FYB2000 Physiotherapy for Health Conditions - I Course description

Physiotherapists come into contact with people with unique life stories and different health conditions. The practice of professionally sound physiotherapy requires knowledge about the progression of illness and how illness affects cells, tissue and organs, as well as how to live with injuries, illnesses and/or loss of function. This course addresses congenital or acquired injuries and illnesses with different prognoses of the nervous system, respiratory system and cardiovascular system. The competence to decide what measures to initiate to strengthen the patient’s health condition and restore functioning and participation is also contingent on the physiotherapist being able to integrate and critically assess knowledge from different sources. Person-centred physiotherapy also requires an understanding of the patient’s life story, perspective, experience and resources, as well as, facilitation for user participation and shared decision making. Through practical training, the students will acquire clinical experience of cooperating with patients.

Passed first year of the programme or equivalent

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence (learning outcomes marked with three asterisks (***) are assessed in connection with the practical training):

Knowledge

The student can

• describe pathological processes in metabolic conditions and for injuries and diseases of the nervous system, respiratory system and cardiovascular system, and describe casual mechanisms and recognise risk factors
• explain different clinical conditions and relate them to injuries and diseases of the nervous system, respiratory system and cardiovascular system

Skills

The student can

• establish an alliance with the patient through cooperation and communication***
• obtain relevant information about the patient’s health condition, personal factors and experience through conversation/subjective assessment and the clinical examination***
• give grounds for the choice of methods of examination and standardised assessment tools for persons in different life phases with injuries or diseases in the nervous system, respiratory system and/or cardiovascular system, and how to apply these.
• discuss and stipulate goals, and plan physiotherapy measures in cooperation with the patient and the practical training supervisor***
• propose and justify treatment- and rehabilitation methods for people with disease/injuries of the nervous system, respiratory system and cardiovascular system, in different life phases and in cooperation with other relevant professional groups
• implement and evaluate planned physiotherapy measures in consultation with the practical training supervisor and explain their clinical reasoning***
• apply knowledge about mastery and utilise the patient’s resources in supervision and measures***
• document information in the patient records in accordance with the line with the Patient Record Regulations, and can adjust the patient records on the basis of the feedback of fellow students and lecturers
• obtain information regarding technical and orthopaedic aids, and, from case histories, justify aid and environmental adaptations to promote movement, activity and participation

General competence

The student can

• obtain research-based knowledge related to a clinical issue
• carry out tasks in line with requirements for professional responsibility, the practical training establishment’s regulations (including clothing, hygiene and infection control) and Norwegian Physiotherapy Association (NFF) work ethics and guidelines***
• identify and reflect on professional and ethical dilemmas on the basis of experience from practical training and discuss the safeguarding of patient rights.

Students must have passed all exams in the first year of study before they can begin the course.

The following must have been approved in order for the student to receive a final assessment in part 3:

• a minimum attendance of 80 % in teaching specified as ‘compulsory attendance’ in the schedule
• an individual oral presentation in accordance with the applicable criteria, up to 7 minutes

Combined assessment

Part 1) Assessment of practical training: The assessment is based on the learning outcomes marked with three asterisks (***) and the continuous assessment that the student is subject to throughout the practical training period. Scope: 60 hours. The student’s practical training can only be assessed if their attendance is sufficiently high (90 %). For more information, see the general part of the programme description about practical training assessment.

Part 2) Supervised individual written exam, multiple choice, 1 hour.

Part 3) Individual oral exam, up to 30 minutes.

The student can receive the final assessment in part 1, part 2 and part 3 independently of each other. The student must pass all parts in order to pass the course.

Weighting: One overall grade is awarded for part 2 and part 3 based on the following weighting: Part 2, individual written exam, is weighted 25 %. Part 3, oral exam, is weighted 75 %.

Resit assessment/exam: If a student fails one part of the exam, they must retake the part in question. If the student fails part 1 (practical training period), they must normally retake the whole practical training period.

Students can appeal the grade awarded for part 2, written exam.

The following must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

• two oral presentations (up to 30 minutes) at the master’s seminars
• project outline with a progress schedule in accordance with specified criteria

Written master’s thesis, individually or in groups of two students, followed by an individual oral exam including a presentation of the thesis, up to 1.5 hours. The master’s thesis can be written as a monograph of up to 80 pages or an article manuscript with a supplementary introductory chapter of up to 45 pages.

The written thesis must be awarded a grade of A-E (preliminary grade) in order for a student to take the oral exam. The final grade is set after the oral exam. The grade can be adjusted up or down by one grade based on the oral exam.

Theses are written in Norwegian or English. The oral exam can be taken in Norwegian or English, regardless of which language the thesis was written in.

Resit exam: If the master’s thesis is awarded the grade F (fail), the student will be given one (1) opportunity to submit a reworked version.

Students can appeal against the grade set for the written part of the exam. If the grade is changed after an appeal against the grade, and the oral exam has already been held, the oral exam must be retaken.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F