Welcome Wodonga Regional Health Service Allied Health

1. Welcome Wodonga Regional Health Service Allied Health Undergraduate Physiotherapy Student Placement Information

2. Welcome to Wodonga Regional Health Service • Wodonga Regional Health Service • Allied Health Teams • Physiotherapy Team • Clinical Education • Professional Behaviour

3. Aim: To provide quality, cost effective hospital and community based health care services to meet the health needs of those communities in North Eastern Victoria and South Western New South Wales with relationship to the City of Wodonga and the City of Albury. • WRHS is proud of the culture it has maintained since its origins in the 1950’s. As a Health Service that has grown from the community it has retained a strong sense of community service. • WRHS fosters an environment with a strong sense of teamwork, integrity, accountability and respect.

4. Allied Health Teams • Acute Team • Community Rehabilitation Team • Community Health Team • Inpatient Rehabilitation • Rural and Allied Health Team • Pain Management Program

5. Acute team • Acute Unit 22 beds, including a 5 bed high dependency unit. Provides more intensive Nursing following medical or surgical procedures. • General Unit 32 beds, general medical or surgical patients often elective admissions. • Obstetric Unit One of the largest units in Rural Victoria catering for an estimated 1600 births each year.

6. Inpatient rehabilitation • Inpatient rehabilitation program servicing a 10 bed ward • Aims to assist clients to achieve optimum independence and quality of life • Offers an integrated care program including Allied Health, Medical and Nursing care

7. Community Rehabilitation Team • Multidisciplinary team which aims to enable clients who are disabled, frail, chronically ill or recovering from traumatic injury to achieve and retain optimal functional independence. • General rehabilitation • Cardiac rehabilitation • Pulmonary rehabilitation • Upper limb/hand therapy clinic

8. Community Health Team • Multidisciplinary team providing outpatient services to enable Victorian residents suffering from a range of conditions to achieve and maintain optimal functional independence. • Involved in the delivery of a variety of health promotion activities including Diabetes Education, Powerpal Training, New parents Group and Physical Activity for Mental Health.

9. Rural and Allied Health Team • Provides a range of professional services to people of all ages having difficulty staying at home independently • Comprehensive service which supports and liaises with clients, carers and community service providers • Services include direct client contact, and health promotion • The service operates outside of the Wodonga Council area within the Alpine and Towong shires

10. Pain Management Program • Provides timely and efficient intervention to individuals, which meets best practice and uses a multi disciplinary and consumer focused approach. • Three week residential cognitive behavioral modification and physical reactivation program based on the biopsychosocial model of chronic pain and conducted by an interdisciplinary team.

11. Physiotherapy Team

12. Susan B.App.Sc.(Phys) • Allied Health Manager (Community) • Community Health Team Leader • Over 20 years experience • Experience in both metropolitan and rural settings • Areas of special interest include rehabilitation and gerontology

13. David B.App.Sc.(phys),PostGrad Dip Rural Health • Senior physiotherapist • Rural and Allied Health Team • Areas of special interest: Rural health Occupational health and safety Aged care

14. Narelle B.App.Sc(Phys), M.Health Sc(OMT) • Clinical education co-ordinator • Community Health Team • Manages undergraduate physiotherapy students from Charles Sturt, La Trobe, Melbourne and Curtin Universities • Received the Inaugural Charles Sturt University School of Community Health Award for Excellence in Clinical Education 2002 • Part time lecturer at CSU • Main areas of interest include musculoskeletal physiotherapy, women’s health and health promotion

15. John Grad Dip Phys • Pain Management Program • Trained in England and has worked extensively overseas including England and Canada • Accredited McKenzie therapist • Has special interest in sport physiotherapy • Physiotherapist to local soccer team

16. Liesa Grad Dip Phys • Rehabilitation in the Home Program • Trained in England and has extensive experience in England and Canada • Trained in Bobath techniques for neurological deficits • Special interest areas include lymphodema and neurology

17. Jana B.App.Sc.(Phys) • Acute team, general and obstetric wards • Has been employed at WRHS for over 15 years and has worked on all available rotations • Trained in Bobath neurological techniques • Special interest area is obstetrics

18. Anna B.Science(Physiotherapy) • Community Rehabilitation Team • General rehabilitation and co-ordinates Cardiac Rehabilitation Program • Rehabilitation provider outside of WRHS • Varied experience in England and Canada including sport and TMJ clinics • Special interest areas include: TMJ Psychosocial aspects of physiotherapy Orthopaedics

19. Simone B. Physiotherapy (Hons) • Part time Community Rehabilitation Team co-ordinating Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program • Currently completing a PhD through La Trobe University, investigating the effects of strength training for people with COPD • Chairperson Murray Area Physiotherapy Group • Special interest areas include general and pulmonary rehabilitation, research, exercise therapy and hand therapy

20. Michelle B Physiotherapy • Graduated from La Trobe University in 1999 • Employment experience includes acute care and rehabilitation in Geelong • Further rehabilitation experience gained at Melbourne Extended care and Rehabilitation Service • Main experience in gerontology and rehabilitation

21. Kerry B.Physiotherapy(Hons) • Completed physiotherapy degree at Charles Sturt University (Albury) • Previous degree in sport science • Has extensive experience in sport rehabilitation and strength training • Areas of special interest include exercise rehabilitation and paediatrics

22. Brett B.Physiotherapy • Completed physiotherapy degree at Charles Sturt University (Albury) in 2003 • Currently in his second year of employment at WRHS • Outside of work enjoys sport including soccer, athletics and touch football

