For this clinical placement you must complete practical assessments in any three (3) of the following six (6) domains of practice: vascular (carotid), superficial structure (thyroid or testes), breast (female or male), musculoskeletal (shoulder), abdomen, obstetric (18-22 week) morphology or 3rd trimester growth studies. Each of the practical assessments 1-3 relate to competency in the three domains of practice which you choose to challenge in this clinical placement. Those domains in which you choose NOT to complete a practical assessment will form your practical assessment choices for Clinical Unit 4.
To graduate as a medical sonographer (general) you must achieve entry-level competence in each of the six domains of practice identified by the external accreditation body, the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry.
This assessment task measures your overall aptitude and competence in completing an ultrasound examination in one of these six domains of practice. The required levels of competency are:

• vascular (carotid) to competency level,
• superficial structure (thyroid or testes) to competency level,
• breast (female or male) to competency level,
• musculoskeletal (shoulder) to competency level,
• abdomen to competency level,
• obstetric (18-22 week) morphology or 3rd trimester growth scan to advanced beginner competency level.

For this practical assessment choose one of the domains of practice above. Then complete a practical test in this domain of practice to achieve the appropriate competency level as stated above.
This task will be assessed by your clinical supervisor, or a delegate sonographer using the standardised form provided.
Click this link to access the relevant assessment forms and marking criteria. A copy has been emailed to your clinical site but it is advisable to provide a printed copy to your clinical supervisor at the commencement of your placement.
Please print this form and read it carefully so you understand the criteria against which your sonographic skill, and relevant theoretical knowledge, will be evaluated.
Discuss the best time to complete this assessment with your clinical supervisor. After the assessment ask for feedback so you can focus your efforts at improvement in the areas mentioned by your supervisor. If you do not meet the required standard on your first attempt, you must seek detailed feedback from your assessor so you can develop a strategy to improve your performance. You should share your plan for improvement with your assessor. You may then repeat this assessment and must achieve the required level. Your clinical supervisor must complete and sign the assessment form before you submit it through the assessment block in the unit Moodle site.
In this assessment you will demonstrate your ability to carry out all tasks of the ultrasound examination with minimal intervention, guidance or correction by the assessor. The assessment must be attempted prior to completion of the clinical placement block.
You are permitted two attempts to complete this assessment task.

The assessment criteria will address the following areas of your performance in one of six domains of practice:

• Occupational health and safety including ergonomics.
• Accurate documentation and communication of findings.
• Ability to recognise the need to and extend the clinical examination where appropriate.
• Recognition and understanding of the relevant anatomy and pathology demonstrated.
• Interrogation of anatomy and acquisition of relevant images to demonstrate diagnostic sufficiency and completeness of information contained.
• Knowledge of instrumentation including optimisation of survey and images through appropriate selection of parameters and technique.
• Pre-scan, scan and post-scan preparation and tasks.
• Patient care and communication.

The required levels of competency are:

• vascular (carotid) to competency level,
• superficial structure (thyroid or testes) to competency level,
• breast (female or male) to competency level,
• musculoskeletal (shoulder) to competency level,
• abdomen to competency level,
• obstetric (18-22 week) morphology or 3rd trimester growth scans to advanced beginner competency level.

To achieve a level of 'competent', you must attain a minimum of eighteen (18) scores of 4, and no scores of 1 or 2.
To achieve a level of 'advanced beginner' (obstetric scan only) you must attain a minimum of eighteen (18) scores of 3, and no scores of 1.

You have 2 opportunities to pass the competency.

For this clinical placement you must complete practical assessments in any three (3) of the following six (6) domains of practice: vascular (carotid), superficial structure (thyroid or testes), breast (female or male), musculoskeletal (shoulder), abdomen, obstetric (18-22 week) morphology or 3rd trimester growth studies. Each of the practical assessments 1-3 relate to competency in the three domains of practice which you choose to challenge in this clinical placement. Those domains in which you choose NOT to complete a practical assessment will form your practical assessment choices for Clinical Unit 4.
To graduate as a medical sonographer (general) you must achieve entry-level competence in each of the six domains of practice identified by the external accreditation body, the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry.
This assessment task measures your overall aptitude and competence in completing an ultrasound examination in one of these six domains of practice. The required levels of competency are:

• vascular (carotid) to competency level,
• superficial structure (thyroid or testes) to competency level,
• breast (female or male) to competency level,
• musculoskeletal (shoulder) to competency level,
• abdomen to competency level,
• obstetric (18-22 week) morphology or 3rd trimester growth scan to advanced beginner competency level.

