Year

2023

Credit points

10

Campus offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit

Prerequisites

EXSC676 Cancer Rehabilitation I : Exercise and Survivorship , EXSC677 Cancer Rehabilitation II : Advanced Exercise Therapy

Unit rationale, description and aim

Clinical exercise physiologists working in an oncology context are required to demonstrate ethical, legal, and evidence-based decision-making. Clinicians will often be working in a multi-disciplinary setting and encounter patients, carers and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. In this unit you will examine the role and responsibilities that face the exercise professional in a clinical setting. Emphasis is placed on understanding and applying ethical, legal, and evidence-based decision-making in clinical exercise physiology practice. This unit provides a capstone experience in which you will be applying the hands-on skills learned in previous units.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Demonstrate an ability to use evidence and other sources of information to inform and evaluate clinical practice (GA3, GA4, GA5, GA8, GA10) 

LO2 - Identify and address the ethical and legal responsibilities of the exercise professional in cancer care (GA3, GA4, GA5) 

LO3 - Apply appropriate communication skills and counselling techniques to relate empathetically and professionally with patients and caregivers, representing diverse cultural perspectives and lifespan stages, in an oncology setting (GA6, GA7, GA9) 

LO4 - Formulate advanced practical and interpersonal strategies in a workplace context. (GA5, GA6, GA7, GA9) 

Graduate attributes

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics will include: 

 

  • Sourcing the evidence 
  • Evaluating current practice 
  • Communication and counseling in cancer 
  • Ethical and Legal issues 
  • Practical and interpersonal skills 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Learning and teaching strategies include active learning, individual and group-based (collaborative) activities, peer learning, project-based learning, web-based learning, case-based learning, and reflective/critical thinking activities. The unit is delivered across 12 weeks, comprising online delivery and an intensive, attendance-based component. This range of strategies will provide students with appropriate access to required knowledge and understanding of unit content, and opportunities for their application and skill development in communication, clinical and exercise contexts. These strategies will allow students to meet the aim, learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the unit. Learning and teaching strategies will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively within group activities. 

 

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to best enable students to demonstrate unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, criterion referenced assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. Assessment strategies used include: a workplace project where students apply their new knowledge and understanding of exercise oncology in a workplace setting; an objective structured clinical examination as a capstone course assessment of clinical skills and competence in communication, clinical examination, interpretation of results and exercise prescription.

Overview of assessments

Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment TasksWeightingLearning OutcomesGraduate Attributes

Workplace project 

Requires students to apply their knowledge and understanding of exercise oncology in the workplace, demonstrating their ability to deliver and reflect upon the application of evidence in a clinical setting. 

60%

LO1, LO2 

GA3, GA4, GA5, , GA8, GA10 

Objective structured clinical examination 

Requires students to demonstrate their proficiency in performing specific clinical skills, and their competence in communication, clinical examination, interpretation of results and exercise prescription. 

40% 

LO3, LO4 

GA5, GA6, GA7, GA9 

Representative texts and references

  1. Schmitz KH, Courneya KS, Matthews C, et al. American College of Sports Medicine roundtable on exercise guidelines for cancer survivors. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Jul;42(7):1409-26  
  2. Hayes SC, Spence RR, Galvao DA, et al. Australian Association for Exercise and Sport Science position stand: optimising cancer outcomes through exercise. J Sci Med Sport. 2009 Jul;12(4):428-34.  
  3. Rock CL, Doyle C, Demark-Wahnefried W, et al. Nutrition and physical activity guidelines for cancer survivors. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012 Jul;62(4):242-74  
  4. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology – Survivorship: National Comprehensive Cancer Network Inc.; 2013 

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