23. Lucas B Physiotherapy • Completed Physiotherapy Degree at Charles Sturt University (Albury) 2004 • Newest member of WRHS Physiotherapy Team and is currently in his first year of employment

24. Pam Bartel RN / Div 2 • Allied Health Assistant • Extensive allied health assistant experience • Comes from a nursing background • Area of special interest includes exercise rehabilitation for older people

25. Clinical Education at WRHS • Philosophy • Student focused learning • Student responsibilities

26. Philosophy The concept of the clinical educator being a facilitator rather than an information giver is fundamental to clinical education at WRHS. Consequently the primary goal of clinical education is to facilitate student learning and engender in students a passion for lifelong learning. Clinical educators are therefore challenged to keep students in the centre of and actively engage them in the learning process. The skill of lifelong learning, which fosters competent and independent practice, is particularly vital for practitioners destined to work in rural areas. Rural practitioners are often isolated from peers, have barriers to accessing professional development and therefore rely more fully on their intrinsic reflective abilities to improve their practice. While on placement at WRHS students are encouraged to be active participants in their learning and are provided with opportunities to be involved in the structuring of their own learning activities and to take control of their own learning. Fundamental to effective learning is the learning environment; at WRHS every effort is made to create a student friendly learning environment, so that students will be comfortable and gain maximum benefit from their clinical placement.

27. Student focused learning • The clinical education program at WRHS aims to be student focused. • Students are involved in determining the structure and content of the placement depending upon their individual learning needs. • Clinical educators are aware of students’ varied learning styles and accept that teaching is a creative activity that will vary according to the learning style of the student. • Ongoing constructive and timely feedback is provided to students throughout their placement. • Procedures are established for gathering regular feedback from students, both formally and informally. Students experiencing difficulties should feel comfortable in the knowledge that a process exists for approaching the clinical educator with their concerns.

28. Student responsibilities • Students should be aware of their individual learning needs. Prior to commencing placement you should reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and identify those areas which would most benefit from assistance. • Students are required to be aware of their preferred learning style and preferred learning strategies and be able to provide input into the structure of learning activities while on placement. • Students are required to be able to accept and act upon constructive feedback provided by the clinical educator. • Students are strongly encouraged to ask questions and seek reassurance as they test skills at putting theory into practice. • Students are strongly encouraged to maintain a learning journal while on placement to engender reflective practice skills, identify gaps in knowledge and to track growing competence. • Students are expected to be able to approach the clinical educator with any concerns while on placement. If their concern relates to the clinical educator they should approach the senior physiotherapist.

29. Professional Behaviour • Punctuality • Dress standards • General tidiness • Student rapport with patients and colleagues • Respect for patient’s dignity • Consideration of legal issues • Documentation

30. Punctuality • Arrive at clinic 5 minutes prior to start time, to allow you to put your belongings in your locker and be ready to start on time. • In the event that you are delayed, or unable to attend due to sickness telephone reception (6051 7400) and inform staff of your estimated arrival time and advise of any action that is required to minimise inconvenience to your clients.

31. Dress standards • University uniform to be worn at all times and must be neat, clean and tidy, never stained or crushed • Closed in shoes are an Occupational Health and Safety requirement • University ID card must be worn at all times • Bracelets, bangles, rings with stones are not to be worn • Watches may be worn but are preferably removed during patient treatment and hand washing • Fingernails are to be short and clean • Hair shoulder length or longer must be tied back • Men may have a beard or be clean shaven, no stubble • As a consideration to our patients facial jewellery is preferably removed

32. General tidiness • Wherever you are working in the hospital, always leave treatment areas clean and safe. • When treatment is completed pull curtains back, remove any soiled linen, tissues etc and return pillows to the head of the treatment table. • Wipe the bed with antibacterial solution after each patient. • Return any equipment you have used during treatment to where you found it.

33. Rapport with patients and colleagues • The patient will primarily view the student as their physiotherapist. • The student will demonstrate an understanding of the limitations to a patient’s lifestyle that their illness or disability will cause. • The student will monitor the patient’s tolerance to treatment and respond to their reports of distress. • The student will be able to liaise with other healthcare professionals to ensure the patient’s needs are met. • The student will treat all other healthcare workers with courtesy and respect.

34. Patient dignity • Respect patients’ personal choices eg dress, religious and / or cultural belief system. • Refrain from questioning the patient about their condition in waiting or reception areas. • Ensure curtains are pulled when appropriate. • Only disrobe the patient as necessary. • Use towels or blankets to drape the patient as necessary to preserve dignity. • Respect patients choices in relation to treatment.

35. Legal issues • Always obtain informed consent from the patient prior to proceeding with any assessment or treatment procedure. • Informed consent requires an explanation of the intervention and the possibility of any positive or negative reactions. • Only discuss the patient’s case with the clinical supervisor or those directly involved in the patient’s care. • Ensure all documentation is completed in a timely and accurate manner.

36. Documentation • Complete medical records legibly and accurately using black pen • Complete medical records in a timely manner, preferably on the day of the physiotherapy intervention • All medical record entries to be signed and dated by student and countersigned by clinical supervisor • Complete discharge or referral letters with guidance as required

37. Contact us • If you have any further questions contact: • David Taylor (Senior Physiotherapist) Ph: (02) 6051 7440 or email david.taylor@wrhs.org.au • Narelle Patton (Clinical co-ordinator) Ph: (02) 6051 7420