Unit Synopsis
This unit will build on previous coursework and provide you with the knowledge and skills required to be a graduate neurological physiotherapist working with patients with a range of neurological (including neurodevelopment) conditions across the spectrum of acute and community healthcare settings. You will develop an understanding of pathophysiology and symptomatology and conduct assessments that define impairments and limitations in the context of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). You will select and apply outcome measures that monitor progress and use clinical reasoning for the basis of treatment planning. The interventions you implement will be effective and evidence-based to promote recovery and independence with a patient-centred, goal-directed, and inter-professional approach.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 3 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
To enrol in this unit, you must be enrolled in the CB85 Course and have met the following pre-requisites: PSIO12004 Neurological Physiotherapy 1 MPAT12001 Medical Pathophysiology 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). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026
Term 1 - 2026 Profile
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.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. In-class Test(s) | 40% |
| 2. Group Work | 10% |
| 3. On-campus Activity | 0% |
| 4. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) | 50% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site .
Term 1 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 23.08% response rate.
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.
Source: Unit evaluation data, direct student feedback, self reflection, broader feedback.
The students appreciated the opportunity to learn from physiotherapists who are actively practicing in specialised areas.
It is recommended to continue to look for opportunities for students to engage with physiotherapists currently working in specialised areas. (e.g., guest lectures, practical workshops, observational placements).
Unit learning activities included opportunites for students to engage with physiotherapists currently working in specialised areas (e.g., guest lectures, observational placements).
Source: Unit evaluation data, direct student feedback, self reflection, broader feedback.
Students enjoyed the paediatric interprofessional education (IPE) experience, appreciating the different professional perspectives. However, differences in task expectations for each discipline were noted.
It is recommended that the paediatric interprofessional education (IPE) experience be continued with clearer and more consistent task expectations across disciplines.
The paediatric IPE experience was continued, with clearer and more consistent task expectations implemented across disciplines to promote clarity and ensure equity in student engagement.
Source: Unit evaluation data, direct student feedback, peer feedback, self-reflection.
The tutorial and practical manual effectively supported student learning and contributed to a positive learning experience.
It is recommended that the tutorial and practical manual continue to be used as an essential learning resource for this unit, with periodic updates to ensure relevance and alignment with unit content.
In Progress
Source: Unit evaluation data, direct student feedback, peer feedback, self-reflection.
While students generally felt supported in their learning, some reported difficulty with functional exercise prescription - particularly in selecting and adapting exercises.
It is recommended that a functional exercise prescription handbook be developed that is tailored to neurological physiotherapy to support student learning and confidence in selecting appropriate exercises during practical activities and assessments.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Explain the pathophysiology, symptomatology, clinical course, management, and outcomes for developmental, vascular, traumatic, progressive, and degenerative neurological conditions across the lifespan.
- Select, apply, and interpret appropriate observational, handling, and specific assessment tools to identify functional limitations and impairments in the context of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and patient-centred, inter-professional healthcare practice.
- Demonstrate use of problem-solving and clinical reasoning for the selection and execution of evidence-based neurological rehabilitation techniques to address sensorimotor dysfunction of patients with neurological disorders.
- Demonstrate acceptable professional and ethical behaviours consistent with a physiotherapy practitioner.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - In-class Test(s) | • | • | • | |
| 2 - Group Work | • | |||
| 3 - On-campus Activity | • | |||
| 4 - Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) | • | • | • | |
| 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 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | • | |||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |