The Occupational Therapy Board of Australia (OTBA) Code of Conduct (2014); Australian Occupational Therapy Competency Standards (2018) National Quality and Safeguarding Framework (NQSF, 2018), National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (2017-2019), National Aged Care Quality Standards (2019) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (2020) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit.
Topics may include:
1. Rural and remote primary and public health care and the heath care team
2. Rural and remote health status
3. The nature of rural and remote practice and policy
4. Models of care, expanded practice, skills and interdisciplinary teams
5. Cross cultural safety
6. Working with people who have or are experiencing trauma
7. Community engagement
8. Self-care
9. Reflective practice and lifelong learning

Graduate Attributes:

Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.

FED TASK and descriptor		Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit
FED TASK and descriptor		Level
FEDTASK 1 Interpersonal	Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams.	Y - Present
FEDTASK 2 Leadership	Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations.	Y - Present
FEDTASK 3 Critical Thinking and Creativity	Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning.
FEDTASK 4 Digital Literacy	Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities.
FEDTASK 5 sustainable and Ethical Mindset	Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life	Y - Present

	Learning Outcomes Assessed	Assessment Tasks	Assessment Type	Weighting	Professional Standards
1.	K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, A1, A2, A3	Attendance and participation in at least 80% of Workshops	Attendance and participation	S/U
2.	K1, K2, S1, S2, A1, A2	Cultural Reflection (Part 1) – Hurdle	Written reflection	S/U (Hurdle)
3.	K2, K3, S2, A1, A2, A3	Community engagement plan	Oral presentation	30-40%
4.	K1, K2, S1, S2, A1, A2	Cultural Reflection (Part 2)	Written reflection	20-30%
5.	K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, A1, A2, A3	Final written examination (all topics covered)	Written examination (must pass)	35-45% (Pass Hurdle)

Adopted Reference Style:

APA ()

Professional Standards / Competencies:

Standard / Competency