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Unit of Study PHTY3004 - Physiotherapy Practice Across the Lifespan (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Unit type

    UG Coursework Unit

  • Credit points

    12

  • Faculty/College

    Faculty of Health

  • Placement

    No

  • Enrolment information

    Please note this unit has assessments scheduled in Week 7 which will require attendance on-campus. Details will be provided closer to the time. This unit contains Work Integrated Learning (WIL) that requires students to meet mandatory fit to practice obligations prior to attending. Failure to comply by the fit to practice deadline will result in the cancellation of your WIL and you will not be permitted to continue in this unit. Full details are available at www.scu.edu.au/health/work-integrated-learning.

Unit description

This unit prepares students for professional physiotherapy practice working with diverse populations. The unit explores and consolidates knowledge, skills and evidence for effective physiotherapy management (assessment, differential diagnosis, intervention, evaluation, documentation, prevention and promotion of health and well-being) of conditions across the lifespan including mental health, palliative and end of life care. Throughout this unit, students will gain an understanding of the role and scope of physiotherapy within diverse health care environments and frameworks and will explore various models and contexts of healthcare and health-related services from local, national, and international perspectives. Students will utilise the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Framework to plan comprehensive, person-centred, evidence-based and culturally responsive management that addresses the needs of people across the lifespan. Incorporating collaborative interprofessional practice, this unit includes transition to community-based services and health promotion. The unit incorporates a work integrated learning experience in residential care or community setting, where students learn to apply professional and foundational physiotherapy skills and health promotion into practice.

Unit content

  1. The health care system, diverse health care environments and frameworks
  2. Exercise for health and well-being in diverse populations
  3. Physiotherapy management across the lifespan A: Babies and infants
  4. Physiotherapy management across the lifespan B: Children and adolescents
  5. Physiotherapy management across the lifespan C: Older adults
  6. Physiotherapy management across the lifespan D: Complex conditions

 

Availabilities

Not currently available in 2025

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

identify and discuss diverse healthcare provision models within local, national, and international contexts

apply legal and ethical considerations and requirements when working with children and adults with impaired-decision making, and their families

design, implement, evaluate and document person and family-centred physiotherapy management of the health of people across the lifespan, that is safe and effective, incorporating the ICF framework

design, communicate, implement and evaluate exercise programs for optimal health and well-being in diverse populations