For this practical assessment choose one of the domains of practice above. Then complete a practical test in this domain of practice to achieve the appropriate competency level as stated above.
This task will be assessed by your clinical supervisor, or a delegate sonographer using the standardised form provided.
Click this link to access the relevant assessment forms and marking criteria. A copy has been emailed to your clinical site but it is advisable to provide a printed copy to your clinical supervisor at the commencement of your placement.
Please print this form and read it carefully so you understand the criteria against which your sonographic skill, and relevant theoretical knowledge, will be evaluated.
Discuss the best time to complete this assessment with your clinical supervisor. After the assessment ask for feedback so you can focus your efforts at improvement in the areas mentioned by your supervisor. If you do not meet the required standard on your first attempt, you must seek detailed feedback from your assessor so you can develop a strategy to improve your performance. You should share your plan for improvement with your assessor. You may then repeat this assessment and must achieve the required level. Your clinical supervisor must complete and sign the assessment form before you submit it through the assessment block in the unit Moodle site.
In this assessment you will demonstrate your ability to carry out all tasks of the ultrasound examination with minimal intervention, guidance or correction by the assessor. The assessment must be attempted prior to completion of the clinical placement block.
You are permitted two attempts to complete this assessment task.

The assessment criteria will address the following areas of your performance in one of six domains of practice: Occupational health and safety including ergonomics. Accurate documentation and communication of findings. Ability to recognise the need to and extend the clinical examination where appropriate. Recognition and understanding of the relevant anatomy and pathology demonstrated. Interrogation of anatomy and acquisition of relevant images to demonstrate diagnostic sufficiency and completeness of information contained. Knowledge of instrumentation including optimisation of survey and images through appropriate selection of parameters and technique. Pre-scan, scan and post-scan preparation and tasks. Patient care and communication. The required levels of competency are: vascular (carotid) to competency level, superficial structure (thyroid or testes) to competency level, breast (female) to competency level, musculoskeletal (shoulder) to competency level, abdomen to competency level, obstetric (18-22 week) morphology to advanced beginner competency level. To achieve a level of 'competent', you must attain a minimum of eighteen (18) scores of 4, and no scores of 1 or 2. To achieve a level of 'advanced beginner' (obstetric scan only) you must attain a minimum of eighteen (18) s

The assessment criteria will address the following areas of your performance in one of six domains of practice:

• Occupational health and safety including ergonomics.
• Accurate documentation and communication of findings.
• Ability to recognise the need to and extend the clinical examination where appropriate.
• Recognition and understanding of the relevant anatomy and pathology demonstrated.
• Interrogation of anatomy and acquisition of relevant images to demonstrate diagnostic sufficiency and completeness of information contained.
• Knowledge of instrumentation including optimisation of survey and images through appropriate selection of parameters and technique.
• Pre-scan, scan and post-scan preparation and tasks.
• Patient care and communication.

The required levels of competency are:

• vascular (carotid) to competency level,
• superficial structure (thyroid or testes) to competency level,
• breast (female) to competency level,
• musculoskeletal (shoulder) to competency level,
• abdomen to competency level,
• obstetric (18-22 week) morphology to advanced beginner competency level.

To achieve a level of 'competent', you must attain a minimum of eighteen (18) scores of 4, and no scores of 1 or 2.
To achieve a level of 'advanced beginner' (obstetric scan only) you must attain a minimum of eighteen (18) s

To achieve a Pass in all competencies you must achieve a score of 3 or 4 with no scores of 1 or 2 in Patient communication. A score of 1 or 2 will result in a fail for the competency regardless of whether you achieve the minimum scores of 3 in other components of the competency.
You have 2 opportunities to pass the competency.

For this clinical placement you must complete practical assessments in any three (3) of the following six (6) domains of practice: vascular (carotid), superficial structure (thyroid or testes), breast (female or male), musculoskeletal (shoulder), abdomen, obstetric (18-22 week) morphology or 3rd trimester growth studies. Each of the practical assessments 1-3 relate to competency in the three domains of practice which you choose to challenge in this clinical placement. Those domains in which you choose NOT to complete a practical assessment will form your practical assessment choices for Clinical Unit 4.
To graduate as a medical sonographer (general) you must achieve entry-level competence in each of the six domains of practice identified by the external accreditation body, the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry.
This assessment task measures your overall aptitude and competence in completing an ultrasound examination in one of these six domains of practice. The required levels of competency are:

• vascular (carotid) to competency level,
• superficial structure (thyroid or testes) to competency level,
• breast (female or male) to competency level,
• musculoskeletal (shoulder) to competency level,
• abdomen to competency level,
• obstetric (18-22 week) morphology or 3rd trimester growth scan to advanced beginner competency level.

