LTSE Policies & Frameworks Inherent Requirements Bachelor of Clinical Sciences (Honours)

Bachelor of Clinical Sciences (Honours)

JCU Inherent Requirements for Bachelor of Clinical Sciences (Honours) (115309)

JCU is committed to enhancing students' access, participation and success in higher education and embracing the diversity of the communities we serve. We strongly support the rights of individuals who wish to pursue a degree to achieve their potential personal and professional career objectives. This document is designed to assist students and potential students to make informed decisions for study and access to services and to guide further discussions based on a clear understating of the inherent course requirements.

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the fundamental abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to complete the learning outcomes of a course while preserving the academic integrity of the university’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes. Students and prospective students must be able to demonstrate that they have acquired or have the ability to acquire the inherent requirements for their degree.

Reasonable adjustments may be implemented to assist you manage additional circumstances impacting on your studies provided these do not fundamentally change academic integrity of a degree.

Are inherent requirements different to admissions and academic requirements?

Each degree has a number of admissions and academic requirements which must be met prior to being able to enrol in or graduate from the degree. Admissions and academic requirements can be found at the following links:

Students with a disability or health condition

In many cases, studying with health conditions or disabilities will not impact on your studies. Many students with disabilities or other impacting circumstances that impact on their studies, have successfully completed their university studies, with and without reasonable adjustments made to their learning conditions.

Students with a disability or health condition, or other circumstances such as cultural or religious considerations, can discuss their circumstances and potential needs for reasonably adjusted learning conditions with university staff including the Course Coordinator or AccessAbility Services.

It is highly recommended that you discuss your circumstances with JCU staff as early as possible as reduced time-frames may impact significantly on the adjustments that are possible. For students with a disability or health condition, AccessAbility Services provides an experienced reference point, facilitates reasonable adjustments made, and assists students to develop the strategies to realise their capabilities. The University has no requirement to adjust for conditions that it is not aware of. Disclosure is required for any circumstances that pose a health or safety risk to yourself or others.

Reasonable adjustments

JCU is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, placement and other activities to enable students to participate in their course. Reasonable adjustments could be made to how curricula is delivered, clinical placements are conducted, and the way in which learning outcomes are achieved, demonstrated or assessed. Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement. Reasonable adjustments do not alter the need to be able to demonstrate the inherent requirements of the course, and may or may not be sufficient in themselves to assist students to meet these requirements.

Reading the Inherent Requirements Statements

Inherent requirements are divided into domains and sub-domains and contain the following information:

  1. Introduction to the inherent requirement
  2. A rationale as to why it is an inherent requirement
  3. Examples of things you must be able to demonstrate, or have the ability to acquire and demonstrate during the course of your degree. Please note this is not an exhaustive list.

If you are intending to enrol in any of the following postgraduate degrees, you should read this document in conjunction with the course handbook.

You should carefully consider the inherent requirement statements below as a guide for your learning during the course, and as a way to identify early possible challenges you may have in meeting these requirements. If you remain interested or engaged in the course, you should discuss your concerns with the College staff such as the Course Coordinator as soon as possible. If the challenges are related to your disability or health condition contact AccessAbility Services to discuss possible strategies and reasonable adjustments.

If the inherent requirements cannot be met with reasonable adjustments, University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.

Please note reasonable adjustments must:

  • Be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements, and not compromise codes, guidelines and policies
  • Not result in unethical or unprofessional behaviour
  • Meet the necessary standards of timeliness, accuracy and functional effectiveness to ensure that self and patient care, treatment or safety is not compromised
  • Address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice, including undertaking learning activities in mixed gender environments, which reflect the Australian context, and
  • Ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period.

Legal

Inherent Requirement

Compliance with Australian Law and professional regulations.

Rationale

Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites to clinical/professional placements in order to reduce the risk of harm to self and others; compliance with these professional regulations and the Australian Law ensures students are both responsible and accountable for their practice.

Examples

  • Complying with requirements for work placement within QLD Health (and interstate equivalents)
  • Ability to apply for Blue card

Ethical and professional behaviour

Inherent Requirement

Ethical & professional behaviour in academic and clinical/professional environments

Rationale

Compliance with standards, codes, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and the people they engage with. This supports the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being of all.

Examples

  • Complying with academic and non-academic conduct codes and policies and professional standards;
  • Demonstrating appropriate behaviour with confidential information in classroom and clinical settings;
  • Respect personal and professional boundaries;
  • Dress appropriately and safely for the workplace.

Safe practice

Inherent Requirement

Compliance with workplace health and safety requirements, infection control procedures and conduct within scope of practice.

Rationale

Compliance with workplace health and safety and vaccination requirements and conduct within current scope of practice, are required to provide safe environments for students, staff and others.

Examples

  • Complying with relevant Workplace Health & Safety policies;
  • Complying with infectious diseases and immunisation policies;
  • Complying with infection control procedures including the use of PPE

Cognition

Knowledge and cognitive skills

Inherent Requirement

Knowledge acquisition and effective cognitive skills.

Rationale

Knowledge acquisition and effective cognitive skills are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of care/practice.

