Overview
This final work integrated learning unit further builds on the knowledge, skills and professional behaviour developed during the course. Theoretical and technical knowledge will be applied to a professional work environment in a specialised field of diagnostic Medical Laboratory Science. You will perform technical skills and analyse the outcomes to meet the competency and skill required of an entry-level Medical Laboratory Scientist. You will perform, and reflect on, safe operations and quality management in the medical laboratory, with due regard for legislation, regulation and accreditation. Behavioural aspects of professional practice are emphasised and you are expected to reflect on your own communication, decision-making and team-work skills. Critical appraisal of performance will enable you to attain competency in your professional, technical and analytical skills.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-Requisites: LMED28001 Chemical Pathology 1 AND LMED28002 Haematopathology 1 AND LMED28003 Immunopathology 1 AND LMED28004 Infectious Diseases 1 AND LMED29002 Anatomical Pathology 1 AND LMED29001 Genomic Pathology 1 AND LMED29003 Transfusion and Transplantation Medicine 1. AND Co-Requisite: LMED29008 Clinical Placement 1
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 12-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
- Apply knowledge of pathology, laboratory medicine procedures and quality management to demonstrate competency as a Medical Laboratory Scientist as per the competency standards of the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
- Integrate and interpret laboratory data from various sources to solve problems, inform decisions and provide advice to other health professionals
- Behave professionally using appropriate interpersonal skills relevant to diagnostic pathology practice in accordance with the competency standards of the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
- Evaluate new, or adapted, laboratory protocols and procedures to enhance efficiency and efficacy of diagnostic testing in a medical science laboratory.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 0% | ||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 0% | ||||
| 3 - Professional Practice Placement - 0% | ||||
| 4 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 0% | ||||
| 5 - Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) - 0% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||
| 4 - Research | ||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- ZOOM
- Teams
- SONIA (Online)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Vancouver
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
g.burchall@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
You will attend and complete 350 hours of clinical placement within this unit.
You will have already done 210 hours in Clinical Placement 1.
Together these will give you your total required clinical placement hours of 560.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
The actual placement schedule will differ for each student.
Placements will be arranged for each individual student by liaison with the School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences Clinical Placement Coordinator and the WIL officer via the Sonia Placement system.
Zoom 'Drop-in/Q&A' sessions will be scheduled at regular intervals throughout the placement period to allow for contact with students whilst on placement. A placement site visit/s or teleconference will also be arranged early in your placement period (at approx. 4-6 weeks into your placement) and, if required, in the second half if your placement by the placement coordinator to discuss your placement progress with your Clinical supervisor and yourself.
Contact information:
The Unit Coordinator for this unit is A/P Genia Burchall and she can be contacted via e-mail, g.burchall@cqu.edu.au.
Professional Behaviour and Uniform:
On your placement you are representing yourself, the University and the profession so professional behaviour is required and expected at all times.
Before commencing placement you will have attended a compulsory pre-placement preparation session (online), where you received relevant information to best support you in preparing for placement, including key aspects of professional behaviour you are expected to show and sustain during your full professional placement period.
Before commencing placement you were expected to purchase the appropriate student uniform from the CQUniversity Bookshop. Please continue to wear the appropriate uniform throughout the placement period. Black or navy long pants should be worn with the polo shirt and enclosed shoes are also required. Ensure that you have a current student ID card, and also a clear badge holder from an office supply store to fit your ID card. Place your student ID card into the badge holder and wear this as your name identifier during the full placement period.
Absenteeism: Work placement is an integral part of the course. If you are unable to attend your scheduled placement for any reason, please advise the Work Integrated Learning Officers of the School of Health, Medical and Applied Science as soon as possible before the start of the scheduled placement.
Medical certificates and illness during placement: In case you are unable to attend any part of your placement due to sickness, please submit a medical or health related certificate to the Unit Coordinator as soon as practical (& ensure you communicate with your Clinical supervisor in the laboratory as soon as possible, preferably on the morning of the day you cannot attend, to indicate you are unwell). Medical or health-related certificates must be in the approved formats articulated in the CQUniversity Assessment Policy and Procedure (HE Coursework).
In the event that your condition could harm or negatively impact either yourself or those around you (e.g. put you at risk of exacerbating an injury, or pass on viral or bacterial infections to other students and staff) you will be sent home and you will need to provide acceptable medical documentation for your absence, as stated above.
Students who are sick and / or injured and cannot attend work placement, in addition to notifying the Unit Coordinator and their Work Placement Supervisor, and submitting a medical certificate (to the Unit Coordinator via email), will also need to make alternative arrangements to complete the remaining hours of work placement that are missed, after consultation with the placement provider and the Unit Coordinator.
Assessment Submission:
All assessments are to be submitted as noted in the Unit Profile and/or in Moodle under Assessment Tasks; failure to submit by the due date will incur a late submission penalty.
For Assessment Task: Competencies Based Standards for Medical Scientists (Portfolio - Part 2) - If this assessment task does not meet the minimum standard for a pass you will be given one opportunity to re-submit the assessment (or relevant competency their-in where the min standard was not met) following the provision of feedback.
A final fail grade for any assessment task (with a minimum pass mark requirement) will result in an overall fail for the unit.
1 Practical Assessment
As part of this assessment you will have the opportunity to submit draft/s of your remaining Portfolio Competencies related to the Clinical Placement 2 unit (Units 4-10 - Elements 4.1-4.4, 5.1-5.4, 6.1-6.5, 7.1-7.4, 8.1-8.4, 9.1-9.4, 10.1-10.4 competency-based standards) and receive feedback where improvements are needed.
