Inherent requirements for public health courses

1

Public Health is a discipline guided by professional standards and competencies [link to CAPHIA here] where public health professionals are responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts. Students should demonstrate knowledge and engage in ethical behaviour.

2

Student demonstrates knowledge of and engages in ethical, safe, professional and responsible behaviours in all course-related settings.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Compliance with relevant standards, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and/or the people/products/services they engage with. This ensures the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the individual/community/population is not placed at risk and upholds academic integrity.

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 classroom and community/placement settings.
• Demonstrating the ability to reflect on ethical dilemmas and issues and take responsibility for ensuring awareness of ethical behaviour.

1

Behavioural, emotional and functional stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in a challenging roles.

2

Student demonstrates

• consistent and appropriate awareness (and control) of own behaviours and emotions and their potential impact on others
• behavioural, emotional and functional stability in diverse, challenging, stressful, unpredictable, changing and challenging environments

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Behavioural, emotional and functional stability is required to work individually and in teams in challenging, stressful, unpredictable environments. Students must be able to work constructively in socially and culturally diverse academic and professional environments. These may include lectures, tutorials and during practical placements.

4

Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional in all course-related activities.
Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.

5

Exemplars:

• Respond appropriately and professionally to stressful situations and issues.
• Work constructively in culturally and socially diverse groups while dealing with challenging practical issues.

1

Public Health work integrated learning practice requires adherence to specific legal and regulatory requirements to ensure safety for students and staff and consumers at agencies.

2

Student demonstrates knowledge and compliance with mandatory pre-placement requirements within Faculty of Health Sciences.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites to placements to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.
• Compliance with these professional regulations ensures that students are both responsible and accountable for their practice.

4

Adjustments must be consistent with mandatory pre-placement requirements. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.

5

Exemplars:

• Complying with relevant child protection and safety legislation.

1

Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide appropriate and timely advice, instructions and feedback related to the study and practice of public health.

2

Student demonstrates

• sensitive, respectful and appropriate verbal communication with people from diverse cultures, gender, sexuality, age, ability, socio-economic, religious, educational and individually different backgrounds
• ability to comprehend and respond audibly, as appropriate, in an intelligible, appropriate and timely manner
• timely and effective verbal feedback and reporting in all course-related settings.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Communicating with respect and empathy for others develops trusting relationships
• Timely, accurate and effective delivery of public health information is critical to individual/group and community development.

4

Adjustments must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure safe and appropriate provision of work activities related to practice as a public health professional.

Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.

5

Exemplars:

• Actively participating in tutorial and practical discussions.
• Responding appropriately to requests in the community/placement environment.
• Establish rapport with individuals/groups in a community/placement environment.

1

Effective non-verbal communication is a requirement for the study and practice of public health.

2

Student demonstrates

• sensitive, respectful and appropriate non-verbal communication with people from diverse cultures, gender, sexuality, age, ability, socio-economic, religious, educational and individually different backgrounds
• the capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues
  the ability to maintain constant and as appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, posture and personal space
• consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours, modifying these where the situation requires

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 as appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures promotes trust in academic and 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 safe and effective interaction with indiviudals and groups within communities.

4

Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation and appropriate response for effective communication to ensure safe and appropriate provision of work activities related practice as a public health professional.

Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.

5

Exemplars:

• Interpreting and responding appropriately to cues in the community/placement environment
• Establish rapport with individuals/groups in a community/placement environment.

1

Effective, appropriate and efficient written communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide appropriate and timely advice, instructions and feedback related to the study and practice of public health

2

Student demonstrates

• sensitive, respectful and appropriate written communication with people from diverse cultures, gender, sexuality, age, ability, socio-economic, religious, educational and individually different backgrounds
• ability to comprehend and respond in a written format, as appropriate, in an intelligible, appropriate and timely manner
• timely and effective written responses/feedback and reporting in all course-related settings
• use of appropriate grammar and vocabulary relevant to task

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Comprehension of a range of information relevant to an academic/professional environment is critical for the study of public health
• Communicating with respect and empathy for others develops trusting relationships
• Timely, accurate and effective delivery of public health information is critical to individual/group and community development.

4

Adjustments must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy of issues to ensure safe and appropriate provision of work activities related to practice as a public health professional.

Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.

5

Exemplars:

• Clear, concise and accurate written reports/assessment tasks.
• Respectful and professional written communication in academic and professional settings.

1

Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and competent practice as a public health professional.

2

Student demonstrates

• The capacity to source appropriate and relevant information.
• To interpret information relevant to practice.
• The ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

High quality competent public health practice involving simulation of complex information from multiple sources.

4

Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills display cultural, religious and political sensitivities. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.

5

Exemplars:

• Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.
• Appropriately applying knowledge of policy and procedures in public health contexts.

1

Competent literacy skills are essential to communicate as a public health professional in an appropriate manner.

2

Student demonstrates

• The ability to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate, effective messages.
• Ability to read, interpret and comprehend a range of literature and information.
• 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 messages is necessary to ensure competency as a public health professional.
• The ability to read, analyse, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of information is necessary for competency as a public health professional.

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:

• Demonstrates the ability to contribute to public health discussions in written form.
• Demonstrates ability to paraphrase, summarise and reference in accordance with appropriate academic conventions.

1

Competent numeracy skills are essential for effective public health practice.

2

Student demonstrates ability to interpret, analyse and apply data, measurements and numerical criteria.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Competent application of numeracy skills is essential in public health practice to ensure accurate interpretation of data.

4

Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and applications appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.

5

Exemplars:

• Interpretation of visual distributions, graphs and numerical data.
• Reporting results of statistical analyses and quantitative literacy for applied public health problems.

1

Competent information and communication technology skill is essential for practice in public health professionals

2

Student demonstrates

• the ability to engage with academic and professional staff, peers, university systems, learning resources and assessment tools using current digital technology
• the ability to use appropriate current technology in completion of activities

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Safe, appropriate and effective practice as a public health professional requires the ability to effectively use a range of information and communication technologies suitable for academic and professional environments.

4

Adjustments must ensure that safey of self and others is not compromised or impeded. Strategies to address ICT related impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise completion of assessment tasks, community engagement or work placement requirements. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.

5

Exemplars:

• Access library resources to develop skills in podcast development, prepare podcast and submit online in an appropriate format and timely manner

1

Public Health practice requires emotional, physical and mental health at a consistent and sustained level.

2

Student demonstrates

• Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task over time.
• The ability to maintain a level of concentration and remain focused on an activity to completion.
• The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of time.

3

Justification of inherent requirement:

• Sufficient emotional, physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform as a public health professional.

4

Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period of time. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Campus Disability Advisor.

5

Exemplars:

• Participating in tutorials, lectures, workshops and work placement requirements.
• Perform consistently as a public health professional to achieve desired outcomes.