The purpose of this assessment is to prepare you for the professionalism and documentation responsibilities you will have on clinical placement, as well as take accurate records of your attendance and exposure to different examinations.

Clinical Placement Checklist

The clinical placement checklist ensures that the objectives and parameters of placement are understood by both the student and clinical supervisor(s). This must be completed by your clinical supervisor/s in the first week of your clinical placement and submitted via the unit Moodle site before Friday 8PM AEST/9PM AEDT, week 1 of placement.

Clinical Placement Attendance and Case Log

As a healthcare professional, your attendance is relied upon for the provision of quality patient care. Your absence negatively impacts service delivery and safe patient care. It is expected that you attend 100% of the time during your 5-week clinical placement to achieve the minimum 200 hours of clinical attendance required for this unit.

The placement allocations and dates may be subject to change depending on the ability of the clinical site to facilitate training. All clinical hours completed must be entered into the clinical attendance form. This form must be verified and signed weekly by your clinical supervisor, radiologist or a sonographer delegated by the clinical supervisor with industry-recognised qualifications.

A copy of this form has been emailed to your clinical supervisor, however, please print these forms and read them carefully so you understand the criteria against which they will be evaluated.

Public holidays are included as hours works and eight (8) hours can be logged for each public holiday. These do not need to be made up. Any other time you are away from your clinical site, you must supply a verifiable supporting document (such as medical certificate) to justify your absence. Both the unit coordinator and clinical supervisor must be informed of any absences. Any absences for a part, or all of, a working day (other than sick leave) or variance to the allocated clinical placement block dates are not permitted unless discussed prior with and approved by your unit coordinator and subsequently, by your clinical supervisor. Failure to have approval for leave may result in a fail for this assessment and this unit. A failure in any assessment in MEDS12007 will result in a fail for the unit.

Any absences must be made up after or during the clinical placement (e.g. on weekends, evenings or by extension of rostered hours). You will need to discuss and arrange with your clinical placement site if they can accommodate this for you. If you attend outside of your normal rostered hours, you must still be under direct supervision.

All absences, lateness or early departures must be documented in the clinical placement attendance and case log.

For this clinical placement, you are required to record all ultrasound examinations you have either completed, partially performed or observed. The clinical placement case log serves as a record of the depth and breadth of experience attained during the placement. It demonstrates your skill development within and across examination types. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the clinical placement attendance and case log is maintained and signed off weekly.

Each case will be categorised into one of the following areas: 

·         Abdomen (including renal and male pelvis),

·         Superficial Structures (ie. thyroid, testes, lumps and bumps),

·         Breast (female or male),

·         Obstetrics (ie. first, second, third trimester, etc.) and Gynaecology,

·         Vascular (ie. carotid, DVT, etc.),

·         Musculoskeletal,

·         Other (ie. paediatric, interventional, etc.)

The minimum required hours for MEDS12007 is 200. This is a minimum not a maximum. Some students may require longer clinical placement hours to reach graduate level competency.

The completed clinical placement checklist form must be signed and uploaded to the unit Moodle site before Friday at 8PM AEST/9PM AEDT, at the end of your first week of placement.

• Block 1: Friday, 22 November, 2024
• Block 2: Friday, 10 January, 2025

The clinical attendance and case log should have a minimum of 200 hours of attendance documented. It should include a minimum of five (5) scans in any one of the case log categories by the end of the 5-week placement. The form must be completed in its entirety prior to submission, including collating the total number of hours and providing weekly signatures from your clinical supervisor. Any absences must also be documented.

The completed clinical attendance and case log should be uploaded to the unit Moodle site before Friday at 8 PM AEST/9 PM AEDT, on the last day of your placement block.

• Block 1: Friday, 20 December, 2024
• Block 2: Friday, 7 February, 2025

Any students whose clinical placement dates have been negotiated beyond these dates will be eligible to apply for an extension via the unit Moodle site. 

The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate your performance as an observable indicator of your readiness to eventually become a graduate level sonographer. The criteria examined is that which is required for a sonographer to demonstrate their knowledge and skill to perform in an area of sonographic practice. The assessment criteria are based on the core minimum requirements for a graduate level sonographer as defined by the Professional Competency Framework for Sonographers.

In this unit, you are required to achieve a novice (beginner) level of competence in your first placement in a clinical setting, with the emphasis on patient care, patient communication, professionalism and teamwork.

Assessment Task

In consultation with your clinical supervisor, you will pick ONE of the following examinations:

-          Abdominal

-          Renal

-          Female pelvis (transabdominal and/or transvaginal)

-          Thyroid

Discuss the best time to complete this practical assessment with your clinical supervisor. You will attempt to perform a portion of the ultrasound examination under the guidance of your supervisor. The task will be assessed using the marking guidelines and assessment criteria, which are based on the core minimum requirements for a graduate-level sonographer as defined by the Professional Competency Framework for Sonographers.

