PTY1501 · Foundations of physiotherapy

Overview

In this unit you will take your first steps to becoming a future physiotherapist. You will explore the scope of Australian physiotherapy practice, its rural context and associated ethical and registration obligations. You will integrate knowledge of anatomy, physiology and physics as well as the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework to start developing evidence-based approaches to address a series of clinically-oriented patient cases. You will learn to work safely through scaffolded education about infection control and risk management, manual handling, equipment use and mobility techniques, as well as the application of cooling and superficial heating and electrophysical agents. You will assess patient safety by measuring and interpreting vital signs, screening for pathologies across the major body systems, and learning to communicate in ways that underpin modern person-centred, culturally safe and trauma-informed care. You will capture this via structured documentation that adheres to professional and medicolegal standards. Your learning will involve interactive theory sessions, hands-on practicals, case-based learning and online synchronous sessions that connect you with peers at other regional sites. You will begin your Clinical Reasoning Journal which will be continued throughout your course.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Assessment in this unit includes hurdle assessment tasks. Failure of any hurdle assessment task may result in failure of the unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Reflect on the formation of early professional identity through metacognitive reasoning within the context of Australian physiotherapy scopes, specialisations, rural practice, and AHPRA ethical and registration requirements.
2. Apply knowledge of human anatomy, physiology and physics concepts to explain relevant physiotherapy clinical phenomena, as they relate to musculoskeletal assessment and care in allied health practice.
3. Apply the International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) framework and the biopsychosocial model to basic physiotherapy cases.
4. Apply an evidence-based practice framework to a physiotherapy clinical scenario.
5. Evaluate appropriate use of digital health technologies, including those enabled with artificial intelligence, in healthcare.
6. Articulate, examine, and demonstrate the application of work health and safety considerations for settings where allied health professionals practise (e.g. infection control, hand hygiene, risk management).
7. Demonstrate practice skills relating to manual handling, equipment use, and mobility techniques, that are safe and appropriate for musculoskeletal presentations.
8. Apply clinical reasoning to support safe and appropriate use of external cooling and superficial heating, and electrophysical agents, for musculoskeletal presentations.
9. Conduct and interpret physiotherapy safety screening procedures relevant to major body systems, including in the context of musculoskeletal presentations.
10. Demonstrate accurate assessment and interpretation of clinical measures across resting and post-exertional contexts, applying normal and abnormal reference ranges to support clinical decision-making.
11. Design, conduct and document a structured physiotherapy assessment consistent with professional and medicolegal standards.
12. Apply person-centred communication to physiotherapy clinical scenarios, identifying key principles of culturally safe and trauma-informed care.

Workload

The indicative workload is 24 hours per week across 18 teaching weeks (approximately 432 hours total). This comprises approximately 11 hours per week teacher-directed activities and 13 hours per week student-directed activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.