Inherent requirements for health professional education courses

How to read the inherent requirements statements

If you are intending to enrol in the Graduate Certificate in Health Professional Education or Graduate Diploma in Health Professional Education or Master of Health Professional Education course in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine (SoNMP), you should look at these inherent requirements statements and think about whether you may experience challenges in meeting these requirements.

If you think you may experience challenges for any reason including a disability or chronic health condition, you should discuss your concerns with relevant staff, such as the Course Coordinator or Campus Disability Advisor. These staff can work collaboratively with you to determine reasonable adjustments to assist you in meeting the course inherent requirements. In the case where it is determined that inherent requirements cannot be met with reasonable adjustments, University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.

These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other course information.

The inherent requirements are made up of the following five components:

Level 1 - introduction to the inherent requirement

Level 2 - description of how you demonstrate that you meet the inherent requirement

Level 3 - explanation of why this is an inherent requirement of the course

Level 4 - the nature of any adjustments that may be made to allow you to meet the requirement

Level 5 - examples of tasks you must be able to do to show you have met the requirement (in-class and clinical/professional placement). The exemplars provided are not intended to be an exhaustive list.

Introduction

Australian Catholic University and the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine (SoNMP) strongly supports the right of all people to pursue Graduate Certificate in Health Professional Education or Graduate Diploma in Health Professional Education or Master of Health Professional Education.

Inherent requirements are the essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of the course or unit, while preserving the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes. The inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete the course that must be met by all students.

Students with a disability or chronic health condition may be able to have reasonable adjustments made to enable them to meet these requirements.

The School is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, professional practice and other activities to enable students to participate in their course. Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement.

To support prospective and current students’ decision making, a series of inherent requirements statements have been developed. These statements specify the essential skills, knowledge and abilities required for the Graduate Certificate in Health Professional Education. Students should use this information to make informed decisions about their chosen course of study. The statements are clustered under 11 domains consisting of domain one – ethical behaviour, domain two – behavioural stability, domain three – legal, domain four - communication, domain five - cognition, domain six – reflective skills, domain seven – relational skills, domain eight – sensory ability, domain nine – strength and mobility, domain ten – information and communication technologies, and domain eleven – sustainable performance.

The inherent requirements outlined below provide a guide to inform decision making for students and staff.

Inherent requirement domains

There are 11 domains of inherent requirements in the Graduate Certificate in Health Professional Education or Graduate Diploma in Health Professional Education or Master of Health Professional Education. Domains provide a means by which to cluster the course specific inherent requirements statements. You are required to consider which domains apply to your course.

Ethical Behaviour

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Students in their health professional educator roles are governed by, competency standards, codes of ethics, professional conduct and professional boundaries where they are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts.
2	Student demonstrates knowledge of, and engages in ethical behaviour in practice.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: · Compliance with the codes, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and/or the people with whom they engage. This ensures the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the individual is not placed at risk.
4	Adjustments must ensure the standards, codes, guidelines and policies are not compromised or result in unethical behaviour. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Demonstrating appropriate behaviour with confidential information in academic and professional settings Demonstrating the ability to reflect on ethical dilemmas and issues and take responsibility for ensuring awareness of ethical behaviour

Behavioural Stability

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in educational settings.
2	Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in diverse and challenging academic and educational environments.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: · Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and contemporary educational environments. Students will be exposed to educational situations and will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events.
4	Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic and clinical education settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Responding appropriately to constructive feedback and being able to provide feedback Managing own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with individuals in educational settings

Legal

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Students need to comply with relevant legislation specific to the conduct of their health professional educator role in a variety of settings.
2	Student demonstrates knowledge and compliance with Australian law, professional regulations and scope of practice.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: · Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites to educational settings in order to reduce the risk of harm to self and others · Compliance with these professional regulations and the Australian Law ensures that students are both responsible and accountable for their practice.
4	Adjustments must be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Complying with relevant Work Health and Safety legislation; Adhering to requirements of informed consent, privacy and confidentiality in academic and education settings.

Communication

This course requires effective, verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills.

Verbal

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Effective verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to undertake a health professional educator role.
2	Student demonstrates: · The ability to deliver clear and concise verbal information which enables participants’ understanding · Comprehension of spoken English delivered at conversational speed in an individual, small or large group setting · Communicating in a way that displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships. · Ability to communicate respectfully with people of different gender, sexuality and age, and from diverse cultural, religious, socio-economic and educational backgrounds.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: · The ability to understand and provide a verbal response accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner. · Students should be able to communicate effectively and coherently adapting in diverse learning situations.
4	Adjustments must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure safety in the learning environment. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: · Participating in the delivery of educational sessions in small and large groups · Responding appropriately to a learner’s request for further explanation.

non-verbal

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to education and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgmental.
2	Student demonstrates: · The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues · Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours; · Sensitivity to individual differences.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: · The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic and professional relationships; · Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures promotes the trust and respect necessary to develop effective professional relationships; · Being sensitive to individual differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships · The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for the safe and effective delivery of health education.
4	Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation of or appropriate response to effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: · Recognising non-verbal cues and responding appropriately in education settings; · Displaying appropriate non-verbal gestures in the delivery of presentations.

Written

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Effective written communication in English is fundamental to health education studies.
2	Student demonstrates the capacity to construct and model coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstance.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: · Construction of written text to reflect the required level of scholarship is necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of curriculum, teaching and learning resources · Accurate written communication, including record keeping, is necessary to provide an effective learning environment.
4	Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to facilitate effective planning, delivery, reporting, evaluating and synthesising of information in both educational settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: · Constructing written assessments that comply with academic standards; · Conveying information in a written form effectively to relevant parties in the educational setting

Cognition

This course requires knowledge of theory and the skills of cognition and literacy (language).