A copy of the document has been emailed to your clinical placement site, but it is advisable for you to provide a printed copy to your clinical supervisor at commencement of your placement and/or on the day of the assessment.

If you do not meet the required competency level on your first attempt, you must seek detailed feedback from your assessor to critically reflect on and develop a strategy to improve your performance on the reattempt. Share your plan for improvement with your assessor and then reattempt the assessment before the end of the clinical placement. You are permitted one (1) reattempt in the competency examination that was failed, with no more than two (2) attempts permitted. If a reattempt was completed, please submit the completed documents from all attempts.

Your clinical supervisor will assess you on each criterion based on how dependent you are upon their direction and support. Competency indicates minimum independent practice requiring significant direction and prompting. The grade chosen will best describe your average performance in each area. In addition, specific examples of good performance and areas for improvement will be provided on page 5. In order to successfully pass this competency at novice level, you must achieve Level 3 in patient communication and Level 1 or above in all other assessment areas.

The completed practical assesment should be uploaded to the unit Moodle site before Friday at 8 PM AEST, on the last day of your placement block.

• Block 1: Friday, 20 December, 2024
• Block 2: Friday, 7 February, 2025

Any students whose clinical placement dates have been negotiated beyond these dates will be eligible to apply for an extension via the unit Moodle site. 

As an undergraduate medical sonography student, you are provided access to a professional workplace to gain clinical hands-on experience. It is expected that you conduct yourself in a manner that reflects the behaviours and attributes of a healthcare professional and present a positive image to the staff and patients at the clinical facility. As a medical sonography student in Australia, you are required to abide by the Code of Conduct for Medical Sonographers. Professional behaviour, specifically teamwork and empathy, are key factors considered by clinical sites when employing sonographers.

This assessment is based on the 'Holistic Matrix' component of the Professional Competency Framework for Sonographers (1) that is fundamental for sonographic practice. You will be assessed on your ability to communicate professionally with patients and staff of diverse cultural backgrounds, demonstrate respect to all, and function as a reliable, well-organised member of the healthcare team.

Your clinical supervisor, or delegate, will be observing your daily performance and/or gathering feedback from supervising sonographers. These observations and feedback are based on your demonstrated knowledge, skills and behaviours over a period and are not limited to a specific scan or patient case. These observations and feedback are then used to complete the Global Assessment of Professional Attributes (GAPA) form provided.

There are three (3) main sections of the GAPA form: 

·         Section 1: Applied Knowledge

·         Section 2: Psychomotor Skills (Scanning Skills) and Standard of Work

·         Section 3: Professionalism

In each section there are multiple observed behaviours that you are required to demonstrate throughout your placement. Your assessor will score your performance based on the frequency and extent you demonstrate each of these behaviours. Your assessor is encouraged to provide comments to expand on this scoring feedback. 

This assessment occurs during the final week of the placement, towards the end of Week 5. The GAPA is summative, and your final grade depends on how well you meet the performance targets listed in the assessment criteria.

The GAPA form is available on the unit Moodle site. This form has been emailed to your clinical site, but you should also print these forms and read them carefully so you understand the criteria that will be used to assess your performance.

After the GAPA, find an appropriate time to discuss the score and comments with your clinical supervisor. Your clinical supervisor will provide you a copy of the completed GAPA and you will need to submit this through the unit Moodle site before the due date. Any students whose clinical placement dates have been negotiated to extend beyond the standard due dates will need to communicate this with the unit coordinator.

It is your responsibility to remind your clinical supervisor, at least a week in advance, to complete the assessment and schedule a meeting with him/her afterwards to discuss it before the assessment due date. This allows your supervisor time to collect feedback and arrange for an alternate assessor, if necessary.

If there are extenuating circumstances that prevent you from being assessed before the due date, you must inform the unit coordinator in a timely manner and request an extension through the Moodle site. 

Occasionally, clinical sites may inform us (e.g. through a formative GAPA form) of student behaviour that compromise the reputation of the clinical site and/or the university, and/or compromise patient/staff safety and wellbeing. This will be emailed directly to the unit coordinator. In such cases, the student will be notified that he/she must stop attending the clinical site and discuss his/her position with the unit coordinator and the Head of Course. In accordance with CQUniversity policy, this may result in student behavioural misconduct procedures.

1. Childs J, Thoirs K, Quinton A, Osborne B, Edwards C, Stoodley P, et al. Professional Competency Framework for Sonographers [Internet]. 2021 Oct [cited 2022 Nov 18]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.17148035.v2

There are 37 behaviours you are required to demonstrate during placement and are listed in the GAPA form.

These required behaviours are grouped into three (3) sections:

·         Section 1: Applied Knowledge - five (5) required behaviours

·         Section 2: Psychomotor Skills (Scanning Skills) and Standard of Work - twelve (12) required behaviours

·         Section 3: Professionalism - sixteen (16) required behaviours

The criteria for this assessment is detailed on the GAPA form specified as required behaviours and attributes.

