module specification

Students are required to undertake supervised clinical placement hours in order to gain eligibility for membership of the professional body. This module aims to provide the framework for students to undertake these hours and to support their development of professional skills in the working environment. The module also enables students to experience work with injured athletes in a variety of sports therapy environments. The module will run over the all three semesters and placement hours may be gained from the initial semester in order to spread the workload of students.
The module aims are:
To provide a framework for enhancing theoretical knowledge and applying professional principles for a sports therapist
To provide an opportunity of working with injured athletes across a variety of sports therapy environments
To familiarise students with the ethical, legal, professional and administrative issues associated with working as a sports therapist
To promote the development of skills required of a sports therapist in the sports therapy environment

ST7050, ST7051, ST7052, ST7053, ST7055, ST7009

The majority of the syllabus for this module will be experiential learning during placement hours.  A number of seminar sessions will be arranged to discuss:
Ethics, legal and professional requirements of a sports therapist and the Society of Sports Therapists
Reporting case notes - orally and in writing
Reflective learning - the relevance to a Sports Therapist. 

Learning Outcomes: 1,2,3,4,5

- Student centred learning – articles, key texts, online resources.
- Sports therapy clinic. All students will spend a period of time working in the clinic where they are supervised by university staff. Learning is experimental and by reflection and discussion in small groups.
- Placements in a variety of sports therapy work environments where they may be supervised assessing, planning and treating a variety of sports injuries. Learning is by discussion and demonstrations. Some of these will be student led seminars where there will be peer feedback on performance.
- Learning will be recorded within the student’s portfolio.
- A number of seminar sessions exploring areas relating to ethics and professional considerations, case notes and therapy related skills.

On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate skills in a sports therapy environment
2. Appreciate the ethical, legal and professional obligations of a graduate sports therapist.
3. Understand what is required to achieve membership of the professional body.
4. Communicate case information succinctly, orally and in writing, to an appropriate audience.
5. Develop skills through personal reflection.

Athlete case study presentation
Within this assessment students are expected to select an injured individual (but FWB), or an individual suffering from recurrent injury, as a subject who takes part in sport and create a clinical profile based on extended all-encompassing subjective and objective findings. Based on these findings students are expected to build an individually tailored treatment and rehabilitation programme supported by contemporary literature and present this process. Presentation will be followed by Viva to ensure students understanding.

Practical assessment
The practical assessment is designed to assess the student’s clinical competence in interpreting case notes and planning sports therapy treatments

Portfolio of Evidence (Placement Hours)
In order to sucessfully pass the module placement hours must be gained as folows (failure to achieve the required number of hours by the assement deadline will result in failure of the module – pass all components configuration):

1. Hands-on (HO) = Minimum 200 hours including minimum 20 HO in the university clinic (CHO)

2. Emergency Aid/Trauma Management Experience (EATME) = Minimum 10 hours within HO

3. Practitioner Observational (PO) and Professional Development Activity (PDA) = Minimum 30 hours

Total: 230 hours

Hour Classifications in Detail

1. Hands-on (HO)* 
Minimum 200 hours

HO refers to all Sports Therapy related practical experience under supervision. For example, taking part in a session whereby practical skills are being applied at some point in an injury realted situation (clinic appointment, pitchside etc.).
A minimum of 20 hours will be appointments within the university Sports Injury Clinic (CHO). 1 hour session length max per patient. All bookings must be entered into the booking system. In the event that the clinic is full and your session is a follow-up rehab session that does not require a plinth, you may email the ML to approve the appointment and formally record it. All sessions must be recorded on the clinic case notes and filed in the clinic cabinet.
A maximum of 50% of your hands-on hours can be non-injury massage related (MHO). MHO are not permitted in the clinic.

*IMPORTANT NOTES FOR HO:
Students must be supervised at all times by a qualified practitioner and all treatment to be administered must be agreed by the qualified practitioner before advice is given to the client.
Supervision means that the supervising therapist must be in a position to act on behalf of the patient if deemed necessary. The Supervisor is not required to sit on your shoulder.

Reflection of hours

Students are required to outline a minimum of 4 specific placement occurrences. Describe the reflective learning process that was achieved during this part of your placement and how this might affect your future competence or abilities as a Sports Therapist.

It is important that this is not written like a diary. The reflection on each occurrence is the key aspect of this work therefore this should not be a running commentary. You may wish to use subheadings to aid structure and clarity for the reader.

As this is a reflective piece, it is not necessary to use references; however, if there is a part that you feel would benefit from a supporting reference then please do so and use the standard Harvard Referencing style.

Andrews, J.R. Harrelson G.L and Wilk, K.E (2012) Physical rehabilitation of the injured athlete, 4th Edition. W.B. Saunders Company, London
Arnheim, D. D and Prentice, W.E (2010) Principles of athletic training (14th edition) WBD McGraw-Hill Boston, USA
Brukner P & Khan K (2012) Clinical Sports Medicine. McGraw Hill
Buschbacher R., Prahlow, N., Dave, S.J. (2008) Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation - A Sports Specific Approach. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN: 0781777453
Fox, J. and Sharp, T. (2007) Practical Electrotherapy: A Guide to Safe Application. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN: 978-0-443-06855-3
Konin, J.G., Wiksten, D.L., Isear, J.A (2006) Special Tests for Orthopaedic Examination (Spiral bound) 3rd ed, Slack Inc, ISBN: 1556427417  
Pargman, D. (2007) Psychological Bases of Sports Injury, 3rd Ed, Fitness Information Technology, ISBN: 1885693753
Prentice. W.E (2010) Rehabilitation techniques in sports medicine, 5th edition. WCB McGraw-Hill, Boston, USA
Palastanga, Field and Soames (2009) Anatomy and Human Movement: Structure and Function (5th Ed). Butterworth and Heinemann
Robertson, V., Ward, A., Low, J. and Reed, A. (2006) Electrotherapy Explained – Principles and Practice. 4th Edition. Butterworth Heinemann. ISBN: 0-7506-8843-2
Watson, T. (Ed) (2008). Electrotherapy – Evidence Based Practice. 12th Edition. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN: 978-0-443-10179-3

Online journal ressources: www.pubmed.com