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PSYN8902 – Clinical Neuropsychology Practical Placement II

2020 – Session 1, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Vincent Oxenham
vincent.oxenham@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MClinNeuro and (PSYN840 or PSYN8840) and (PSYN855 or PSYN8855) and (PSYN853 or PSYN8853)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit enables students to further develop the skills acquired in PSYN8849. The unit with an overall workload of approximately 250 hours provides students with supervised practical experience in conducting neuropsychological assessments including case formulation, interviewing, testing, scoring, test interpretation, report writing and (where appropriate) verbal feedback. Students will develop their knowledge of relevant clinical conditions, and the advantages and disadvantages of particular assessment procedures. Skills in case formulation, hypothesis generation and the interpretation of test results will be developed. Report writing skills will be refined, with students initially working with close supervision, but gradually developing more independence. Students are required to complete at least a thousand hours across all placements in the program to meet accreditation requirements.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://students.mq.edu.au/important-dates

Learning Outcomes

  • ULO1: Apply neuropsychological knowledge and scholarly understanding to determine client needs and design and implement evidence based interventions.
  • ULO2: Communicate effectively across a wide range of client groups, colleagues and other professionals, using a variety of formats, taking into account developmental and cultural considerations
  • ULO3: Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative frameworks relevant to clinical neuropsychologists and undertake practice according to professional standards and the Psychology Board of Australia's code of ethics.
  • ULO4: Demonstrate the entry level capabilities required of practising clinical neuropsychologists, includingthe professional and personal skills for assessing continuous development needs.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Mid-placement review (MPR) 30% Yes Approximately half way through placement
End of placement review (EPR) 30% Yes At completion of placement
Case log book 10% Yes At completion of placement
Weekly Supervision (WIL) 30% Yes Approximately one hour per two days on placement

Mid-placement review (MPR)

Assessment Type 1: Work-integrated task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 1 hours
Due: Approximately half way through placement
Weighting: 30%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This is a mid-placement assessment of competency, conducted In the placement setting with the supervisor using an online tool. Feedback is on developing competency to a Pass level. An average score of at least 4 out of 10 in at least 3 of the overall skill domains (i.e. assessment skills, clinical skills, report writing and professional skills) is required to pass. A score below this will result in the unit being failed.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply neuropsychological knowledge and scholarly understanding to determine client needs and design and implement evidence based interventions.
  • Communicate effectively across a wide range of client groups, colleagues and other professionals, using a variety of formats, taking into account developmental and cultural considerations
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative frameworks relevant to clinical neuropsychologists and undertake practice according to professional standards and the Psychology Board of Australia's code of ethics.
  • Demonstrate the entry level capabilities required of practising clinical neuropsychologists, includingthe professional and personal skills for assessing continuous development needs.

End of placement review (EPR)

Assessment Type 1: Work-integrated task
Indicative Time on Task 2: hours
Due: At completion of placement
Weighting: 30%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This is an end of placement assessment of competency, conducted In the placement setting with the supervisor. This review is conducted using an online tool. An average score of at least 5 out of 10 in at least 3 of the overall skill domains (i.e. assessment skills, clinical skills, report writing and professional skills) is required to pass the placement. A score below this will result in the unit being failed. The field supervisor provides recommendation to the placement co-ordinator who reviews the evaluation form including log book, and case log book to determine the awarding of the final grade.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply neuropsychological knowledge and scholarly understanding to determine client needs and design and implement evidence based interventions.
  • Communicate effectively across a wide range of client groups, colleagues and other professionals, using a variety of formats, taking into account developmental and cultural considerations
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative frameworks relevant to clinical neuropsychologists and undertake practice according to professional standards and the Psychology Board of Australia's code of ethics.
  • Demonstrate the entry level capabilities required of practising clinical neuropsychologists, includingthe professional and personal skills for assessing continuous development needs.

Case log book

Assessment Type 1: Log book
Indicative Time on Task 2: 7 hours
Due: At completion of placement
Weighting: 10%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

At the completion of 12-14 cases, these must be compiled into a log book and presented to the Placement Coordinator.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply neuropsychological knowledge and scholarly understanding to determine client needs and design and implement evidence based interventions.
  • Communicate effectively across a wide range of client groups, colleagues and other professionals, using a variety of formats, taking into account developmental and cultural considerations
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative frameworks relevant to clinical neuropsychologists and undertake practice according to professional standards and the Psychology Board of Australia's code of ethics.
  • Demonstrate the entry level capabilities required of practising clinical neuropsychologists, includingthe professional and personal skills for assessing continuous development needs.

Weekly Supervision (WIL)

Assessment Type 1: Work-integrated task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Approximately one hour per two days on placement
Weighting: 30%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

Students participate in case management and intervention under close supervision of field supervisors appointed as Macquarie University Adjunct Fellows. Students will be assessed on formative assessment and testing skills; professional conduct; self-reflection via log book; ethics and communication skills including professional report writing. At the end of placement, a declaration form confirming hours is also required.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply neuropsychological knowledge and scholarly understanding to determine client needs and design and implement evidence based interventions.
  • Communicate effectively across a wide range of client groups, colleagues and other professionals, using a variety of formats, taking into account developmental and cultural considerations
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative frameworks relevant to clinical neuropsychologists and undertake practice according to professional standards and the Psychology Board of Australia's code of ethics.
  • Demonstrate the entry level capabilities required of practising clinical neuropsychologists, includingthe professional and personal skills for assessing continuous development needs.

1 If you need guidance or support to understand or complete this type of assessment, please contact the Learning Skills Team

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Attendance at the field placement for two days minimum over 12 weeks on average for placement completion. 

Need to have completed NSW Health training modules.

As a professional public facing environment , the field placement requires Professional attire, and provide your own stationery 

As a regulated Health Profession, Psychology placements require Registration with the Psychology Board of Australia, a National Criminal Record Check, Working with Children Check and Health Verification be conducted prior to placement commencement and maintained across all placements.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Enquiry Service

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Equity Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.