For this practical assessment chose one of the domains of practice above. Then complete a practical test in this domain of practice to achieve the appropriate competency level as stated above.
This task will be assessed by your clinical supervisor, or a delegate sonographer using the standardised form provided.
Click this link to access the relevant assessment forms and marking criteria. A copy has been emailed to your clinical site but it is advisable to provide a printed copy to your clinical supervisor at the commencement of your placement.
Please print this form and read it carefully so you understand the criteria against which your sonographic skill, and relevant theoretical knowledge, will be evaluated.
Discuss the best time to complete this assessment with your clinical supervisor. After the assessment ask for feedback so you can focus your efforts at improvement in the areas mentioned by your supervisor. If you do not meet the required standard on your first attempt, you must seek detailed feedback from your assessor so you can develop a strategy to improve your performance. You should share your plan for improvement with your assessor. You may then repeat this assessment and must achieve the required level. Your clinical supervisor must complete and sign the assessment form before you submit it through the assessment block in the unit Moodle site.
In this assessment you will demonstrate your ability to carry out all tasks of the ultrasound examination with minimal intervention, guidance or correction by the assessor. The assessment must be attempted prior to completion of the clinical placement block.
You are permitted two attempts to complete this assessment task.

The assessment criteria will address the following areas of your performance in one of six domains of practice:

• Occupational health and safety including ergonomics.
• Accurate documentation and communication of findings.
• Ability to recognise the need to and extend the clinical examination where appropriate.
• Recognition and understanding of the relevant anatomy and pathology demonstrated.
• Interrogation of anatomy and acquisition of relevant images to demonstrate diagnostic sufficiency and completeness of information contained.
• Knowledge of instrumentation including optimisation of survey and images through appropriate selection of parameters and technique.
• Pre-scan, scan and post-scan preparation and tasks.
• Patient care and communication.

The required levels of competency are:

• vascular (carotid) to competency level,
• superficial structure (thyroid or testes) to competency level,
• breast (female or male) to competency level,
• musculoskeletal (shoulder) to competency level,
• abdomen to competency level,
• obstetric (18-22 week) morphology or 3rd trimester growth scan to advanced beginner competency level.

To achieve a level of 'competent', you must attain a minimum of eighteen (18) scores of 4, and no scores of 1 or 2.
To achieve a level of 'advanced beginner' (obstetric scan only) you must attain a minimum of eighteen (18) scores of 3, and no scores of 1.

You have 2 opportunities to pass the competency.

Clinical placement occurs in the professional workplace. As a clinical student you are provided access to that workplace on the condition that you demonstrate behaviours and attributes of a healthcare professional and present a positive image to the clinical facility's staff and clients. As a student in the medical sonographer profession in Australia, you are also required to be working toward consistent compliance with the Code of Conduct for Medical Sonographers.
Clinical sites mention professional behaviour, particularly team work and empathy, as paramount in their decision to employ a sonographer. This assessment considers your ability to communicate professionally with a diverse cultural audience of patients and staff, demonstrate professional respect for all, and function as a reliable, well-organised member of the health team.
Your clinical supervisor, or delegate, will be working in the sonography area with you, directly observing your day-to-day performance, and/or obtaining feedback from supervising sonographers who are doing so. These observations and collected feedback relate to your demonstrated knowledge, skills and behaviours over a span of time, not limited to a particular scan type or patient case. The observations and feedback are then used to complete the Global Assessment of Professional Attributes (GAPA) form provided.
There are three main sections to the GAPA form:
Section 1: initiative and communication
Section 2: responsibility and demeanour
Section 3: overall technical knowledge and skill
In each section there are multiple observable behaviours that you are required to demonstrate throughout your placement. Your assessor will score your performance based on how frequently and to what extent you demonstrate each of the listed behaviours.Your assessor is also encouraged to provide comments to expand on the scoring feedback.
This assessment occurs twice during the placement. The first occurs at the mid-placement point, at the end of Week 9. The mid-placement GAPA assessment is formative, meaning its function is to provide you and your unit coordinator with formal documented feedback on your performance, but there are no minimum required scores related to your final grade.
You are expected to use that feedback to reflect on your performance, develop an action plan to address any areas of performance that are not yet at the target level for this placement, and use the remaining weeks to achieve those targets.
For any behaviour that you score well on at the mid-placement assessment, it is expected that you will continue to meet that level of performance or surpass it for the rest of the placement.

