Overview
This final work integrated learning unit 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
Prerequisite BMSC14001 Integrated Pathology 1 BMSC14005 Preparation for Professional Practice in Medical Laboratory Science Corequisite BMSC14003 Integrated Pathology 2
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 - 2026
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 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 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.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Self-reflection, student feedback
Continue liaising with students, notifying them of the opportunities to off-set hours with the provision of a letter of proof from their employer.
Ensure students are informed of this option at the point of enrolment into BMSC14004.
Feedback from Self-reflection
Work on developing the Moodle site to align with BMSC12005 and BMSC13012
Work with the Learning Design team to ensure all Moodle pages are similar.
- Apply knowledge of pathology, laboratory medicine procedures and quality management to practice in the clinical context
- Integrate and interpret laboratory data from various sources to solve problems, inform decisions and provide advice to other health professionals
- Behave professionally, consistent with safe practice, during interactions with clients and other health professionals
- Evaluate new, or adapted, laboratory protocols and procedures to enhance efficiency and efficacy of diagnostic testing in a medical science laboratory.
The learning outcomes achieved through specialised workplace learning are linked to the objectives of the accrediting body, Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists (AIMS).
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Portfolio - 0% | ||||
| 2 - Professional Practice Placement - 0% | ||||
| 3 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 0% | ||||
| 4 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 0% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Sonia Online
- Zoom (both microphone and webcam capability)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
i.christiansen@cqu.edu.au
Term Schedule
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2026Module/Topic
This is a Clinical Placement Unit and as such you will be required to attend a placement for 200 hours.
Chapter
There are no set texts for this unit.
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 via the Sonia Placement system.
A weekly Zoom session is held to allow for contact with students whilst on placement.
Assessment items are to be submitted at the conclusion of your placement.
Contact information:
The Unit Coordinator for this unit is Ingrid Christiansen and she can be contacted via e-mail, i.christiansen@cqu.edu.au.
For Pathology/Medical Laboratory Science students your contact is Jacqui Dennis and she can be contacted via e-mail, j.dennis@cqu.edu.au.
Note: if you wish use a referencing style other than those listed please contact the Unit Coordinator or your Discipline Lead.
Pre-placement Checks:
Please note that all pre-placement checks must be completed prior to commencing placement. Please confirm with the Clinical Placement Officer that all pre-placement checks have been completed and approved in Sonia.
Professional Behaviour and Uniform:
On your placement you are representing yourself, the University and the profession so professional behaviour is required at all times.
Please purchase the appropriate student uniform from the CQUniversity Bookshop. 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 purchase 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 placement.
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: 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 and WIL team as soon as practical. You are also required to complete of 'Notification of Absence from Placement' form in Sonia and submit this at your earliest convenience.
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 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 more than three (3) days of work placement must notify the Unit Coordinator and their Work Placement Supervisor by e-mail or telephone. They should then submit a medical certificate to the Unit Coordinator via email.
In such an event, alternative arrangements to complete the remaining hours of work placement may be made after consultation with the placement provider and the Unit Coordinator.
Assessment Submission:
Due to the flexible nature of the scheduling of clinical placements the due dates for submission of assessment tasks is individual.
All assessments are to be submitted within two (2) weeks of completion of the placement and failure to do so will incur a late submission penalty.
If an assessment task does not meet the minimum standard for a pass you will be given one opportunity to re-submit the assessment following the provision of feedback.
A final fail grade for any assessment task will result in an overall fail for the unit.
Unit Completion:
All clinical placements must be organised within 12 months of enrolment of the unit. Failure to do so will result in an overall fail for the unit.
1 Portfolio
This assessment has two parts.
Part A - Journal Article
You are required to prepare a case, case series report or a research activity on an interesting case or research activity that you undertook during your placement, for publication. The article should be prepared according to the ‘instructions for authors’ that is available on the journal homepage. You may select any journal that is peer-reviewed and is relevant to the discipline area (e.g. The Australian Journal of Medical Science). Please see the Moodle site for further information.
Part B - Oral Presentation
You are required to prepare and submit a PowerPoint or similar presentation of your case(s) or research project and deliver that to an audience of your peers.
It is envisaged that the case(s) or the research activity will be from your clinical placement.
The Oral Presentation is to be presented to the Unit Coordinator and other CQU Academic Staff via Zoom; a link will be provided on the Moodle page. If the presentation is made from the clinical placement site the Clinical Supervisor and any other interested parties are welcome to attend.
The Zoom session will be recorded.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 3: You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use.