Examples

  • Able to acquire, conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items;
  • Appropriately apply knowledge of policy and procedures in the clinical setting;
  • Able to problem solve, reason and synthesise information;
  • Engage in scientific, clinical and ethical reasoning.

Metacognition

Inherent Requirement

Awareness of own thinking, and skills to reflect, evaluate, adapt and implement new cognitive strategies for improved learning, health care and professional practice.

Rationale

Understanding and ongoing learning about oneself as an instrument in health care is required for safe and effective health care and veterinary services.

Examples

  • Review the outcome of treatment for a patient's particular clinical signs and adapt your knowledge for approach;
  • Review and reflect on personal responses and cultural paradigms around health care challenges, and develop safe, effective and professional care approaches;
  • Manage and proactively learn from academic, professional and clinical set-backs by self-evaluation;
  • Reflect on the options, ethical implications, and impact for all the stakeholders in health care and professional decisions;
  • Be aware of, and take responsibility for, your personal role in the health care and service delivery process;
  • Manage multiple priorities and time management decisions.

Literacy

Inherent Requirement

Competent literacy skills.

Rationale

Competent literacy skills are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of care/practice.

Examples

  • Summarise and reference in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments;
  • Produce accurate, concise and clear documentation;
  • Read and comprehend information presented in a variety of formats.

Numeracy

Inherent Requirement

Competent and accurate numeracy skills.

Rationale

Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective care/practice.

Examples

  • Perform accurate calculations in a timely manner;
  • Undertake and accurately interpret measurements and calculations

Communication

Verbal communication

Inherent Requirement

Effective verbal communication in English.

Rationale

Effective verbal communication, in English, is required to provide safe and effective delivery of care/practice.

Examples

  • Understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately, respectfully and in a timely manner;
  • Convey spoken messages accurately and effectively in a clinical/professional situation;
  • Participating in tutorials, simulations and clinical discussions.

Non-verbal communication

Inherent Requirement

Effective non-verbal communication.

Rationale

The ability to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues is essential for safe and effective care; consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours; sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences.

Examples

  • Recognise and respond appropriately in classroom situations;
  • Recognise and respond appropriately to cues in the clinical environment.

Written communication

Inherent Requirement

Effective written communication in English

Rationale

Effective written communication, in English, is required to provide safe and effective delivery of care/practice.

Examples

  • Construct an essay to academic standards;
  • Document and record information accurately and legibly

Sensory ability

Visual

Inherent Requirement

Adequate visual acuity.

Rationale

Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective practice.

Examples

  • Able to undertake microscopy techniques and Clinical laboratory skills;
  • Able to identify hazards and safety issues

Auditory

Inherent Requirement

Adequate auditory ability

Rationale

Adequate auditory ability is required to provide safe and effective practice

Examples

  • Precise and rapid reaction to sensory stimuli such as alarms;
  • Able to hear, gather and organise spoken information;
  • Participate in group discussions

Tactile

Inherent Requirement

Adequate tactile ability

Rationale

Adequate tactile ability is required to provide safe and effective practice

Examples

  • Ability to use pipettes, fine motors skills for cutting and embedding tissue,performing laboratory based skills including those associated with Clinical Measurements.

Motor ability

Gross motor

Inherent Requirement

Adequate strength, endurance, mobility and gross motor skills

Rationale

Adequate strength, endurance, mobility and gross motor skills are required to provide safe and effective practice.

Examples

  • Ability to undertake long shifts requiring uninterrupted attention and focus when dealing with practicals, assessment items or research projects;
  • Undertake physical or manual tasks.

Fine motor

Inherent Requirement

Adequate manual dexterity and fine motor skills

Rationale

Adequate manual dexterity and fine motor skills are required to provide safe and effective practice

Examples

  • Ability to manipulate instruments in diagnostic procedures;
  • Perform techniques such as venepuncture and sample collection;
  • Use hand eye coordination to complete tasks including use of a computer;
  • Ability to participate in practical classes.

Sustained performance

Inherent Requirement

Adequate physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level.

Rationale

Physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level is required to provide safe and effective practice.

Examples

  • Participate in tutorials, lectures, practical sessions throughout the day;
  • Maintain a sufficient level of concentration to focus on an activity to completion;
  • Manage personal physical and mental health effectively.

Behavioural adaptability

Inherent Requirement

Behaviour that adapts to changing situations sufficiently to maintain safe and complete health care, and instigates self-care consistent with professional expectations.

Rationale

Behavioural adaptation is required to manage personal emotional responses as an individual and within teams in changing and unpredictable environments, including emergency situations and times of human and animal distress. Students will also be required to adapt their behaviour appropriately during times of additional stressors in their own lives, whether this adaptation involves ways of continuing to engage with their role or withdrawing for self-care for a period.

Examples

  • Adjust ways of working within teams of varied personal and professional backgrounds and clinical opinions to facilitate effective practice decisions;
  • Cope with own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with changing responses of individuals and families in practice;
  • Be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback;
  • Maintain respectful communication practices in times of increased stressors or workloads;
  • Adjust to changing circumstances in a way that allows self-care while maintaining a professional-level focus.