Practice Management & Professional Issues

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: 2
Number of personal study hours per week: 8
Total workload hours per week: 10
Prerequisites PRI104 Communication in Health and ACU302 Acupuncture Microsystems
Academic Details
Description Chinese medicine practitioners, especially entry-level practitioners, are required to adhere to professional, legal and statutory requirements to ensure safe TCM practice. This unit guides and informs year-four students about current requirements and procedures involved in establishing and maintaining a private TCM practice, and about the values, attributes, and conduct requirements of a qualified and professional TCM practitioner.
Throughout the unit students learn about the professional, legal, ethical, interpersonal, financial, organisational and registration issues that must be taken into account in a professional practice. Students reflect critically on the responsibilities of registered practitioners in the Australian healthcare context and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of safe and sensitive client care, workplace health and safety requirements, infectious control procedures, and the safe Chinese herbal medicine practice. Students are also acquainted with an overview of medical sociology and the principles and practice of public health in Australia.
With a focus on critical thinking and deep learning through group discussions, case study analyses, class presentations and debates, the study of this unit also aims to instil in students a desire to achieve excellence in their CM practice of and a commitment to improving the quality of life of patients and the wellbeing of the broader community and the environment.
Learning outcomes On successful completion of this unit of study students will be able to:

  1. Describe the role of government regulators, registration bodies, professional associations, clinics and practitioners in the professional practice of TCM, as well as relevant standards including the NSQHS Standards, CMBA Code of Conduct and guidelines.
  2. Generate a Business Plan for the establishment and management of a TCM practice.
  3. Design processes to ensure safety and quality in a Chinese medicine practice including client service, workplace health and safety, on-going professional development, cultural safety, infection control, quality use of herbal medicines, referrals and adverse event reporting.
  4. Critically analyse controversial health care issues to make clinical decisions based on legal provisions and ethical theories and principles and share the learnings with peers.
  5. Reflect on principles of sociology and public health.
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