Course Outline
HLT106 Allied Health Assistant Clinical Placement
Course Coordinator:Kerri-Anne Von Deest (kvondeest@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Occupational Therapy
2026Session 4
UniSC Sunshine CoastUniSC Moreton BayUniSC CabooltureUniSC Fraser CoastUniSC Gympie |
Blended learning | You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement. |
Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
What is this course about?
Description
In this course you will undertake 120 hours of clinical placement where you will be able to apply knowledge and skills you have learned at university under the supervision of an allied health professional in clinical practice. You will be required to work safely, ethically, and professionally within your scope of practice, to communicate and collaborate effectively with others, and to seek help and advice when indicated. Allied health assistant duties will include clinical and non-clinical duties associated with client care.
How will this course be delivered?
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Placement – 120 hours of mandatory clinical placement at clinical practice site as per allocation in SONIA | 120hrs | Not applicable | Once Only |
| Seminar – Online briefing about clinical placement and course assessments. See Canvas for details. | 1hr | Orientation week | Once Only |
| Seminar – Online debriefing seminar at end of session. See Canvas for details. | 1hr | Week 8 | Once Only |
| Learning materials – Online learning materials to assist students in clinical placement and optimise graduate work-readiness and employability. See Canvas for details. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 5 times |
Course Topics
Ethical, Legal, and Professional Practices in Allied Health
- Understanding ethical principles, legal requirements, and professional conduct in clinical settings.
- Promoting culturally safe practice in healthcare environments.
Self-Reflection and Professional Development
- Identifying personal strengths and limitations.
- Working within the scope of practice.
Clinical and Non-Clinical Support
- Assisting with both clinical and non-clinical tasks as directed by supervisors.
- Ensuring safety and effectiveness in performing delegated duties.
Effective Communication and Documentation
- Collaborating with clients and healthcare professionals.
- Completing clinical documentation accurately and timely.
Screening, Therapy, and Mobility Assistance
- Conducting screening assessments.
- Assisting with prescribed therapies, exercises, and mobility support.
- Aiding clients with activities of daily living.
Monitoring Client Health and Reporting
- Monitoring clients' health status and responses to treatments.
- Reporting findings to allied health professionals.
What level is this course?
100 Level (Introductory)
What is the unit value of this course?
12 units
How does this course contribute to my learning?
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
| 1 | Demonstrate ethical, legal, professional, and culturally safe practice as an allied health assistant in clinical contexts |
Empowered Ethical |
| 2 | Critically reflect on personal strengths and limitations, work within scope of practice, and seek help and support when required |
Creative and critical thinker Ethical Engaged Communication Collaboration Problem solving Information literacy |
| 3 | Assist allied health professionals with clinical and non-clinical duties in a safe and effective manner as per supervisor instructions/delegation |
Empowered Communication Collaboration Organisation Applying technologies |
| 4 | Communicate and collaborate effectively with clients and other health professionals and complete clinical documentation in a timely and appropriate manner |
Empowered Communication Collaboration Organisation Applying technologies Information literacy |
| 5 | Safely conduct screening assessments, assist individuals and groups to complete prescribed therapy and exercise, and support clients with mobility and activities of daily living |
Empowered Communication Collaboration Problem solving Organisation Applying technologies Information literacy |
| 6 | Monitor the health status of clients and their response to screening assessments or prescribed treatment, and report findings to allied health professional as indicated |
Creative and critical thinker Empowered Communication Collaboration Problem solving Organisation |
Am I eligible to enrol in this course?
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Pre-requisites
HLT111 and HLT104
Co-requisites
Not applicable
Anti-requisites
Not applicable
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)
Not applicable
How am I going to be assessed?
Grading Scale
Limited Grading (PNP)
Details of early feedback on progress
Students will receive regular feedback from their clinical educator(s) during clinical placement, which includes a formalised mid-way clinical assessment (same assessment tool as final assessment tool). Students will also receive notification if they are at risk of failing their clinical placement, and will need to discuss their performance with the AHA clinical coordinator and clinical educator and develop a learning plan with clear goals and actions for improvement for the remainder of the placement.
