This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

OCC4111 - Introduction to hand therapy theory, principles, and practice

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Organisational Unit

Department of Occupational Therapy

Coordinator(s)

Dr Lisa O'Brien

Offered

Peninsula

Summer semester A 2016 (On-campus block of classes)

Synopsis

This unit will take a problem solving/ clinical reasoning approach to the management of upper limb injuries encompassing the acute and recovery phases as well as chronic conditions. It will build on existing knowledge of human structure and function and introduce concepts of tissue injury and repair to enable students to identify appropriate therapeutic strategies, depending on the person's stage in recovery from injury. Students should be able to identify the anatomical structures of the upper limb, and describe their specific functions. These will include bones, articular surfaces, joints, muscles, and nerves. Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in therapeutic assessment and intervention, including the fabrication of thermoplastic orthoses appropriate to complex clinical scenarios including tendon repair, arthritis, peripheral nerve trauma/repair, tenosynovitis, and fractures.

Outcomes

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

Demonstrate knowledge of human hand structure and function, and describe the pathology and healing process in common upper limb injuries/conditions.
Develop and describe intervention strategies (which may include an orthotic device/splint) for clients with specific upper limb injuries, supported with sound clinical reasoning.
Demonstrate skill at the standard required for a beginning practitioner in the manufacture, fit and evaluation of specific orthotic devices for a variety of conditions which affect the occupational performance of specific clients.
Demonstrate competence in searching, describing and summarising (verbally and in writing) the evidence from scientific literature on a specific topic related to hand therapy.

Assessment

Attendance at 100% of lectures/practicums, unless a medical certificate is provided
Submission and critique of all orthoses made
Presentation at a seminar (20 minutes)
1 x 2,000 words essay
1 x 60 minute multiple choice examination

Workload requirements

40 hours attendance in lectures/practicums (block mode), 16 hours seminar attendance (including a 20 minute presentation), one written assignment (2,000 words), one 60 minute multiple choice examination, 60 hours of private study.