The second GAPA assessment occurs toward the end of Week 19, the final week of the placement. The end-of-placement GAPA assessment is summative, in that its primary use is to evaluate and document your performance relative to the stated performance targets. The minimum required scores are listed in the Assessment Criteria section below. Your final overall grade in this assessment depends on where you stand relative to those performance targets. As this placement is the third of four in the course, you should use this end-of-placement assessment as formative as well, to inform your plans for improvement in your final placement.
Click this link to access the Global Assessment of Professional Attributes form and marking criteria. A copy has been emailed to your clinical site but it is advisable to provide a printed copy to your clinical supervisor at the commencement of your placement. Please print this form and read it carefully so you understand the criteria against which your professional behaviour will be evaluated.
Your clinical supervisor (or designated assessor) will meet with you after completing each assessment to discuss it with you. This is your opportunity to get clarification on any score or comment on the assessment. Once you have had that discussion, you both need to sign and date the assessment. You should complete a brief summary of the discussion. You must  ensure that each completed assessment form has all required documentation, including the name, dated signature and registration number of your assessor as well as your dated signature. Your supervisor will provide you with a copy of the completed assessment form. You will then scan it and upload the file into the unit Moodle site using the link provided.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you remind your clinical supervisor at least a week prior to the assessment that it needs to be done, and book a meeting with him/her toward the end of the week that the assessment is due.This gives your supervisor the opportunity to collect feedback and to designate an alternate assessor if he/she will not be available.
If there are extenuating circumstances at the clinical facility that prevent you from being assessed during the required weeks, you must contact the unit coordinator in a timely manner. This will require obtaining approval for an assessment extension. It is also your responsibility to ensure regular access to the technology needed to upload your assessment by the submission due dates. In the absence of an approved assessment extension, if you have not met all of the requirements listed in the Assessment Criteria section by the stated due dates, you will fail this assessment, and because this is a pass/fail course that means you will receive a Fail grade for the unit.

On occasion, clinical sites inform us of student behaviours which either:

• Compromise the reputation of the clinical site and/or the University,
• Compromise patient / staff safety and/or well-being.

In these instances students are notified that they must cease attendance at the clinical site and discuss their position with the unit coordinator and Head of Course. This may result in student behavioural misconduct procedures in line with the CQUniversity Student Behavioural Misconduct Procedure.

The criteria for assessment are detailed on the GAPA form in the form of required behaviours and attributes. The assessor will use the stated 1 - 6 scale to indicate the frequency and extent to which you demonstrate each of those.The required behaviours and attributes are grouped into 3 sections, each with its own minimum required scores.
For Section 1: Initiative and Communication, which has nine required behaviours, the minimum required set of scores are:

• no more than 1 score of NA,
• no scores of 1 or 2,
• no more than 1 score of 3, and
• the remainder of behaviours scored at 4 or higher.

For Section 2: Responsibility and Demeanour, which has ten required behaviours, the minimum required scores are:

• no more than 1 score of NA,
• no scores of 1, 2 or 3,
• no more than 4 scores of 4, and
• the remainder of behaviours scored at 5 or higher.

For Section 3: Overall Technical Knowledge and Skill, which has three required behaviours, the minimum required scores are:

• no scores of NA and
• all behaviours scored at 4 or higher

In order to achieve an overall grade of 'Pass' in this assessment task, you must:

• undergo both the mid-placement and end-of-placement assessments by the due dates listed,
• on the end-of-placement assessment, meet the minimum required scores in all three sections,
• ensure the documentation of each assessment is complete, and
• upload each completed assessment form into the unit Moodle site by the due date.

The clinical logbook serves as a record of your depth and breadth of experience attained during the placement. It will be invaluable when applying for employment in the future. It demonstrates the degree of progression of your skill development within and across examination type. You should analyse this record at regular intervals to assist in the formulation of learning goals that will support your achievement of the course outcomes.
Each case will be categorised into one of the following areas:

• Abdomen (including renal),
• Superficial Structures (thyroid, testes or other),
• Breast (male and female),
• Gynaecology
• Obstetrics (first, second or third trimester),
• Vascular (carotid, DVT or other)
• Musculoskeletal.