Knowledge and cognitive skills

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe, professional and competent educational practice.
2	Student demonstrates: The capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information; The ability to process information relevant to practice; The ability to integrate, reflect on and implement knowledge in educational settings.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Delivery of quality education relies on the understanding and application of theory in practice
4	Adjustments must support the student's ability to acquire, analyse and apply knowledge. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Conceptualising and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items; Identifying and applying knowledge of policy and procedures in educational settings

Literacy (Language)

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Competent English language and literacy skills are essential for professional and effective educational practice.
2	Student demonstrates: The ability to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate messages; Ability to read and comprehend a range of texts for teaching and learning purposes; The capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner.
3	Justification of inherent requirement The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey information is fundamental to educational practice The ability to read, decode, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental for the safe delivery of effective educational practice
4	Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Conveying a spoken message accurately; Competently constructing and sharing a range of texts including digital, written, and visual texts in an educational setting.

Numeracy

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for the conduct of a health professional educator.
2	Student interprets and correctly applies data, measurements and numerical criteria in a range of contexts.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Competent application of numeracy skills is fundamental for effective conduct of a health professional educator.
4	Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Demonstrating competency to collate and analyse student results; Demonstrating effective use of numeracy skills in clinical education settings.

Reflective Skills

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Educational practice requires self-awareness and a capacity for self-reflection in order to consider the effect of one's own actions, values and behaviours on practice.
2	Student demonstrates: The ability to accurately reflect on their professional practice. The ability to accept feedback on their professional practice and respond constructively.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Participation in curriculum teaching and learning activities requires well developed understanding of oneself in order to appropriately engage educational practice
4	Adjustments support the demonstration of reflective practice. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Identifying when a practice issue is outside one's scope of expertise Identifying when one's practice may be negatively affected by personal experience and/or reactions.

Relational Skills

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Educational practice requires the ability to make and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of individuals, groups and communities.
2	Student demonstrates: The ability to display empathy when engaging with colleagues, professional and academic staff. The ability to establish and maintain rapport with people in a variety of educational settings. Ability to engage and relate appropriately in individual and group educational sessions
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Highly developed relational skills are a cornerstone of effective relationships that permit effective educational practice.
4	Adjustments must support the student's ability to demonstrate effective relational skills across a range of tasks. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Build rapport with other students in order to engage them in collaborative learning environments; Effectively managing challenges arising in the online and face-to-face environments while engaging in learning and teaching activities.

Sensory Ability

This course requires adequate visual and auditory ability.

Visual

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective supervision of relevant people in a range of educational settings.
2	Student demonstrates sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills and be able to provide effective supervision in the educational setting.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Sufficient visual acuity is necessary to demonstrate the required range of skills, tasks and assessments; Visual observations, examinations and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective educational practice
4	Adjustments must address the need to perform the required range of tasks involved in the educational setting and not compromise the delivery of teaching and learning activities. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Manipulating a range of resources; Supervision of teaching and learning activities in the educational setting.

Auditory

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Auditory ability is required to provide safe and effective educational practice.
2	Student demonstrates sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Sufficient auditory ability is necessary to assess, manage and monitor individuals’ learning needs consistently and accurately.
4	Adjustments must support the students’ ability to assess, manage and monitor individuals’ learning needs in the educational setting. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Respond to a classroom question in an effective and accurate manner Participates in a small group discussion, comprehending verbal interactions and patterns appropriately

Strength and Mobility

This course requires strength and mobility involving fine and gross motor skills.

Gross motor skills

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Participation in physical activities and movement is required to function effectively in community and educational settings.
2	Student demonstrates the ability to move and perform gross motor function within the scope of practice.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise care; Tasks that involve gross motor skills include sitting, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, twisting and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others
4	Adjustments must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate education and care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Setting up safe learning environments with resources and equipment; Safely retrieving, moving and using large pieces of equipment.

Fine motor skills

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Health professional education is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills.
2	Student demonstrates the ability to use fine motor skills to provide safe effective education and care.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise care; Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to grasp and manipulate various objects. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others.
4	Adjustments must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate education and care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Recording, observing, documenting, and clearly modelling the use of equipment during demonstrations.

Information and communication technologies

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Competent use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is required for accessing course content and to support contemporary teaching practices including data collection and reporting.
2	Student demonstrates knowledge of, and confidence in, the use of ICT in academic, professional and curriculum context.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Use of ICTs are necessary to provide an effective teaching and learning environment consistent with current pedagogy.
4	Adjustments must enable the student to demonstrate a capacity to comprehend, interpret and apply ICT. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Utilising appropriate ICTs to communicate with peers and lecturer and to gather information in accomplishing academic tasks; Using ICTs for accurate, responsive and diligent reports, student profiles, record keeping, lesson presentation material, curriculum plans, assessment and evaluations.

Sustainable Performance

Level	Inherent requirement statement
1	Students require both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level over appropriate time frames to meet the course outcomes.
2	Student demonstrates: Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner; The ability to perform all required activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately; The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of professional work.
3	Justification of inherent requirement: Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in varying periods of time to provide safe and effective participation in all teaching, field, and professional activities.
4	Adjustments must enable consistent and sustained performance over a given period. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.
5	Exemplars: Preparing for and participating in formal and informal education programs and professional experience; Providing consistent supervision, education/instruction and to relevant parties over a designated timeframe.