Postgraduate - CourseMaster of Advanced Health Care Practice

NOTE: This course has had one or more changes made to it since publication on 1 October 2014. For details of changes, please consult the Handbook change registerHandbook change register (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2015handbooks/2015-change-register.html).

This course is a collaborative effort between the School of Primary Health Care, the School of Rural Health, and the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences. It will equip experienced health care practitioners with the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges that beset the modern health care system, and will provide graduate health practitioners with an academic framework within which to develop a range of advanced problem-solving and decision making skills to achieve best practice health outcomes for patients and clients.

Specialisations available in this course include:

• Clinical midwifery
• CT radiography
• Occupational therapy
• Paediatric physiotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Radiography
• Rural health.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that graduates will be able to:

• practice ethically, respectfully and collaboratively within legislative and professional boundaries at advanced levels of practice
• demonstrate mastery of a discipline specific body of knowledge and a range of research informed skills which supports advanced practice
• design and justify advanced research informed health care interventions for a range of patients and clients including primary, community and rural health care settings
• evaluate the effectiveness of complex health care interventions using quantitative and qualitative research tools
• apply critical thinking skills to the implementation of appropriate communication strategies both within the workplace and beyond that will influence and support advanced practice
• demonstrate effective and strategic research, problem-solving, organisational and teamwork skills that reflect advanced practice
• empower patients, clients and carers to become knowing and willing partners in the health care intervention
• implement culturally competent clinical practice, leadership, supervision and or management roles with the relevant health care setting
• initiate new or innovative approaches to the delivery of health care that are research informed
• effectively implement and critically evaluate technological advancements in health care to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes.

This course consists of core and elective units.

Students complete one of the following structures as determined by any credit for prior studies granted according to their entry qualifications:

• Structure 1: 72 points over one and a half years full-time, or part-time equivalent
• Structure 2: 48 points over one year full-time, or part-time equivalent.

Note: Students whose entry qualifications mean they are only required to complete the 48 point course structure may elect not to receive credit and complete the 72 credit-point option if they choose.

All students must complete a minimum of 48 credit points at level 5, and so should take care when choosing between units offered at level 4 and 5 (where their option permits this).

Units are 12 credit points unless otherwise stated.

Structure 1 - 72 credit points

All students must complete:

Masters core

(A.) core advanced healthcare practice course-grouped studies (48 points) comprising:

(1.) a core unit (12 points):

• MAP5003 Essentials of advanced health care practice and research

(2.) an advanced healthcare practice specialisation in either a research or coursework* stream in one of the specialisations outlined below (36 points)

* Only the research stream is available in the rural health specialisation.

Research stream

(a.) research stream students complete the following core units with a focus on topics relevant to their chosen specialisation:

• MAP5000 Research in advanced health professional practice
• MAP5001 Advanced health practice research project
• MAP5002 Minor thesis

Coursework stream

(b.) coursework stream students complete core units as outlined under 'Specialisations' below (36 points)

Application of knowledge and skills

(B.) elective units in the student's chosen specialisation as outlined under 'Specialisations' below (24 points)

Structure 2 - 48 credit points

Students must complete from the requirements listed in Structure 1 above:

• the core unit in (A.1.) and the core elements described for the chosen specialisation and stream from (2.a or 2.b.)

Specialisations

Clinical midwifery

Students undertaking this specialisation must be able to attend in on-campus mode.

Core coursework stream units

All coursework stream students must complete (36 points):

• GHS5850 Nursing leadership and management
• MID5005 Advanced midwifery practice
• NUR5204 Education for health care practice

Application of knowledge and skills units

Students required to complete the 72-point course option must complete 24 points from the following units:

• MPH5268 Financial issues in health care management (6 points)
• MPH6004 Health leadership and management (6 points)
• NUR5112 Nursing practice in the Australian healthcare context*
• NUR5209 Education program development
• NUR5214 Advanced therapeutic interaction in nursing

* Available for AusAid international students only.

CT radiography

Core coursework stream units

All coursework stream students must complete (36 points):

• RAD5105 Pathology for advanced radiography and CT practice (6 points)
• RAD5106 Medical imaging data management and health informatics (6 points)
• RAD5107 Hybrid and molecular imaging (6 points)
• RAD5110 Advanced CT radiography and clinical decision-making 1
• RAD5111 Advanced CT radiography and clinical decision-making 2 (6 points)

Application of knowledge and skills units

Students required to complete the 72-point course option must complete:

• RAD4500 Multislice CT and evidence based practice (6 points)
• RAD4501 MRI Imaging and evidence based practice (6 points)
• RAD4502 Principles of general radiography image interpretation (6 points)

and one of:

• SRH5000 Health and health care practices for communities (6 points)
• SRH5001 Research methods in health (6 points)
• SRH5016 Interprofessional rural health practice (6 points)
• SRH5032 Applied research for health practitioners (6 points)

Occupational therapy

Core coursework stream units

All coursework stream students must complete (36 points):

• OCC5111 Advanced hand therapy theory, principles, and practice (6 points)
• OCC5121 Advanced adaptive and assistive technology (6 points)
• OCC5131 Advanced assessment of children: Methods, policy, ethics and issues (6 points)
• OCC5141 Occupational therapy for children with a disability and their families (6 points)
• OCC5161 Human occupation and health (6 points)

plus 6 points from:

• PHC5011 Complexity of care in a community setting
• PHC5012 Community based palliative care for health practitioners
• SRH5000 Health and health care practices for communities
• SRH5001 Research in health
• SRH5005 Alcohol and other drug related issues in rural communities
• SRH5016 Interprofessional health practice
• SRH5032 Applied research for health practitioners

Application of knowledge and skills units

Students required to complete the 72-point course option must complete 24 points of electives from the following:

• PHC5002 Service development and quality improvement in primary health care (6 points)
• PHC5003 Healthy aging (6 points)
• PHC5011 Complexity of care in a community setting (6 points)
• PHC5012 Community based palliative care for health practitioners (6 points)
• SRH5000 Health and health care practices for communities (6 points)
• SRH5001 Research in health (6 points)
• SRH5003 Designing and conducting health research (6 points)
• SRH5005 Alcohol and other drug related issues in rural communities (6 points)
• SRH5016 Interprofessional health practice (6 points)
• SRH5021 Interprofessional health project (6 points)
• SRH5032 Applied research for health practitioners (6 points)

Paediatric physiotherapy

Core coursework stream units

All coursework stream students must complete (36 points):

• PTY5100 Enhancing skills in paediatric physiotherapy (6 points)
• PTY5101 Advancing skills in paediatric physiotherapy: Cerebral palsy (6 points)
• PTY5102 Advancing skills in paediatric physiotherapy: Neonates and infants (6 points)
• PTY5104 Advancing skills in paediatric physiotherapy: Complex and chronic conditions (6 points)
• PTY5105 Advanced paediatric clinical skills and project

or students may replace one of the above 6-point core units with one of the following:

• OCC5131 Advanced assessment of children: Methods, policy, ethics and issues (6 points)
• OCC5141 Occupational therapy for young children with a disability and their families (6 points)

Application of knowledge and skills units

Students required to complete the 72-point course option must complete 24 points of electives from the following:

• SRH5000 Health and health care practices for communities (6 points)
• SRH5001 Research in health (6 points)
• SRH5003 Designing and conducting health research (6 points)
• SRH5005 Alcohol and other drug related issues in rural communities(6 points)
• SRH5016 Interprofessional health practice (6 points)
• SRH5021 Interprofessional health project (6 points)
• SRH5032 Applied research for health practitioners (6 points)
• PHC5002 Service development and quality improvement in primary health care (6 points)
• PHC5003 Healthy aging (6 points)
• PHC5011 Complexity of care in a community setting (6 points)
• PHC5012 Community based palliative care for health practitioners (6 points)
• PTY5103 Principles of paediatric physiotherapy (6 points)

Radiation therapy

Core coursework stream units

All coursework stream students must complete (36 points):

• RTP5101 Patient care, assessment and evidence based practice in radiation therapy
• RTP5102 Current issues in radiation therapy service delivery
• RTP5103 Contemporary approaches to radiation therapy of the breast, or RTP5104 Advanced imaging for radiation therapy

Application of knowledge and skills units

Students required to complete the 72-point course option must complete:

• RTP4101 Professional issues in radiation therapy 1 (6 points)
• RTP4102 Professional issues in radiation therapy 2 (6 points)
• RTP4103 Specialised techniques in radiation therapy

Radiography

Core coursework stream units

All coursework stream students must complete (36 points):

• RAD5105 Pathology for advanced radiography and CT practice (6 points)
• RAD5106 Medical imaging data management and health informatics (6 points)
• RAD5107 Hybrid and molecular imaging (6 points)
• RAD5108 Advanced general radiography and clinical decision making 1
• RAD5109 Advanced general radiography and clinical decision making 2 (6 points)

Application of knowledge and skills units

Students required to complete the 72-point course option must complete:

• RAD4500 Multislice CT and evidence based practice (6 points)
• RAD4501 MRI Imaging and evidence based practice (6 points)
• RAD4502 Principles of general radiography image interpretation (6 points)

and one of:

• SRH5000 Health and health care practices for communities (6 points)
• SRH5001 Research methods in health (6 points)
• SRH5016 Interprofessional rural health practice (6 points)
• SRH5032 Applied research for health practitioners (6 points)

Rural health

Note: Students can only complete the research stream in the masters core element for this specialisation.

Application of knowledge and skills units

Students required to complete the 72-point course option must complete 24 points of electives from the following:

• PHC5002 Service development and quality improvement in primary health care (6 points)
• PHC5003 Healthy aging (6 points)
• PHC5011 Complexity of care in a community setting (6 points)
• PHC5012 Community based palliative care for health practitioners (6 points)
• SRH5000 Health and health care practices for communities (6 points)
• SRH5001 Research in health (6 points)
• SRH5003 Designing and conducting health research (6 points)
• SRH5005 Alcohol and other drug related issues in rural communities (6 points)
• SRH5016 Interprofessional health practice (6 points)
• SRH5021 Interprofessional health project (6 points)
• SRH5032 Applied research for health practitioners (6 points)

Master of Advanced CT Radiography Practice
Master of Advanced Clinical Midwifery Practice
Master of Advanced Occupational Therapy Practice
Master of Advanced Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice
Master of Advanced Radiation Therapy Practice
Master of Advanced Radiography Practice
Master of Advanced Rural Health Practice

The actual award conferred may depend on units/majors/streams/specialisations studied, the level of academic merit achieved, or other factors relevant to the individual student's program of study.