Each week of the logbook must be signed by your clinical site supervisor or a sonographer delegated by the clinical supervisor. Click on this link to view and download the clinical logbook for completion and for further information on how to complete the logbook and minimum examination numbers required.
Copies have been emailed to your clinical site.
Please print these forms/information sheets and read them carefully so you understand the criteria against which your logbook will be evaluated.
Optional
You can submit 'outside clinical placement' log books if you undertake employment in an ultrasound department between the end of your year 3 placement and the commencement of the year 4 placement. Click on this link for the outside clinical placement logbook. Please note:

• The logbook must be verified (signed) by an ASAR accredited sonographer.
• Details of your employment must be entered onto the outside clinical placement logbook for insurance purposes.

This assessment task measures your overall ability to complete an ultrasound examination in three of the six general sonographer domains of practice. The required minimum numbers in your logbook by the conclusion of this clinical placement are completion of three of the categories listed below:
Complete three (3) of the six (6) requirements below. The remaining three must be completed in Clinical Unit 4.

• vascular (carotid) -10 studies,
• superficial structure (thyroid or testes) -10 studies,
• breast (female) -10 studies,
• musculoskeletal (shoulder) -10 studies,
• abdomen- 10 studies,
• obstetric (18-22 week) morphology- 10 studies.

This unit is part of a professionally accredited course within which students are expected to complete 50 weeks of clinical experience. For this unit you must attend 19 weeks of full-time clinical placement. Your rostering, daily start and end times, is determined by the clinical supervisor of the allocated placement site. The roster depends on the scheduling of ultrasound procedures that are relevant to your educational requirements and the smooth operation of the clinical practice. You should not expect the roster to be modified to suit your personal life. There are no allocated personal leave days during this placement.
You are required to achieve 100% attendance to achieve the minimum 760 hours (19 X 40 hours) of clinical attendance. This is defined as attending all hours relative to the quantity of time that you have been rostered by your clinical supervisor to achieve 19 weeks of full-time placement, minus any absence that is approved by both your clinical supervisor and course coordinator. You are not required to attend on any national or relevant state public holidays that fall within your rostered weeks, nor are you required to make up those days. You can log 8 hours worked for each public holiday. Any time you are away from your clinical institution, you MUST supply a verifiable supporting document indicating why you have not attended. If you need to be absent for a part or full day of placement, both your clinical supervisor and the unit coordinator MUST be informed of any absences, preferably in advance of the missed time.
All absences must be made up. Any time to be made up is to be scheduled at the convenience of the clinical site. This may result in extension of the work day or work week. Note that not all facilities have extended hours of operation, so opportunities to make up time are site-dependent. If you attend outside of your normally rostered hours (e.g. late day, evening or weekend), you must still be under direct supervision and working within your scope of practice. All hours worked must be entered into the clinical attendance form. The record must be accurate and complete. You must include any episodes of absence, lateness or early departure. This form must be signed by your clinical supervisor, or a sonographer delegated this task by your clinical supervisor. Click on this link to view and download the clinical attendance form. A copy has been emailed to your clinical site.
Please print this form and read it carefully so you understand the criteria against which your clinical attendance will be evaluated.

Optional
You can submit 'outside clinical placement' attendance hours if you undertake employment in an ultrasound department between your clinical placements.
Click on this link for the outside clinical placement attendance form. Please note:

• The hours must be verified (signed) by an ASAR accredited sonographer.
• Details of your employment, must be entered onto the outside clinical placement attendance form for insurance purposes.

To pass this assessment you must achieve a minimum of 760 hours (19 X 40 hours) of clinical attendance. Any days away from your clinical site must be documented.
To attain a Pass grade in this Placement Attendance task, you must:

• complete 100% attendance as defined above,
• have documented all attendance accurately and completely in your clinical attendance form, and
• have submitted the completed clinical attendance form by the stated due date.

At the end of the scheduled 19 weeks of placement, if you have not met the 100% attendance requirement AND you have documented justifiable grounds for your absenteeism, you will be provided additional scheduled time to make up the the time you have missed. (This scheduled make-up time may not be immediately following the scheduled 19 week placement, and/or may not be at the same placement site, depending on clinical availability).
At the end of the scheduled 19 weeks of placement, if you have not met the 100% attendance requirement AND you do not have documented justifiable grounds for the absence, you will score 'Fail' for this assessment item.