Occupational therapy

These inherent requirements apply to the following courses: Bachelor of Health Science/ Master of Occupational Therapy and Master of Occupational Therapy. 

Prospective and current students who are concerned about their capacities in relation to inherent requirements are strongly encouraged to contact the CDU Access and Inclusion team to discuss possible adjustments or alternative courses.

E: inclusion@cdu.edu.au

These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other course information and related material such as Guidelines for Mandatory Notifications, Code of Conduct for registered health practitioners  and National Competency Standards for the Registered Occupational Therapist.

There are eight domains of inherent requirements for Bachelor of Health Science/ Master of Occupational Therapy and Master of Occupational Therapy.

Each domain has five levels: 

1. Introduction
2. Description
3. Justification
4. Adjustments
5. Exemplars

Acting in ways consistent with the recognised values of society and avoiding activities that do harm.

In the context of inherent requirements, students undertaking a course of study may be governed by practice standards and codes of ethics.

1. Introduction
   Occupational therapy is a profession that is governed by codes, guidelines and standards, where occupational therapists are both accountable and responsible for ensuring safe and professional behaviour in all contexts.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates knowledge of, and engages in, ethical behaviour in practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Compliance with the codes, guidelines and standards facilitates safe, competent  
   interactions and relationships for students and/or the people with whom they engage. This  
   ensures the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of the individual is not placed at risk.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must not compromise codes of conduct or result in unethical behaviour.
5. Exemplars:
   • Complying with medico-legal requirements relating to informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality with client information in academic and clinical settings 
   • Demonstrating ability to reflect on ethical dilemmas and issues and take responsibility for ensuring awareness of ethical behaviour.

The maintenance of conduct that is acceptable and appropriate, according to the recognised norms of society over a given period.

1. Introduction
   Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in a demanding role.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and practice environment.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and unpredictable environments. Occupational Therapy students will be exposed to health care and disability contexts in which they will encounter human suffering and will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events objectively and professionally.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must support stable, effective, and professional behaviour in both academic and practice settings.
5. Exemplars:
   • Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback
   • Coping effectively with own emotions and behaviour when working with individuals and other stakeholders in service settings.

Related to the law. In the context of inherent requirements, this refers to the legal requirements of professional bodies relevant to specific courses of study.

1. Introduction
   Occupational Therapy is mandated by specific legislation to enable the safe delivery of care and services.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates knowledge and compliance with Australian Law, professional regulations, and scope of practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites to practice placements to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.  Compliance with these professional regulations, standards and the Australian Law ensures that students are both responsible and accountable for their practice.
4. Adjustments
   Must be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements.
5. Exemplars:
   • Complying with the policies of clinical facilities
   • Complying with the requirements for student registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Verbal communication: Conveying messages, ideas, or feelings through speech.

1. Introduction
   Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of care.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences
   • The ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner
   • The ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation
   • The ability to provide timely clear feedback and reporting.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Communicating in a way that displays respect and empathy to others, develops trusting relationships. At times, verbal communication may be the only means of communication available between the Occupational Therapist and patient/others. Speed and interactivity of communication may be critical for individual safety or treatment. Timely, accurate and effective delivery of instructions is critical for individual safety, treatment, and management.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments for impaired verbal communication must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity, and accuracy issues to ensure safety.
5. Exemplars:
   • Participating in tutorial, simulation, and clinical discussions
   • Establishing rapport with individuals and their families and responding appropriately to requests in the service setting. 

Non-verbal communication: Communication other than speech that conveys meaning including gestures and facial expressions, body posture, stance, touch, eye movements, eye contact and distance from the person/s with whom you are communicating. Non-verbal cues can provide significant additional information to the person with whom you are communicating.

1. Introduction
   Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to occupational therapy and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest, and non-judgmental.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues
   • Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours
   • Sensitivity to individual difference.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic and professional relationships. Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time, boundaries and body movements and gestures promotes trust in academic and professional relationships. Being sensitive to individual and/or cultural differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships. The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for safe and effective observation of a client’s symptoms and reactions to facilitate the assessment and treatment of clients/individuals.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation of or appropriate response to, effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.
5. Exemplars:
   • Recognising and responding appropriately to cues in the academic environment
   • Recognising and responding appropriately to cues in the practice environment.

Written communication: Communication by written symbols including electronic means, print or handwriting.

1. Introduction
   Effective written communication, in English, is a fundamental occupational therapy responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances
   • The capacity to use a range of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to complete academic assessment requirements.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Construction of written text-based assessment tasks to reflect the required academic standards are necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter for professional practice. Accurate written communication, including record-keeping and clinical notes, is vital to provide consistent and safe care and service.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy, and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and practical settings.
5. Exemplars:
   • Constructing an essay to academic standards
   • Documenting clinical notes, reports and information in a timely manner that meets professional standards.

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through one's thoughts, experience, and senses.

Knowledge and cognitive skills: Acquired skills that reflect an individual's ability to think. Cognitive skills include verbal and spatial abilities, concentration, memory, perception, reasoning, planning and organisation, flexible thinking, and problem solving.