The assessor will use the stated scale, limited to level 3, to indicate the frequency and extent to which you demonstrate each of those. The required behaviours and attributes are grouped in 3 sections and the student must achieve Level 1 or above in all areas.

If you demonstrate unsatisfactory performance in the GAPA, this will result in a fail for this assessment and the unit. Please bear in mind a fail in any assessment in MEDS12007 will result in a fail for the unit.

If a student's behaviour fails to meet the minimum required levels in the GAPA at any stage of clinical placement, he/she may be identified as a 'student at risk' by the clinical supervisor or unit coordinator. Any ‘student at risk’ will be notified by the unit coordinator, who will provide formative feedback. KPIs will be set and required to be met within a given timeframe. Failure to meet these KPIs within the given timeframe will result in a fail in the GAPA and therefore, a fail for this assessment and the unit.

Occasionally, a student's behaviour is beyond acceptable risk to clinical sites. The clinical supervisor may contact CQUniversity if this occurs. A GAPA may be requested at this time (which could be at any time during the placement). If the outcome of this GAPA is unsatisfactory, and/or the clinical site feedback indicates that they can no longer host a student due to the risk incurred, this will constitute a fail of the unit. 

The completed GAPA should be uploaded to the unit Moodle site before Friday at 8 PM AEST, on the last day of your placement block. In order to achieve an overall grade of pass in this assessment task, the GAPA must indicate that the student demonstrates satisfactory performance (e.g. achieve Level 1 or above) in all 37 behaviours.

• Block 1: Friday, 20 December, 2024
• Block 2: Friday, 7 February, 2025

Any students whose clinical placement dates have been negotiated beyond these dates will be eligible to apply for an extension via the unit Moodle site. 

You are about to enter the clinical environment for your first clinical placement to continue in your preparation to become a sonographer. Qualified sonographers use experiential and knowledge-based clinical intuition to assist in making clinical decisions. This helps them decide things such as what questions to ask during history taking, where to focus their scan, how to extend the scan, what images to record and what to highlight in their report. You are going to begin the process of developing this clinical decision-making capacity in this assessment.

Kerry Thoirs and Jenny Sims, two well-respected educators in imaging, have adapted a clinical decision-making framework to support student sonographers in developing clinical decision-making skills and structure clinical learning. This assessment requires you to complete a clinical case report on an ultrasound examination that you have either performed, or taken part in, while undertaking this clinical unit. You are going to produce a clinical case report in the style described by Thoirs and Sims in their published article, "Using a Clinical Decision-Making Framework to Foster Sonographer Student Learning in the Clinical Setting". Using this framework will give you a chance to appraise your professional performance including sonographic knowledge, technical skill, professionalism, teamwork, communication skills and safe clinical practice to identify goals for continuing professional development.

The following section will detail the template outline for the clinical case report.

Task

Using the headings below fill out details of a scan. It will be structured to include five components:

• Information gathering around the patient presentation;
• Hypothesis generation – the making of a tentative diagnosis based on the information gained in the previous component;
• Sonographic assessment to gather further information;
• The combination and cognitive synthesis of previous components to make a sonographic diagnosis; and
• Reflection and consolidation of learning from the case.

The full article is included on the unit Moodle site for you to read and refer to. 

Once completed, students will be required to provide a short oral presentation (5 - 7 PowerPoint slides) in tutorial to discuss their findings. More information will be provided on the unit Moodle site.

Quiz

Another important part of being a sonographer is your ability to critique and interpret ultrasound images. As you progress through this course, you will develop your knowledge and ability in identifying normal vs. abnormal sonographic findings, interpreting and critiquing ultrasound images and decision-making to extend the scan further when required.

Quiz Task Description

This task will assess your understanding of image optimisation, image interpretation and critical thinking. There is only one attempt for this quiz. If you do not meet the minimum requirement for the quiz, you will receive a fail for this assessment task and this will lead to failure of this unit. Please bear in mind a fail in any assessment (or task within an assessment) in MEDS12007 will result in a fail for the unit.

You need to ensure that you have adequate computer and internet facilities in completing this assessment. If students are requiring assistance with regards to connectivity issues, please ensure that communication is made in a timely manner prior to the attempt with the unit coordinator.

Practice questions will be provided in tutorials and on the unit Moodle site. The quiz will cover content related to: 

- Ultrasound Physics and Instrumentation

- Small Parts Ultrasound (ie. thyroid, testes, etc.)

- Upper Abdominal Ultrasound

- Obstetric and Gynaecology Ultrasound

The quiz will require students to name anatomical structures in ultrasound, to explain normal and abnormal findings, and demonstrate critical thinking.

The quiz will be open in week 11.

Students must achieve 50% on each task (the written assessment and the quiz) in order to pass this assessment. Please bear in mind that a fail on either task will result in a fail on the assessment and consequently the unit. All assessments in this unit must achieve a pass in order to pass the unit.