| Effective Term: | 2027/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Physiotherapy Health Law and Ethics |
| Unit ID: | NHPPS4003 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (NHPPS4001) OR (NHPPS4101) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (NHPOT4003) |
| ASCED: | 061701 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit will increase the students’ knowledge of health law and its application to physiotherapy practice. Students will gain an understanding of ethics and bioethics and develop skills in working through complex moral and ethical issues, recognising and reflecting on different points of view. It will build their capacity to explain the legal framework and professional standards governing physiotherapy, including the expectations around cultural safety. This unit will further help students build essential job readiness skills to develop an effective resume and interview strategies for meeting employer expectations. |
| 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: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| Skills: |
| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| Other outcomes: |
| O1. | Apply legal frameworks, professional guidelines, and contemporary ethical theories to clinical decision-making in physiotherapy, with consideration of urban, rural, and remote practice contexts. |
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| O2. | Apply culturally safe and responsive approaches to physiotherapy case studies involving culturally and linguistically diverse patients, and evaluate the influence of culture on ethical decision-making and cross-cultural communication. |
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| O3. | Analyse the physiotherapy scope of practice, compliance obligations, reporting pathways, and risk management strategies relevant to minimising legal liability. |
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| O4. | Demonstrate job-seeking skills for graduate physiotherapy positions, and reflect on feedback to inform future employability that are in line with industry expectations. |
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| O5. | Critically evaluate global healthcare ethical controversies and justify an assigned position using contemporary ethical theories and relevant professional standards, with consideration of counter arguments. |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include:
1. Introduction to legal frameworks.
2. Ethical Theories and Frameworks
3. Non-Western / Indigenous Perspectives on Ethics
4. Professional Codes of Conduct and Scope of Practice
5. Informed Consent and Confidentiality
6. Health Privacy Laws and Data Protection
7. Liability and Risk Management
8. Emerging legal and ethical issues in physiotherapy
9. Foundations of Job Readiness
10. Crafting a Resume and Cover Letter
11. Mastering Interview Skills
12. Navigating Employer Expectations |
| 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.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | 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. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | 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. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | 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. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | 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 | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | Professional Standards |
| 1. |
4 |
Workforce Readiness Portfolio |
E-portfolio submission |
25-35% |
4.1, 4.2 |
| 2. |
1, 3, 5 |
Group debate on a contemporary ethical scenarios |
Presentation and Written Assessment |
30-40% |
2.1, 2.2, 4.4, 4.5 |
| 3. |
1, 2, 3, 5 |
Extended written responses on various healthcare ethical scenarios |
Written examination |
35-45% |
1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1 |
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