1. Introduction
   This course requires knowledge of theory and the skills of cognition, literacy, and numeracy. Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and competent occupational therapy services.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information
   • Ability to process information relevant to practice
   • Ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice in a timely manner.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Safe and effective delivery of occupational therapy is based on comprehensive knowledge 
   that must be sourced, understood, and applied appropriately.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded.
5. Exemplars:
   • Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items
   • Applying knowledge of theory, research evidence, policy, and procedures in the practice settings. 

Literacy (language): This relates to the ability to acquire, understand, and apply information in a scholarly manner.

1. Introduction
   Competent literacy skills, in English, are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of care.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The ability to acquire information and accurately to convey appropriate, effective messages
   • The ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information
   • The capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey messages is fundamental to ensure safe and effective assessment, treatment, and delivery of care.  The ability to read, decode, interpret, and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental for safe and effective delivery care.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments to address literacy issues must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply, and communicate accurate information.
5. Exemplars:
   • Demonstrating the ability to convey a spoken instruction to a client and communicate effectively in a clinical setting
   • Paraphrasing, summarising, and referencing in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments
   • Producing accurate, concise, and clear occupational therapy documentation which meets legal requirements.

Numeracy: This relates to the ability to understand and work with numbers.

1. Introduction
   Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective care.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student interprets and correctly applies data, measurements, and numerical criteria.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Competent application of numeracy skills is essential in occupational therapy to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of occupational therapy care.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable the demonstration of a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner.
5. Exemplars:
   • Recording accurate measurements in client notes
   • Prescribing adaptive equipment such as a wheelchair prescription that correctly meets client measurement requirements.

The way a person recognizes external stimuli - through sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.

Visual acuity

1.  Introduction
   This course requires adequate visual acuity to provide safe and effective occupational therapy.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient visual acuity is necessary to demonstrate the required range of skills, tasks, and assessments to maintain consistent, accurate and safe care to self and others. 
   Visual observations, examination and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective occupational therapy.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in the practice setting. Any strategies to address the effects of the vision impairment must be effective, consistent, and not compromise safety or treatment.
5. Exemplars:
   • Safely operating electrical equipment, such as splinting equipment
   • Observing and detecting subtle changes in posture movement and ability to perform functional activities during assessment and treatment.

Auditory acuity

1. Introduction
   This course requires adequate auditory abilities to provide safe and effective occupational therapy.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills.
3.  Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient auditory ability is necessary to monitor, assess and manage an individual’s health/ care needs consistently and accurately. Auditory assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective occupational therapy.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must address the need to perform the range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the hearing impairment must be effective, consistent, and not compromise treatment or safety
5. Exemplars:
   • Engaging appropriately to a client’s responses during assessment and treatment.

Tactile

1. Introduction
   This course requires sufficient tactile ability to perform competent and safe occupational therapy.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates sufficient tactile function to undertake the required range of skills and assessments.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient tactile ability is necessary to monitor, assess and detect an individual’s physical characteristics and act on any abnormalities to provide appropriate occupational therapy. Tactile assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective occupational therapy.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable the capacity to make effective assessments of physical characteristics and abnormalities within safe time frames.
5. Exemplars:
   • Detecting any changes in circulation observations such as temperature and pulse palpation
   • Palpating joints, muscles and soft tissue and detecting anatomical or movement abnormalities.   

Gross motor skills: The use of large muscle groups that coordinate body movements for activities such as walking, lifting, pushing, pulling, and maintaining balance.

1. Introduction
   Occupational therapy is a profession that involves physical demands and requires gross motor function.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates the ability to perform gross motor skills to function within scope of practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to perform the required level of care/ service. 
   Tasks that involve gross motor skills include lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing,  
   twisting and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care.
5. Exemplars:
   • Maintaining own and clients balance while providing client support when transferring and mobilising individuals in a safe manner
   • Evaluating clients in a safe and effective manner who have varying physical capacity and who may be positioned on plinths and hospital beds, mats on the floor, on chairs or standing.

Fine motor skills: The ability to undertake precise coordinated movements of the hands for activities such as writing and manipulating small objects.

1. Introduction
   Occupational therapy is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates the ability to use fine motor skills to provide safe effective care.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform, the required level of care and service. 
   Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects and individuals. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness and safety to self and others.
5. Exemplars:
   • Performing assessment techniques such as evaluation of hand sensation and joint movement
   • Performing treatment techniques such as fabricating splints, demonstrating use of adaptive equipment, and demonstrating fine motor tasks during activities of daily living.

The ability to undertake a task/s over a pre-determined length of time. This could include physical performance such as standing for a length of time, or cognitive (mental) performance such as concentrating for a particular length of time.

1. Introduction
   Occupational therapy requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent sustained level to meet individual needs over time.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and over time
   • The ability to perform repetitive activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately
   • The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of time.
3.  Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to  
   perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and effective care.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period.
5. Exemplars:
   • Participating in tutorials, lectures, and skills throughout the day
   • Providing consistent occupational therapy over a negotiated time frame while on clinical placement.