Use of Generative AI
The submitted assessment item must be your own work, but you may be assisted by the use of Generative AI tools (GenAI/LLM). However, it is important to note that GenAI/LLM generated responses are not peer-reviewed. Therefore, if material for an assessment is generated through your engagement with GenAI/LLMs, it is important that this information is:
- Verified through rigorous comparison with peer-reviewed scholarly sources
- Paraphrased
- Referenced to peer-reviewed scholarly sources
- Correctly referenced as being generated via GenAI/LLM (See APA Guide)
Note: Cutting and pasting of GenAI/LLM material into assessments may be considered contract cheating and/or plagiarism. Further information regarding the appropriate use of GenAI/LLM for this assessment item is available on the unit Moodle page. If you have questions about the appropriate use of GenAI/LLM material, please speak with your lecturer and/or contact an ALC advisor.
The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
The oral presentation should be delivered and the presentation and the article submitted within two (2) weeks of the completion of the placement.
Feedback will be provided within two (2) weeks of submission.
Part A - Journal Article
Is the article prepared as per the 'Instructions to Authors' for the selected publication?
Is the content 'scientifically sound'?
Is grammar, spelling and punctuation correct?
Part B - Oral Presentation
Is the discussion of the research activity or case(s) presented detailed?
Is the use of technology for presentation and recording (if applicable) appropriate?
Does the presenter show confidence, speak clearly, make appropriate eye contact and engage the audience and refer to notes minimally?
Are responses to questions appropriate?
- Apply knowledge of pathology, laboratory medicine procedures and quality management to practice in the clinical context
- Evaluate new, or adapted, laboratory protocols and procedures to enhance efficiency and efficacy of diagnostic testing in a medical science laboratory.
2 Professional Practice Placement
Part A: Supervisor Evaluations
The Clinical Placement Supervisor is required to complete two (2) 'Evaluation of Student Performance' forms, one at the mid-point (midpoint evaluation) and the other at the completion of your placement (final endpoint evaluation).
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.
Part B: Student Evaluation
You are also required to submit the 'End of Placement Site Evaluation' form to provide feedback on the placement experience.
The form is available on Sonia and should be completed at the conclusion of your placement and submitted in Moodle.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Two Supervisor Evaluations are to be submitted, one at the mid-point and the other at the completion of the placement and the Student Evaluation should be submitted within two (2) weeks of the completion of the placement.
Feedback will generally be provided within two (2) weeks of submission.
Part A: Supervisor Evaluations
The Supervisor Evaluations are based on your professional behaviour whilst on placement and are a 6-point Likert Scale.
Any 'Disagree' or 'Strongly Disagree' evaluations on the first evaluation are to be addressed and improved upon by the final evaluation.
Five (5) or more 'Disagree' or 'Strongly Disagree' evaluations on the 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'.
Part B: Student Evaluation
The Student Evaluation is for you to assess the learning experience of your placement.
Submission of a completed evaluation will result in a pass for this task.
- Behave professionally, consistent with safe practice, during interactions with clients and other health professionals
3 Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
Attendance Record
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 200 hours during the placement.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
The Attendance Record is to be competed daily via Sonia.
Feedback will generally be provided within two (2) weeks of submission.
Attendance Record
You are required to attend for a minimum of 200 hours in order to pass the unit.
- 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.
4 Reflective Practice Assignment
Reflective Work Journal
The Reflective Work Journal is an opportunity for you to record how the placement has enabled you to consolidate the knowledge that you have gained and to practice the practical skills learned from your studies at CQUniversity.
It should also demonstrate how the placement has enhanced your knowledge and skills and provided you with an opportunity to gain experience as a Scientist.
A guide on how to keep the journal is available on the Moodle site.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 3: You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use.
Use of Generative AI
The submitted assessment item must be your own work, and not written, or composed using Generative AI tools (GenAI/LLM). This includes the manipulation or analysis of images and data.
Note: Cutting and pasting of GenAI/LLM material into assessments may be considered contract cheating and/or plagiarism. If you have questions about the appropriate use of GenAI/LLM material, please speak with your lecturer and/or contact an ALC advisor.
The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
The Reflective Work Journal is to be submitted two (2) weeks after completion of the placement.
Feedback will generally be provided within two (2) weeks of submission.
Reflective Work Journal
The Reflective Journal should demonstrate how study at CQUniversity, the clinical placement and future career are all linked. You must reflect on how the knowledge and skills acquired in the course were able to be applied and enhanced on the clinical placement and how this prepared you for your future career. You will be required to map these reflections against the 'Competency Based Standards for Medical Scientists'.
The journal should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words. Please note - the activity requires you to reflect, rather than recount activities.
The Reflective Work Journal is a PASS/FAIL assessment. If you do not achieve the minimum grade of 50% on the reflective journal, you will be notified and given one chance to resubmit.
- Apply knowledge of pathology, laboratory medicine procedures and quality management to practice in the clinical context
- Integrate and interpret laboratory data from various sources to solve problems, inform decisions and provide advice to other health professionals
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?
