Block Clinical Practice 1

General Information
Duration 1 semester
Level Year 4, Semester 1
Unit Weighting Unit Credit Points: 10 credit points
Total Course Credit Points: 320 credit points
Student Workload Number of timetabled hours per week: 9 hours of clinic practice
Number of personal study hours per week: 1
Total workload hours per week: 10
Prerequisites CHM307 Wen Bing Xue & TCM Practice 3 (Herbal Dispensary), and CCM318 TCM Gynecology
Academic Details
Description CPP404 Block Clinical Practice 1 is the first part of an intensive supervised clinical experience for 4th year students who undertake a total of 250 hours in the SITCM Teaching Clinic as a Level 4: ‘Student Practitioner’. The practice hours include 18 hours for inter-professional learning and observation at least TWO different non-TCM health professions.
The objectives of this unit are to: instil in students a desire to achieve excellence in the practice of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine and dispensing; engage in inter-professional practice by working collaboratively with other health care practitioners; and to contribute to improving both the quality of life of patients and the wellbeing of the wider community.
During their supervised clinical practice in the SITCM Teaching Clinic, the Student Practitioner must complete 120 treatments using an equal percentage of both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treatments. The range of treatments during this time should Internal Medicine (a minimum of 30 treatments), Traumatology (a minimum of 30 treatments); and Gynaecology (a minimum of 15 treatments).
Supervised clinical training at Level 4 is focused on performing consultation processes under the watchful eye of a clinical supervisor. Students record case histories, report to, and synthesise relevant information for, their supervisor, formulate diagnoses and justify treatment plans, seek advice from their supervisor(s), perform treatments using acupuncture, moxibustion, gua-sha, cupping, and/or herbal medicine, record details of each treatment, advise patients, and evaluate and critique their client work with their supervisor(s).
During the 18 hours for inter-professional practice, students participate in a range of on- and off-campus activities with other health care professional practitioners representing the full spectrum of health care providers (e.g. medical practitioners (GPs), physiotherapists, chiropractors, psychologists, Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander health practitioners, etc.):

  • When off-campus (compulsory: 9-18 hours) students arrange to visit, observe, and interact with approved professional health care practitioners from other disciplines at their clinics in at least TWO different non-TCM health professions. Students may engage with them regarding consultations and treatment options, discuss advantage and limit of different treatment approaches, and contribute insights from the TCM standpoint and TCM treatment options.
  • When on-campus (optional: 0-9 hours) professional health practitioners from other disciplines are invited to the SITCM campus to provide students with an informal or formal workshops on their health care approaches and to lead discussions and other forms of interactions using presentations, interaction activities, discussions and/or the analysis of case studies.
Learning outcomes On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

  1. Conduct a comprehensive problem-focused interview and physical examination using effective communication that empowers the patient in the decision-making and management process.
  2. Analyse collated and recorded clinical information to make appropriate and ethical decisions about TCM diagnosis and TCM treatment plans in a judicious manner according to the patient’s needs and on-going response to the treatment.
  3. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of TCM practice scope; various Chinese medicine strategies; the results of TCM treatments; and the need for modification of treatment plans, necessary referral, inter-professional collaboration and patient advocacy.
  4. Critique individual and/or peer practice through ongoing reflection, including adherence to relevant NSQHS standards and the CMBA’s Code of Conduct, policies, codes, guidelines and fundamental legal responsibilities to provide safe and competent TCM practice with cultural sensitivity.
  5. Demonstrate the appropriate application of TCM treatments, herbal prescriptions, processing and dispensing, patient education, quality use of herbal medicines, risk management of interactions between therapeutic approaches and between herbal and pharmaceutical medicines, reporting of any incidents or adverse events, and delivering prompt first aid.
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