No Assessment Criteria
- Apply knowledge of pathology, laboratory medicine procedures and quality management to demonstrate competency as a Medical Laboratory Scientist as per the competency standards of the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
2 Practical Assessment
Based on the documents ‘Competency Based Standards for Medical Scientists, 2009’ and the ‘Scope of Practice of the Scientific Workforce of the Pathology Laboratory’ we have mapped the scope of practice and the competency-based standards to the two Work Integrated Learning/Clinical Placement units in the Master of Laboratory Medicine course.
During your Master of Laboratory Medicine you will need to complete two Clinical Placement units: Clinical Placement 1 and Clinical Placement 2, with a combined total of five hundred and sixty (560) hours duration. Each placement has been constructed to be aligned with the Competency Based Standards for Medical Scientists (2009) and tasks and activities are designed to assess you against these standards; Units 1-3 (Elements 1.1-1.6, 2.1-2.3, 3.1-3.4) will have been assessed in the Clinical Placement 1 Unit, while Units 4-10 - Elements 4.1-4.4, 5.1-5.4, 6.1-6.5, 7.1-7.4, 8.1-8.4, 9.1-9.4, 10.1-10.4, will be assessed here in the Clinical Placement 2 Unit.
Complete the competency Based Standards to a minimum grade of 50%
- Apply knowledge of pathology, laboratory medicine procedures and quality management to demonstrate competency as a Medical Laboratory Scientist as per the competency standards of the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
3 Professional Practice Placement
Performance Evaluation/Appraisal while out on Practical Placement:
The Clinical Placement Supervisor is required to complete two (2) 'Evaluation of Student Performance' forms, one at the mid-point (midpoint evaluation) that would have been completed and submitted within the Clinical Placement 1 unit; and the other at the completion of your placement, final endpoint evaluation, that is assessed here during Clinical Placement 2.
The evaluation forms are available online with the link provided by the Clinical Placements Officer at CQUniversity.
Your Supervisor should discuss your evaluation with you prior to submission.
End-point/Final Performance Evaluation/Appraisal while out on Practical Placement
Feedback will generally be provided within two (2) weeks of submission.
Supervisor Evaluations
The Supervisor Evaluations are based on your professional behaviour whilst on practical placement and are a 6-point Likert Scale.
Any 'Disagree' or 'Strongly Disagree' evaluations on the first evaluation (Mid-point Performance Evaluation/Appraisal completed during your Clinical Placement 1 by your laboratory supervisor) are to be addressed and improved upon before/by this final evaluation.
Five (5) or more 'Disagree' or 'Strongly Disagree' evaluations on this final evaluation will result in a FAIL.
To pass there must be at least 50% of the final supervisor evaluation as 'Agree' or 'Strongly Agree'.
- Behave professionally using appropriate interpersonal skills relevant to diagnostic pathology practice in accordance with the competency standards of the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
4 Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
The Attendance Record is maintained in Sonia Online and you are required to submit a 'time-sheet' for each attendance. You are required to indicate the start time and finish time and any meal break taken. You must demonstrate attendance for a minimum of 560 hours during the total duration of placement between Clinical Placement 1 and 2; 210h to be completed during Clinical Placement 1 and a further 350h during this Clinical Placement 2 unit.
You are required to attend placement for a minimum of 560 hours across both Clinical Placement units; 210h to be completed during Clinical Placement 1 and 350h during Clinical Placement 2.
- Apply knowledge of pathology, laboratory medicine procedures and quality management to demonstrate competency as a Medical Laboratory Scientist as per the competency standards of the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
- Integrate and interpret laboratory data from various sources to solve problems, inform decisions and provide advice to other health professionals
5 Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)
Students will receive training in a broad range of activates, tests, methods, instrumentation procedures and other requirements while out on clinical placement as a trainee medical scientist. Evidence of this training will be added to the laboratory's standard training schedule (used for qualified medical scientists) where the student is undertaking their placement. Completion of this training schedule can be, and will be encouraged, to be undertaken on a regular basis (as the training takes place), or completed at regular intervals. Once a student has achieved competency in a task/procedure/method etc where they received training, then this can be noted on the same training schedule (including an indication of both the date of competency achievement and the method used to assess competency ie Direct observation, etc). The range of training requirements is expected to vary between one laboratory to another and one discipline of Laboratory Medicine to another where a student is undertaking their placement, however laboratory supervisors are encouraged to train students in a broad range of tasks/procedures/methods equivalent to what a qualified Medical Scientist may receive training, noting that placement students are not permitted to undertake some actions ie authorise final results (but can certainly receive training in this authorisation process). It is expected that students will become competent in a min of 80% of tasks/procedures/methods etc they have received training before the end of their laboratory placement period. It should be noted here that the laboratory supervisor/s may indicate 'Not applicable' for certain tasks/procedures/methods etc where a student received training but also where they believe a student cannot achieve competence in the timeframe they are on placement. Students will be required to demonstrate knowledge and skill of key clinical, technical and professional attributes of a Medical Laboratory Scientist they will have acquired during both the placement period and the course overall.
Students much achieve 80% competency in tasks/methods/procedures for which training was received on placement (where competency is achievable in the timeframe a student is on placement - 560h).
- Apply knowledge of pathology, laboratory medicine procedures and quality management to demonstrate competency as a Medical Laboratory Scientist as per the competency standards of the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
- Integrate and interpret laboratory data from various sources to solve problems, inform decisions and provide advice to other health professionals
- Evaluate new, or adapted, laboratory protocols and procedures to enhance efficiency and efficacy of diagnostic testing in a medical science laboratory.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