Assessment tasks
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1 | Activity Participation | Individual | 120 hours |
Refer to Format | Online Submission |
| All | 2 | Placement performance | Individual | Clinical assessment form consisting of checklist criteria ranking students on a 3 point Likert Scale - "Not competent", "Minimally competent", "Competent". There is then space for the educator to provide qualitative feedback to explain scoring. |
Refer to Format | Online Submission |
| All | 3 | Portfolio | Individual | Completion of electronic portfolio workbook. |
Refer to Format | Online ePortfolio Submission |
| All | 4 | Code of Conduct | Individual | From enrolment in course to completion of all required learning activities (includes pre-placement learning activities and extension to placement where applicable). |
Refer to Format | SONIA |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Clinical Placement Log of Hours | |||||||
| Goal: | To verify the student has completed the mandatory 120 clinical placement hours. This assessment item will be graded as a PASS or FAIL. Students must pass this assessment item to pass the course. |
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| Product: | Activity Participation | ||||||
| Format: | Completion of placement within the designated timeframe will be evidenced using the ‘Log of Hours’ template, signed by the Practice Educator. Students are to upload their completed log of hours to Sonia at end of placement. This assessment item will be graded as a PASS or FAIL. Students must pass this assessment item to pass the course. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Organisation |
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| All - Assessment Task 2:Clinical Educator Assessment | ||||||||||
| Goal: | To verify the student has met minimal entry-level requirements to practice as an allied health assistant within at least one clinical practice setting. This assessment item will be graded as a PASS or FAIL. Students must pass this assessment item to pass the course. |
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| Product: | Placement performance | |||||||||
| Format: | Online written feedback assessment completed and submitted by supervisor at the completion of placement. The supervisor will discuss the scoring and feedback with the student before submission. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:E-Portfolio | |||||||
| Goal: | To provide students with support in developing employability skills and evidencing their knowledge, skills and experiences within an electronic portfolio. |
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| Product: | Portfolio | ||||||
| Format: | Online submission after completion of clinical placement and the session. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 4:Code of Conduct | |||||||
| Goal: | Student will understand and adhere to the discipline Code of Conduct throughout course as per standard requirement of UniSC WIL policy. |
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| Product: | Code of Conduct | ||||||
| Format: | Prior to commencement of the placement, the student will be provided with the Code of Conduct and a briefing explanation regarding the document. The student will be asked to review the document and agree to adhere to the standards for the duration of the course, and as they relate to the specific placement. This task requires students to comply with UniSC policy and procedures in order to prepare them for future practice. Code of Conduct to be signed on Sonia within timeframe as designated on Sonia. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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Directed study hours
A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
What resources do I need to undertake this course?
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Prescribed text(s) or course reader
Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.
| Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
| Recommended | Mark Dutton | 2022 | Dutton's Introductory Skills and Procedures for the Physical Therapist Assistant | n/a | McGraw-Hill Education / Medical |
| Recommended | Mary Elizabeth Patnaude, DHSc OTR/L,Mary Elizabeth Patnaude, DHSc, OTR/L | 2021 | Early's Physical Dysfunction Practice Skills for the Occupational Therapy Assistant | n/a | Elsevier Health Sciences |
| Recommended | Karen Sladyk,Sally E. Ryan | 2015 | Ryan's Occupational Therapy Assistant | n/a | Slack |
Specific requirements
To enrol in this course, students are required to meet "Fit for placement" requirements. Students also will be required to wear their allied health assistant clinical uniform for clinical simulations and clinical placements. Students will need to attend their clinical placement on a part or full time basis (as per allocation). Students are responsible for all costs associated with attending clinical placement, including transport and accommodation. Clinical placements will be sourced by UniSC predominantly in South East Queensalnd, and more specifically within the campus footprint of student's enrolled campus location.
How are risks managed in this course?
What administrative information is relevant to this course?
Assessment: Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Assessment: Additional Requirements
This course will be graded as Pass in a Limited Grade Course (PU) or Fail in a Limited Grade Course (UF) as per clause 5.1.1.3 and 5.1.1.4 of the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy.
In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course. Supplementary assessment is not available in courses using Limited Grades.
Assessment: Submission penalties
You must contact your Course Coordinator and provide the required documentation if you require an extension or alternate assessment.
Refer to the Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs – Procedures.
SafeUniSC
UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.
The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.
Study help
For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.
If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.
Wellbeing Services
Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.
To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.
AccessAbility Services
Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.
To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.
Links to relevant University policy and procedures
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
- Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
- Review of Assessment and Final Grades
- Supplementary Assessment
- Central Examinations
- Deferred Examinations
- Student Conduct
- Students with a Disability
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
Student Charter
UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.
General Enquiries
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In person:
- UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
- UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
- UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
- UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
- UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
- UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
- Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
- Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au